Mark Poyser
BBC Radio Wales football commentator

There is so much at stake going into this game tonight and remember it could be a late night with extra-time and penalties on offer to decide a winner if the aggregate score is level after 90 minutes, especially as there is no away goals rule.

Both nations have never qualified for a major tournament before and both are trying to achieve other little bits of history this evening;

• Only twice in the history of Uefa qualifying play-offs has a team recovered from losing the first leg to progress from a tie, and not since Switzerland came back to beat Poland in 1998 has it happened.
• A lower ranked side has only progressed from four Uefa qualifying play-off ties and only one has done it when the gap in the Fifa rankings has been greater than seven places (Northern Ireland beat Ukraine to reach Euro 2022 despite a 25-place gap).
• No nation ranked outside the world’s top 50 in the Fifa rankings has ever qualified for a major tournament through the Uefa qualifiers (Slovakia are ranked 51st).
• There has only ever been one penalty shootout in Uefa qualifying play-offs when Switzerland beat the Czech Republic to reach Euro 2022.
• Neither Wales or Slovakia have ever been involved in a penalty shootout in a competitive match
• Slovakia are the only lower ranked side in any of the Euro 2025 play-off ties to be ahead after the first legs.

Image source, FAW

Slovakia had not won in five matches before Friday's triumph over Wales, having suffered back-to-back defeats against both Serbia and Scotland before a draw with Israel in July.

Slovakia have won just one of their last 12 away games and, like Wales, they have never qualified for a major tournament.

But for all that, Peter Kopun's side proved themselves more than capable of troubling Wales on Friday.

The home side's performance in Poprad serves as a warning to Wales that another poor display tonight will almost certainly spell the end for their Euro 2025 hopes.

Image source, FAW

The message coming from the Welsh camp at their pre-match press conference yesterday was pretty clear - in short, they must do better.

Rhian Wilkinson suffered the first defeat of her reign in Slovakia, where Wales produced one of their worst performances in recent memory.

Even with Jess Fishlock on the bench and Sophie Ingle missing, Wales felt confident they would have enough to secure victory over a side who lie 22 places below them in Fifa's world rankings.

Yet they left Poprad feeling grateful to still be in the tie, after Ffion Morgan's late goal saw Wales beaten 2-1.

Away goals do not count for anything in these play-off ties, but the halving of the deficit shifted the mood for Wales ahead of tonight's return leg.

Now, as Wilkinson, Angharad James and Fishlock all declared yesterday, they must deliver an improved performance across 90 minutes.

Image source, FAW

Iwan Roberts believes Wales start as favourites to progress tonight even though they were beaten by Slovakia in Friday's first leg.

Despite Wales' poor performance in Poprad, Roberts reckons Ffion Morgan's late goal has turned the tie in favour of Rhian Wilkinson's side.

"I think they're the favourites now, even though they're looking for another goal to bring them level," the former Wales striker told BBC Radio Cymru.

"You look at Slovakia's away record, one win in their last 12 away games, they haven't scored in nine of those.

"Wales have only lost two of their last 12 at home, those two coming against Denmark and Iceland. I see Wales going through to the final."

Image source, FAW

Former skipper Kath Morgan says Jess Fishlock's return to the Wales starting side will "lift" Rhian Wilkinson's squad as they attempt to turn this tie around.

Fishlock came off the bench in Slovakia having been out since early September with injury - and duly laid on Ffion Morgan's late goal.

“We needed her at the start of the game in Slovakia," Morgan told BBC Radio Cymru.

"Rhian Wilkinson didn’t want to put her on out in Slovakia, but she had to, and she changed the game.

“She’s going to start tonight which is fantastic, it’ll lift everyone."

Mark Poyser
BBC Radio Wales football commentator

Can Wales respond? How fit is Jess Fishlock? Who will step up when the moment comes?

So many questions need answering tonight after Friday’s shock defeat in Poprad, their first competitive loss to a lower ranked nation for 15 years.

None of the starting XI from four days ago could complain at being left out tonight and it is no surprise that Fishlock starts.

Even when she’s not 100% fit, the midfielder remains Wales' best player and most likely game-changer as her role in that crucial late goal for Ffion Morgan showed.

And it is that strike that has set up tonight’s second leg beautifully.

Wales will fancy themselves to turn this around, particularly if they can score early, but if Slovakia break the deadlock first then it might be too big a mountain to climb.

Fishlock’s international future and that of others in the squad could well be on the line as they carry the burden of what qualification could do for this football nation.

Strap yourselves in for another rollercoaster evening.

Slovakia make two changes from the side that shocked Wales on Friday night.

Sofia Skerdova and Darina Hruzikova come into the starting XI with Slovakia seemingly switching to a more defensive line-up as they look to protect their one-goal advantage.

Slovakia: Korenciova, Horvathova, Bartovicova, Kosikova, Vojtekova; Hmirova, Matavkova, Mikolajova; Surnovska, Skerdova, Hruzikova.

Subs: Chladekova, Geletova, Kalaberova, Surova, Vredikova, Ferencova, Retkescova, Panakova, Bogorova.

Image source, BBC Sport

Michael Pearlman
BBC Sport Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium

Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson makes four changes to the side who were humbled in Poprad on Friday.

The key news is that Wales' most-capped player and top goalscorer Jess Fishlock is fit to start.

Fislock is one of two additions to the Wales attack, with super sub Ffion Morgan given a central striker role in place of Kayleigh Barton, while Fishlock replaces Carrie Jones.

Wales also hand starts to Rhiannon Roberts and Alice Griffiths, with Josie Green and Charlie Estcourt dropping to the bench.

Wales: Clark, Roberts, Ladd, Evans; Holland, Griffiths, James, Woodham; Fishlock, Rowe; Morgan.

Subs: O'Sullivan-Jones, Middleton-Patel, Davies, Green, Barton, Joel, Filbey, Cain, Estcourt, McAteer, Griffiths, Powell, Jones.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, FAW

Good evening and welcome to the Cardiff City Stadium on another very significant night for Welsh football.

Having never qualified for a major tournament, Wales are in contention for a place at Euro 2025.

But there is considerable work to do before Rhian Wilkinson's side can start booking flights to Switzerland for next summer.

First and foremost, they need to turn around their play-off semi-final against Slovakia in tonight's second leg after a dispiriting 2-1 defeat in the first leg last Friday.

We'll have all the build-up, match action and reaction here - but let's start with a look at the teams.