Montenegro vs Slovenia – News and Probable Lineups

On Tuesday, Montenegro and Eslovênia will conclude their March match schedule with an international friendly in Podgorica.

Both teams struggled during World Cup qualifying and will be participating in their second game of 2026.

Match overview

Montenegro is set to return to the pitch in Podgorica, aiming for back-to-back victories to start the year positively, following an encouraging performance in last week’s initial friendly of the March international break.

They returned for the first time in 2026 after concluding an unsuccessful World Cup Qualifying campaign, failing to secure a debut appearance on the global stage, finishing fourth in their group, winning three and losing five out of eight matches.

After suffering four straight defeats which eliminated them from the group stage or playoff contention, the Hrabi sokoli ended their campaign with a 2-1 victory against Gibraltar and a close 3-2 home loss to group leader Croácia, before starting their March internationals against Andorra at home on Friday.

Looking to turn over a new leaf with no World Cup pressure, Mirko Vucinic’s squad was able to secure a victory, with Stefan Mugosa putting them ahead from the penalty spot before Milutin Osmajic secured a 2-0 win with a goal ten minutes before the final whistle.

Heading into their final scheduled game before embarking on a new UEFA Nations League campaign in September, Montenegro aims to round off the March fixtures with two home victories.

The visiting team, meanwhile, travels with similar intentions of rebuilding confidence after also falling short in World Cup qualifying last year.

Eslovênia entered qualifying hoping to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, when they were eliminated in the group stage, but were unable to maintain their momentum, finishing third in their four-team group with no wins, four draws, and two losses.

Closing out the campaign with two draws in October, they concluded with a 2-0 home defeat against Kosovo and a 1-1 tie against Suécia, marking the end of Matjaz Kek’s seven-year tenure as head coach of the national side.

Starting 2026 under new management with Bostjan Cesar, they faced a challenging away match against Hungria on Saturday and came away with a narrow 1-0 defeat, only conceding in the 79th minute to Szabolcs Schon.

Now, they will look to achieve their first win under the new coach and finish the March fixtures on a positive note before preparing to face Croácia as part of their opponent’s lead-up to the tournament in USA, Canadá, and México.

Team News

Montenegro is expected to maintain a similar starting XI from their 2-0 victory last week, although veteran forward Stevan Jovetic may not feature due to being substituted in the first half during that match.

Osmajic, the Preston North End striker who scored his fifth international goal against Andorra coming off the bench, is likely to take his place alongside Mugosa.

Sead Haksabanovic is another threat on the wing, while vital defender Stefan Savic missed the match against Andorra and may again be absent for Tuesday’s fixture despite being called up.

Eslovênia is missing their star forward Benjamin Sesko for the March internationals, as the Manchester United player picked up an injury after his selection.

In his absence, Andraz Sporar is expected to lead the attack again alongside Zan Vipotnik, who has achieved a remarkable 17 Championship goals for Swansea City this season.

Benjamin Verbic may start after his appearance as a substitute last time out, bringing with him 65 caps and seven international goals, while Adam Gnezda Cerin and Timi Max Elsnik will likely continue their midfield partnership.

Montenegro probable starting XI:

Popovic; Roganovic, Rubezic, Vujacic, Vukcevic; Haksabanovic, Loncar, Vukotic; Mugosa, Osmajic

Eslovênia probable starting XI:

Eyelids; Ratnik, Bijol, Drkusic, Janza; Horvat, Elsnik, Gnezda Cerin, Verbic; Sporar, Vipotnik

Eslovênia’s strengths over the past year have stemmed from a solid defensive performance; however, particularly in the absence of Sesko, they can struggle offensively, giving the home side an advantage in what is expected to be a low-scoring contest.