Spain’s coach Luis Aragones is not expecting for their two matches against Slovakia to be, in any way, an easy passage into next year's World Cup Finals, after his team was paired with the Slovak's for November's two-legged World Cup Finals play-off's.

Spain will also have the disadvantage of playing the second-leg away in the Slovak Capital of Bratislava. Luis Aragones' team host Slovakia in the first leg on the 12th of November, with the return match against Slovakia four days later.

The Spanish, who finished as runners-up behind Serbia & Montenegro in qualifying Group 7, finished the qualifying rounds still unbeaten, but paid the price for drawing five of their ten qualifying fixtures.

The ‘Furia Roja’ have a long history of under-performing at both the World Cup and European Championships will not be relishing the play-offs, and the possibility of failure to qualify.

This seems even stranger for the fact that Spain’s La Liga has always been, and still is, one of Europe's strongest domestic leagues, and yet Spain have only ever won one International title.

That was back in the 1964 European Championships, and the Spaniard’s have never managed better than a 4th place finish in the World Cup Finals.

“If truth be told, it's not my ideal draw, as Slovakia don't really suit us, but none of the teams would have been easy! We have to accept this match and the total football that Slovakia will no doubt play”, Coach Aragones said after the draw.

"Technically they might not be as strong as our players but they make up for that physically which will make it very difficult for us.

"Their defence is also very good, so I have a lot of respect for them."

"Of course we have always had good players technically, but in recent years we have not been able to convert that talent into International success," Aragones conceded.

"I have only been the coach for a year however, and I expect to turn this history around both in the play-offs and then at the finals in Germany."

Slovakia, on the other hand, were delighted to reach the play-off’s in the first place, having only secured the 2nd place in Group 3 due to goal difference courtesy of their 0-0 draw with the Russians in their final qualifier in Bratislava on the12th of October.

Also Slovakia are on a definite run of form at the moment, having only lost one match in the past two years, and just one month ago they defeated the hosts of the finals, Germany in a friendly match.

This is why the draw against Slovakia is such a worry for Aragones, as failure to qualify would be tragic for the Spanish. This is the first time the Spanish have been in true danger of missing out on a place in the finals since 1974, when they were defeated by the former Yugoslavia, in the play-offs, and missed out on a place in the finals.

Spain last met Slovakia in the qualifying rounds for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France, and won the home-tie 4-1, and 2-1 in the away leg.

Things have changed a lot in Slovakian football since then.

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