Andy Potts

It's crunch time for Guus Hiddink's Russia as they prepare for a winner-takes-all play-off to clinch a place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Despite a strong campaign in their group, they were unable to beat the Germans to top spot and were forced to take pot luck in a sudden death two-legged play-off.

But a favourable draw handed them a pair of matches against the lowest-ranked European group runners-up, Slovenia, rather than a potentially fraught battle with neighbours Ukraine.

And, with plenty of experience of squeaking through under pressure, Russia's stars know that once again they need to summon up the strength that saw them through tense showdowns with Sweden in Euro 2008, and England in that qualifying campaign.

On paper it's a no-contest - Russia can call on players with experience of Premiership, Bundesliga and Champions League football while most of Slovenia's squad ply their trades in Europe's second-tier leagues.

Indeed, Hiddink has the luxury of leaving Rubin Kazan's Champions League hero Alexander Bukharov out of his side, such is the range of attacking talent at his disposal.

But with Slovenia's miserly defence conceding just four times in the qualifying campaign, he has elected to recall Lokomotiv's Dmitry Sychyov, and plans to use Everton's Diniyar Bilyeletdinov as an attacking threat on the left in a bid to freshen up an attack which was blunted by Germany and then stuttered in Azerbaijan.

Sychyov could replace Alexander Kerzhakov, though the Dinamo man's impressive brace against Spartak Nalchik could keep him in the side - at least to start with.

The side also has injury worries at the back. Chelsea's Yury Zhirkov is unlikely to be available due to a persistent knee injury, while central defender Denis Kolodin has only recently returned to the Dinamo side after a hamstring problem.

But perhaps the greatest worry for Russia is one of attitude. In the last qualifying cycle, with a place in the Euro 2008 finals there for the taking, Hiddink took his side to Israel needing a win over moderate opponents to cruise into the finals.

A shock 2-1 defeat in Tel Aviv left the team sweating on England's stumbles against Croatia - and a repeat could cost them against Slovenia.

But the coach is confident that things have changed. "It helps the Slovenians that nobody expects miracles from them," he told Sovietsky Sport.

"But there's no problem with motivation for my team - they even come to play friendlies with a positive attitude and a desire to prove themselves."

Who are ya?

Slovenia's short history has already seen them reach one World Cup, in the golden era of Zlatko Zahovic in 2002, but since then the nation has been going through a sporting transition.

However, a strong showing in their group - where they finished ahead of traditional powerhouses Poland and the Czech Republic - gave them a second-placed finish which belies their FIFA ranking of 49.

Four wins and 13 unanswered goals in their last four games mean the side is confident, although defender Marko Suler warns: "Russia have a superb coach and players at big clubs. They're favourites, but anything is possible." And forward Zlatan Ljubijankic believes team spirit can inspire them in Moscow. "This is the first generation to graduate from the Slovenian system rather than the Yugoslavian one, and that makes us very proud," he told fifa.com.

The big matches

Russia play Slovenia in Moscow on Saturday, November 14, at Luzhniki, kick-off 7 pm. The game will be shown live on Channel One.

The second leg is in Maribor, Slovenia's second city, on Wednesday, November 18.

Kick-off is 10:45 pm.