Monthly Archives: June 2011

Danes still hopeful on Euro glory

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The Under-21 European Championship hosts Denmark remain confident they can go far on home soil but must quickly find a way back after an opening-day Group A defeat against Switzerland (Group A outright winner).

The Danes went down to a superb solo goal from Xherdan Shaqiri but they will still have hopes of success if history is anything to go on.

Three of the past five winners of the competition have lost their openings game, so the Danes will hope to follow suit.

With the cobwebs out the way, the host nation are now focused on their clash with Belarus at the Aarhus Stadion on Tuesday (Denmark 4/6, draw 23/10, Belarus 19/5 – match prices).

Belarus got their competition off to the best possible start with their 2-0 victory over the much-fancied Iceland who, despite having an excellent goal scoring record, could not find a way through the opposition defence in their opening game.

Italy are not at this competition because they lost to Belarus in the play-offs, which just shows how good this side is.

Denmark will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday, and with Belarus in fine form, it could be two games into the tournament on home soil without a win.

Switzerland will be looking to continue their good start to the Championships when they face Iceland in Group A (Switzerland 10/11, draw 11/5, Iceland 5/2 – match prices).

Iceland will be without Coventry City midfielder Aron Gunnarsson after he was shown a red card in the opening game against Belarus.

It was two late goals that proved their undoing in the opening game but Iceland will continue to be a threat in this competition.

If this side can make the most of their opportunities they could challenge any team in the tournament, but first they will have to get past the Swiss.

Switzerland have never lost to Icelandic opposition in any age-group and these players will be determined to maintain that record.

Shaqiri scored the goal which was enough to beat the hosts and he was a constant attacking threat throughout the game, earning the man of the match award.

Iceland will have to keep an eye on the Basel youngster otherwise the 19-year-old could cause them problems.

This game should be a fairly even contest and it will be interesting to see which nation can cope with the pressure, with precious points up for grabs.

Iceland  were unlucky to lose their first game,  and considering their attacking style, they might just have too much firepower for the Swiss and cause an upset on Tuesday.

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Premier League transfer blitz

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Despite the fact we are not even half-way through June, several Premier League clubs have been active in the transfer market already, as preparations for the new season gather pace. We look at some of the deals done so far, assess what impact they might have, and also predict who else is likely to be moving around this summer, in what is set to be another busy close-season.

If the first few weeks of the summer are anything to go by, then Liverpool look set to be among the busiest of all the top-flight clubs in the transfer window with Jordan Henderson already signed and sealed from Sunderland and plenty more tipped to follow him.

Director of football Damien Comolli has confirmed the Reds have several more top targets with Connor Wickham, Stewart Downing, Charles N’Zogbia, Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique and Gael Clichy all said to be among them.

Henderson’s arrival sends out a warning message to the rest of the league that Liverpool (10/1 to win 2011-12 Premier League) are aiming to spend big on top, young English talent and, while his signing does represent a risk, after just one full season in the top flight, there is no doubt that the 20-year-old is a fine prospect and the sort of player the Merseysiders need to turn them from top-four contenders to real title challengers.

If Comolli and Kenny Dalglish can succeed in signing Wickham, either Downing or N’Zogbia, one from Clichy and Enrique, a centre-back and back-up keeper, then Liverpool will surely challenge the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Arsenal for a place in the top four in the new campaign.

Their spending is unlikely to be matched by Spurs (40/1) but Harry Redknapp is also on the lookout for new players and he has already landed Brad Friedel from Aston Villa on a free, as he looks for a reliable number one following inconsistent displays from Heurelho Gomes.

Luka Modric has been tipped to leave White Hart Lane, but Redknapp remains adamant he is not selling his top midfielder and he will hope to add more talent to his squad rather than getting rid of it.

Arsenal (7/1 Title odds) are also in dire need of strengthening if they are to sustain a title challenge next season, but of more pressing concern for Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is trying to keep Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Clichy, who are all thought to be mulling over offers from elsewhere following another trophy-less season.

Manchester United (13/8f to win 2011-12 Premier League) have already agreed a deal to sign Phil Jones from Blackburn, while the capture of Ashley Young from Villa appears a near certainty as well.

Sir Alex Ferguson spoke in the wake of the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona that he needs more quality to take his side to the next level and Young and Jones are certainly a step in that direction. Modric and Wesley Sneijder have also been mentioned as possible signings for the champions, while expect Fergie to unearth at least another up-and-coming prospect from somewhere over the summer.

In terms of other ‘done deals’, new-boys Swansea have landed Danny Graham for £3.5million and Newcastle have agreed to sign Yohan Cabaye, but the real movement in the transfer market is still to come.

Expect plenty of comings-and-goings at super-rich Manchester City (10/3 – Premier League Outright) and Chelsea (5/2) as they tweak their squads for the new season while the likes of Villa, Newcastle and newly-promoted QPR have money to spend as well.

So, while a few major deals have already been completed the real transfer action is still to come. One thing is for sure, there is likely to be plenty ahead of the season kicking off again in August.

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England prepared for classy Spain

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Stuart Pearce claims his young lions (England 23/10 in Match Betting) are fully prepared and confident ahead of their opening Group B clash with tournament favourites Spain (Evens) in the European Under-21 Championships tomorrow.

The coach is without full internationals Jack Wilshere, Andy Carroll and Kieran Gibbs, but still believes he has enough talent at his disposal to trouble the Spanish who, like England, didn’t win their qualifying group.

England defeated Spain 2-0 at the same stage two years ago in Sweden but, although they made the final of that tournament, lost 4-0 to a Mesut Ozil-inspired Germany which provided several members of the World Cup semi-finalists’ senior squad a year later.

Without Gibbs, who picked up an injury in the final warm-up match against Norway this week, Pearce must promote his only other left-back Ryan Bertrand into a back four which may also include captain Michael Mancienne and future Manchester United pairing Phil Jones and Chris Smalling.

England are arguably more potent in attack than two years ago with both Danny Sturridge and Danny Welbeck having scored goals while on loan at Premier League clubs last season, but Spain look classier in midfield with Barcelona’s highly-rated Thiago Alcantara the star of their 1-1 friendly draw with Russia on the eve of the finals.

However, Spain’s failure to beat both Belarus and Russia in their warm-up matches will give England confidence as Pearce sets up to play on the counter-attack with the pace of Sturridge and Welbeck.

And England (9/4 in Group B Outright Winner), despite last winning the Under-21 tournament back in 1984, have had the better of Spain (5/4) in five of their eight previous meetings, drawing once and losing twice.

In Group B’s other fixture on Sunday Ukraine face the Czech Republic in a match which will evoke memories of these nations’ meetiing at the Euro Under-17 finals four years ago, with a lot of the same players involved.

Lukas Marecek put the Czechs 1-0 up in Italy but Ukraine responded with four Dmytro Korkishko goals, including a 12-minute hat-trick before half-time. Miroslav Stepanek pulled one back before Serhiy Shevchuk made it 5-2 before the final whistle.

The Czechs were the only team to remain undefeated through qualifying – winning nine games and drawing one. Top scorer Tomas Pekhart grabbed nine goals in qualifying while Libor Kozak scored three.

They also have plenty of creative midfield options – Liberec’s Borek Dockal and Sigma’s Tomas Horava will be on many scouts’ lists while Kaiserslautern’s Jan Moravek may be the best of those already playing outside the country (Czech Republic 7/2 in Group B Outright Winner).

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Iceland kick-off Under-21 Euros

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This weekend sees Europe’s top youngsters get their chance to stake their claim for a move to a big club as the European Under-21 Championships get under way in Denmark with England one of the favorites for the title (England 4/1 to win the Championship).

The competition kicks off with two mouthwatering Group A ties with Belarus taking on Iceland in Aarhus and the hosts facing Switzerland in Aalborg in two matches that could shape the competition. All the sides will be looking for a strong start and will hope a good performance will set the tone for the rest of the tournament as they look to be crowned European Champions.

The opening match sees two of the surprise packages of qualifying take on each other and Belarus will be hoping to make an impact in their debut appearance in the competition. They surprised a number of people by beating Italy in the play-offs and will be looking to striker Vladamr Yurchenko,  who scored twice in their 3-0 victory over the Italians in Monks, to once again fire them to glory (Yurchenko 8/1 to be the first goalscorer).

Iceland were the conquerors of Scotland in the play-offs and much of their hopes will be pinned on former Reading youngster Gylfi Sigurdsson who has started for Hoffenheim in this year’s Bundesliga. Sigurdsson is highly-regarded by many clubs in Europe and could be one of the stars of the tournament after such a strong domestic season (Sigurdsson 15/8 to score against Belarus).

Belarus looked to have quite a strong side but Sigurdsson is a truly class player and could be the difference in what is sure to be an intriguing contest.

The second match sees hosts Denmark face much-fancied Switzerland, with the hosts looking to lay down a marker while the Swiss are tipped by many as dark horses for the title.

The main man for Denmark is Villareal striker Nicki Bille, who boasts a superb international scoring record of 15 goals in 21 games and could be the man to fire the Danes to glory. On the other side Switzerland are currently enjoying the fruits of their ‘golden generation’ and much is expected of their current crop of youngsters.

Five of their squad were involved in the full team’s recent 2-2 draw with England at Wembley and seem bred to play exciting, attacking football. Key to this is playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri, who was one of the stars of the Wembley clash, and much is excited of him as Swiss football emerges from the doldrums.

Unfortunately for the hosts, Switzerland could be the victors here due to their extra experience and the Shaqiri factor (Switzerland 2/1 to beat Denmark).

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Ferguson looks to next generation

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Sir Alex Ferguson made clear his intentions at the end of the season by insisting there is a “responsibility and expectation” about moving 13/8 Premier League title favourites Manchester United forward – and it would appear the game’s longest-serving manager has been true to his word.

The Scot has put the building blocks in place for the next generation of title contenders by gazumping bitter rivals Liverpool to sign Phil Jones from Blackburn for £16m and the summer spending is unlikely to stop there.

Ferguson told Inside United: “There’s a responsibility as the manager of Manchester United. It doesn’t go away.”

He added: “We have to carry on, there’s nothing else you can do. We have a responsibility and expectation to live up to and that carries on next season.”

Highly-rated Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea and Aston Villa flyer Ashley Young feature on a burgeoning wish-list, while Ferguson is also considering entering the race to sign Udinese’s £30m-rated Alexis Sanchez.

The signing of England Under-21 defender Jones (4/1 England – U21 Euro Championships 2011 Outright Winner) makes sense given that Rio Ferdinand, now 32, made only 19 Premier League appearances for the champions last season.

Ferguson has taken the view that the Ewood favourite, also a target for title rivals Arsenal (7/1 – Premier League Outright 2011/2012 Winner), is the perfect foil for emerging talent Chris Smalling and the pair, on paper at least, look an exciting future partnership.

It also adds weight to the theory that the likes of Wes Brown and John O’Shea, targets for Sunderland, could be shown the door, while Jonny Evans’ future at Old Trafford is also unclear.

Ferguson revealed at the club’s annual awards ceremony in May that he hoped to bring in at least three new players in the close season and the guessing games continue.

The interest in Sanchez is curious, if not speculative, given that seasoned United fans have been crying out for a midfield game-breaker not seen since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid.

Paul Scholes has announced his retirement and Ryan Giggs is almost at the end of his illustrious career, so Ferguson is left to plug a creative gap.

The likes of Michael Carrick, Ji-Sung Park and Antonio Valencia can be relied on in the Premier League but are unlikely to scare the cream of Europe, as was illustrated in the Champions League final defeat by the Xavi-inspired Barcelona.

It opens the door for Ferguson to renew his interest in Internazionale playmaker Wesley Sneijder in what promises to be a fascinating summer.

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Azerbaijan in need of home help

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After a packed weekend of international fixtures, the Euro 2012 qualifiers continue on Tuesday with a number of potentially explosive fixtures that could have massive implications for next summer’s tournament to be held in Poland and Ukraine, with Germany and Sweden both in action (Sweden 8/1 – Group E winner).

A number of groups still hang in the balance after an unpredictable weekend and with only a limited fixture list, teams will be looking to build momentum as they look to make it through the arduous qualification process.

The first game of note is Germany’s trip to Baku to face Azerbaijan in a game that could seal their qualification to next summer’s championship. Germany have been nothing short of exceptional during qualifying and are one of only six sides to boast a 100 per cent record in qualifying. Azerbaijan on the other hand have had a poor qualifying campaign and still remain without a single major championship appearance since they gained independence in 1991.

Azerbaijan are currently coached by Germany legend Berti Vogts who was part of the German side that won the World Cup in 1974 as well as coaching them to victory in Euro 1996 and he will be looking to spring a few surprises.

Vagif Javadov will be the man they will be looking for fire them to victory against what has so far been an unforgiving German defence (Germany 1/12 – match prices).

Germany will be looking to their superb front line, including the likes Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski, to fire them to victory as they look to qualify for an amazing 26th consecutive major tournament (Germany 4/1 – Euro 2012 outright winner).

Germany should win the tie comfortably but you never know what could happen when a big side faces a former Soviet country as Belarus’ draw with France demonstrated on Friday. However, Germany should win by a comfortable margin.

The other qualifier that catches the eye on Tuesday sees Finland travel to neighbours Sweden in a fixture that could have major implications for qualification.

Sweden currently sit in second position in Group E and will have all but given up hope of automatic qualification with the Netherlands in their group. However, they’re currently one of the teams in second place with the highest points totals and victory could see them through to the championships as one of the best second-placed teams.

They will be looking to captain and talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic who has recently returned to the international fold and is by far their most talented player. He’ll be ably assisted by Bolton striker Johan Elmander and they’ll be looking to score the goals to help their side qualify after missed out qualification for last summer’s World Cup (Sweden 1/4 – match prices).

Finland on the other hand have struggled so-far in qualification and are unlikely to qualify. However, they will be determined to make an impact in this local derby and Mixu Paatelainen’s side will be looking to Mikael Forssell to help them cause an upset (Finland 8/1 draw 4/1 – match prices).

However, the Sweden’s attacking superiority should be enough to see them home and they should seal the points that could help them secure a place in next summer’s competition.

Both games have the potential to be thrillers and whatever the outcome it will have implications for the other teams in their groups.

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5 things we have learnt…

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The weekend provided us with some thrilling sporting action and some helpful betting clues ahead of some big events over the coming months. Here’s what we think were the key lessons from the last few days…

1) Unreliable England are not contenders

Tiredness was to blame for England’s 2-2 home draw with Switzerland, but it was another sign that all is not well under Fabio Capello. The Italian is planning to leave the post after Euro 2012 (England 8/1 Outright Winners) although several pundits feel his exit should come before the tournament.

England looked solid defensively in World Cup qualifying, but since the debacle in South Africa, too many back-four regulars have looked culpable. Joe Hart looks to have resolved the goalkeeping issue, but you could argue that the defensive faces in front of him need a shake up.

England (1/8 to win Group G) should still qualify for next summer’s tournament, but there will need to be massive strides made between now and then for the Three Lions to pose any threat in Poland and Ukraine.

2) Federer has another Grand Slam in him

Roger Federer went under the radar before the French Open and the Swiss ace almost pulled off a sensational win.

After ending Novak Djokovic’s unbeaten run, Federer came close to toppling Rafael Nadal in the final and showed he can still mix it with the very best as he enters the latter years of his career.

The 29-year-old (9/4 to win Wimbledon 2011) will now look forward to the grass court campaign – his favourite surface – with renewed confidence and will have a 17th Grand Slam title in his sights.

Andre Agassi won one of the four major titles at the age of 32 and Federer has already proven that he has the physical and mental strength to win again – although Djokovic, Nadal and the rest will continue to push him all the way.

3) Stricker is the best from the US

At the age of 44, most golfers may think their best days were behind them and that a Major Championship could be out of their reach – not Steve Stricker!

The American showed he is hitting good form at just the right time, as the world’s top players prepare for the upcoming US Open. Stricker (25/1 to win 2011 US Open) collected a cool $1.1m when claiming victory in the Memorial tournament this weekend, a result that moved him to 11th in the FedEx Cup standings.

The man from Wisconsin is now the top US player in the world rankings, moving ahead of Phil Mickelson into fifth, and his consistently straight ball-hitting must give him a chance at Congressional next week.

4) McIlroy needs more time

Rory McIlroy showed more moments of inspiration in the Memorial event at the weekend, but there are still some concerns that the 22-year-old may need more time to secure a first major title.

Surely it is just a matter of time before the Northern Irishman (11/1 to win The Open Championship) wins one of the ‘Big Four’ tournaments and he says “confidence is high” ahead of next week’s US Open. But an erratic Friday and Saturday in Ohio, couple with his final round blow-up at the Masters, still leads some people to think it won’t be this year.

5) More wins afoot for Carlton House

But for a lost shoe in the closing stages, The Queen could have been celebrating Derby success on Saturday. Carlton House (12/1 to win Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe) was involved in a thrilling finish at Epsom, but had to settle for third behind the eventual winner Pour Moi.

The build-up for the big race was far from ideal, with the three-year-old suffering an ankle strain in the week prior to the race and also being drawn in a wide stall. Jockey Ryan Moore indicated his mount was unlucky and connections have high hopes for the rest of the season.

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Can Psycho lead U21s to glory?

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England’s youngsters travel to Denmark this week for the European Under-21 Championships (England 9/4 second favourites tournament outright) but before they have even left manager Stuart Pearce has found himself in the middle of a row over the selection of key players, most notably Arsenal star Jack Wilshere.

The 19-year-old was a regular in the Arsenal team last season, making 49 appearances and picking up the PFA Young Player of the Year award. He also became a regular fixture in the full England side following a successful first start against Denmark in February.

He would have been a great asset for Pearce’s side, adding creativity and guile to the centre of midfield as well as vital experience following his exploits in the Champions League for Arsenal and with Fabio Capello’s senior squad.

Wilshere had previously stated his desire to compete in the tournament and was named in Pearce’s initial 40-man squad, much to his club’s dismay.

The Gunners have been against Wilshere’s inclusion all along and went as far as sending England a medical report showing his increasing fatigue throughout the season and the risk of serious injury and burn-out should he play on into the summer.

Pearce eventually relented and left the midfielder out his squad along with another full international Liverpool striker Andy Carroll. Man City defender Micah Richards, who had been expected to captain the side, then had to pull out with a hamstring injury to be replaced by West Ham defender James Tomkins.

The side play Norway at St Mary’s on Sunday in a final friendly before they jet-off to Scandinavia and will be bidding to improve on a run of three defeats in their last four games – including a shock loss to Iceland last time out.

They are firm 2/5 favourites to beat a Norway side who failed to qualify for the Championships, finishing fourth in their qualifying group. The visitors are 6/1 to record a shock win with the draw 3/1, England are 15/2 to record a convincing 3-0 victory.

England’s first match of the tournament will be against 9/4 tournament favourites Spain on June 12 before facing Ukraine on the 15th and 6/1 third favourites Czech Republic four days later on the 19th in what looks like a tricky Group B.

Hosts Denmark (7/1 outright winners) Switzerland (7/1), Iceland (15/2) and 16/1 tournament outsiders Belarus make up Group A.

Pearce will be hoping his charges can erase painful memories from the last two European Championships. Back in 2007 they reached the semi-finals, drawing 1-1 with hosts Netherlands after 120 minutes and eventually crashing out 13-12 after an epic but ultimately heartbreaking penalty shoot-out.

Two years later they went one better, reaching their first Under-21 final since 1984. But the tournament would once again end in agony as they were crushed 4-0 by the Germany side that included many of the players who starred at last summer’s World Cup.

With both Germany and the Netherlands absent from this tournament Pearce will be hoping this is the time his young side end 27 years of hurt and lift the trophy for a third time in their history.

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Ireland aim for points in Skopje

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By the time the Republic of Ireland kick off their latest Euro 2012 qualification game in Macedonia on Saturday evening, they will know exactly what is required as the race to reach the Ukraine and Poland next year is turning into a four-way fight.

Giovanni Trapattoni’s men arrive in Skopje full of confidence after they lifted the Carling Nations Trophy last Sunday courtesy of a 1-0 win against Scotland, having seen off Wales and Northern Ireland in the previous games without conceding a goal in the process.

But the pressure on their shoulders could be intensified by the time kick-off arrives as Slovakia and Russia, who are level on 10 points with the Irish, will have already finished their respective matches against Andorra and Armenia.

Slovakia’s game is a 1/80 home banker with Totesport as Andorra are pointless from their opening five games, while Ireland will possibly look for Armenia, who are fourth in Group B and just two points off the leading trio, to do them a favour and hold the Russians to a point (11/2 Draw).

In that scenario a win against Macedonia, who have drawn and lost their opening two qualifiers on home soil, could take Ireland two points clear in second spot behind the Slovaks on 13 points.

Trapattoni will be delighted with his defence’s recent solidity and will expect them to keep the Macedonian’s at bay after their exploits against the Scots, Welsh and Ulstermen, despite the absence of the suspended Richard Dunne.

It is the Italian’s attack that could give him some concern as 30-year-old star striker Robbie Keane is battling to shake off a groin injury he suffered in training in order to play.

And with Macedonia’s own defensive record not looking to shabby with only six goals conceded from five matches, the game could require a moment of magic from somebody of Keane’s calibre to ensure they take the maximum points haul they desperately need.

West Brom?s Simon Cox (13/2 First/Last Goalscorer) appears to be the man who will step into the attack should Keane fail to make it and, having recently got his first goal for his country, he will prove to be a very able deputy.

Therefore, we anticipate a tight game (2/1 1 or Less Total Goals) between two teams that are strong in defence, but with Ireland’s superior strike-force, they should have just enough to come out on top.

Prediction: Ireland To Win 90 Minutes @ 23/20
Value Bet: Simon Cox 1st goal Ireland To Win 1-0 Scorecast @ 25/1

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Fabio keen to avoid Swiss miss

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England boss Fabio Capello is expected to name his strongest possible team for Saturday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland at Wembley on Saturday.

The Three Lions are the current leaders of Group G but they are level on points with Montenegro, who host Bulgaria on the same day, and Capello is keen to wrap up qualification as soon as possible.

However, star striker Wayne Rooney is suspended and Andy Carroll is sidelined, meaning Aston Villa’s Darren Bent is the most likely candidate to lead the line.

Villa may have struggled throughout the 2010/2011 season but Bent has been in fine form, scoring 11 goals since his January switch to the Midlands club.

Bent is 8/11 to score at anytime, while the former Sunderland man is a much more attractive 10/3 to open the scoring or 9/2 to grab a brace.

England are the heavy 1/3 favourites, with Switzerland 8/1 and the draw 7/2, but the Swiss are a well organised side and they could make things difficult for Fabio Capello’s men.  In the Half-Time/Full-Time market a draw/England result is priced at 3/1.

Switzerland may be well organised and relatively strong at the back but their attacking options are limited and lack any real threat going forward.

Capello is also expected to name a back-four of Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson and John Terry for the tie at Wembley.  On paper, and according to the majority of pundits, that is England’s strongest defensive combination and they should be able to keep a clean sheet.

An England clean sheet is priced at 10/11, which is worth some consideration, but England are 11/10 to win to nil and this may be the better option of the two bets.

Rooney’s likely replacement is Theo Walcott, with James Milner or Adam Johnson the other possibilities and the Arsenal winger tends to impress on the international stage.  Walcott is also keen to impress Capello after missing out on the 2010 World Cup and the 22-year-old is 7/4 to score at anytime in the match.

Switzerland’s most likely goalscorer, if they do manage to break England’s resolve, is Bayer Leverkusen striker Eren Derdiyok. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has chosen uncapped duo Innocent Emeghara, 22, and Admir Mehmedi, 20, as his other forward options and it remains to be seen if they will be able to rise to the occasion.

Derdiyok does not have an outstanding pedigree in terms of international goals but he is a talented striker and can be backed at 10/3 to score at anytime, or 11/1 to score the last goal.  Derdiyok’s Leverkusen team-mate Tranquillo Barnetta could be another option as an anytime goalscorer and the 26-year-old winger is 9/2 to score at anytime.

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