Monthly Archives: September 2012

Ставки на матч Новак Джокович – Энди Маррей!

Posted on by
Reply

Теннис. Открытый Чемпионат США

Новак Джокович – Энди Маррей. Казалось бы, на этот турнир большого шлема не приехал Надаль, еще наDjocovic Serve closeup 1 217x300 Ставки на матч Новак Джокович Энди Маррей! стадии четвертьфиналов выбыл Роджер Федерер, но нет в финале все те же имена из «фантастической четверки». Для человека, который смотрит только финальные матчи главных турниров последних 2-х лет, они превратились в настоящий «день сурка». Но, положа «руку на сердце» никто от этого не страдает, так как уровень Маррея, Джоковича, Федерера и Надаля не позволяет смотреть эти матчи отрешенно.

На этот раз переменчивая американская погода хотела уже собственными силами добавить интриги в полуфинальных матчах. Надо сказать, что ей это отчасти удалось. Например, в первом полуфинальном матче между Марреем и Бердыхом был эпизод, который теперь еще долго будут крутить в видео нарезках. У Энди 2.90 порывом ветра сорвало кепку, но он доиграл момент и выиграл розыгрыш, но в этот момент судья прервал игру и попросил переиграть мяч. Это, между прочим, не соответствует регламенту, но решения судей – нельзя оспорить в тот момент, когда ты на корте, и раздосадованный этим Маррей гейм проиграл, а в след за ним и весь первый сет, но зато далее, приноровившись к «ветряным зарядам» смог уверенно и спокойно довести матч до победы.

Новака Джоковича, как и Энди Маррея в финал мог не пустить не Давид Феррер, а переменчивый нью-йоркский ветер. Новак не смог подстроиться под субботнюю погоду и фактически еще в тогда проиграл первый сет, но затем на его счастье доигровка матча была перенесена на воскресенье. И вот уже вчера при полном штиле Джокович расставил все дочки над и, не оставив испанцу не единого шанса.

Сегодняшний матч будет проходить без дождя, что конечно радует и зрителей, и организаторов, но вот ветер никто отменить не в силах, а он ожидается в районе 5-ти метров в секунду. Изначальным фаворитом в этом матче считается Джокович 1.38, но как мы видели более привычный к дождям и ветру шотландец может быстрее приспособиться к переменчивой погоде…

Related posts:

  1. Новак Джокович и Энди Маррей в финале US Open? Теннис. Открытый Чемпионат США Томаш Бердых – Энди Маррей. Что…
  2. Федерер и Надаль в полуфинале австралийского чемпионата! Джокович и Маррей – следующие?! Теннис. Открытый Чемпионат Австралии. Роджер Федерер – Рафаэль Надаль. Теннис,…
  3. Ставки на матч Энди Маррей – Новак Джокович! Олимпиада. Лондон-2012. Теннис Энди Маррей – Новак Джокович. Встречи этих…

Список похожих постов предоставлен вам плагином YARPP.


Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Wales can claim Serbia scalp

Posted on by
Reply

Two out-of-form nations meet for the first time in their history on Tuesday as Wales travel to face Serbia, and Chris Coleman’s men are more than capable of upsetting odds of 7/1 and coming away with a valuable win.

Serbia’s last win on home turf came in unconvincing fashion against the Faroe Islands in September of last year, and earlier in 2011 they had to come from behind to beat Northern Ireland.

An impressive home draw with Italy followed but they drew a blank against the Republic of Ireland in August, and head into their game against Wales having failed to find the back of the net against Scotland in another goalless draw.

Wales’ last game on the road came just under 12 months ago when they took all three points with a composed 1-0 victory over Bulgaria in Sofia.

At 7/1 to repeat the feat in Eastern Europe, Wales represent great value for money, with Serbia priced as the 4/9 favourites to reinvigorate their own qualifying campaign with victory.

The draw, priced at 10/3, also offers decent value.

Elsewhere, England will be aiming to build on an accomplished 5-0 victory away to Moldova when they welcome Ukraine to Wembley Stadium.

Roy Hodgson’s men are the 2/5 favourites to earn the win and add further momentum to their World Cup qualifying campaign, while Ukraine, who held Czech Republic to a 0-0 draw when the two sides met for a friendly last month, aren’t fancied at 7/1.

The draw is available at 4/1, but the best value here appears to be in the correct score market.

England have shown in recent home internationals that they are capable of scoring goals, but also often leak the odd one or two. With that in mind, 7/1 on a 2-1 England win and 8/1 on a 3-1 England win are both interesting selections, as is the more optimistic 4-1 home triumph, priced at a mouthwatering 14/1.

Another of the home nations in action tomorrow is Scotland, who will be looking to put a disappointing home draw behind them when they welcome Macedonia to Hampden Park.

There was frustration following the Serbia stalemate that young striker Jordan Rhodes wasn’t given more minutes on the field, and those supporters may see more of the Blackburn hitman on Tuesday as Scotland seek to breathe life into their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Rhodes is priced at 4/1 to score his side’s first goal.

The Scots triumphed when these two sides met ahead of the 2010 World Cup, and a second 2-0 victory in as many meetings would be a welcome boost to manager Craig Levein and his hopes of leading the team to a first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup.

Levein’s men are priced 4/6 to win the match, with Macedonia available at 7/2 and the draw 12/5.

Expect Scotland to find the back of the net in this one, but the team still lacks the confidence to rack up goals, which makes the selection of a 1-0 home win at 5/1 a very appealing prospect indeed.

Finally, there could be a shock on the cards when Belgium play host to Croatia.

Vincent Kompany and his team-mates are the 10/11 favourites to win this match and build momentum following their recent 2-0 triumph over Wales, while Croatia are priced at 3/1 to make it two wins in a week following a narrow success against Macedonia.

Belgium are in better form than their opponents, but there is enough strength in the Croatian side to take this game to their opponents, so don’t be surprised to see Igor Stimac’s men upset the odds.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Selecao seek China response

Posted on by
Reply

Brazil backers will not get rich piling in on odds of 1/14 for an international friendly against China on Tuesday (2am BST) but fans will be anxious to see a marked improvement on a tepid 1-0 win against South Africa last Friday.

Antipathy about a performance which barely set the pulses racing at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo manifested itself when Santos golden-boy Neymar was booed by home supporters.

“I felt sick because of what happened against South Africa. I am not a machine,” he was quoted as saying by Globo Esporte. “I was exhausted after Friday’s match, both physically and mentally.”

Mano Menezes is expected to make just one change, with Zenit St Petersburg new-boy Hulk rewarded for his goal with a starting place, while Paulinho has been ruled out of the clash because of injury.

The five-time world champions have not conceded in two wins since missing out on Olympic gold to South American rivals Mexico, but the mental approach will have to be right against Jose Antonio Camacho’s men.

China have not won a match against a team from outside of Asia since the 1-0 win over Jamaica in August 2011 and historically do not travel well. They have lost four out of their last five road trips – three to nil – but were not embarrassed in tight defeats by Spain and, more recently, Sweden.

Tang Miao could be in line to start at right-back for Team Dragon, with Zhao Xuri set to be the only survivor in midfield.

The last time that these two teams met was in 2003 and Selecao were held to a goalless draw in Guangzhou, but China are currently placed 78th in the Fifa rankings and are trading as big as 18/1 to win in Recife while the draw is available to back at 8/1.

The Brazil/Brazil double result is priced at 1/4, so the way to go here might be to chance the correct score markets.

Republic of Ireland (1/4 – 90 minutes) will hope to put off-field issues behind them when they play Oman (8/1, draw 4/1) at Craven Cottage in a friendly on Tuesday (7:30pm BST).

James McClean has apologised for his foul-mouthed tweet that he angrily posted after being left on the bench during the World Cup qualifier win in Kazakhstan and remains in the squad, but Robbie Keane, Darren O’Dea, John O’Shea, Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan have been released.

Elsewhere, Czech Republic held Denmark to a goalless draw in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Saturday and can be backed at 2/5 to beat Finland (6/1, draw 16/5 – 90 minutes) in a friendly (5pm BST), but have now gone three games in all competitions without a goal.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Selecao seek China response

Posted on by
Reply

Brazil backers will not get rich piling in on odds of 1/14 for an international friendly against China on Tuesday (2am BST) but fans will be anxious to see a marked improvement on a tepid 1-0 win against South Africa last Friday.

Antipathy about a performance which barely set the pulses racing at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo manifested itself when Santos golden-boy Neymar was booed by home supporters.

“I felt sick because of what happened against South Africa. I am not a machine,” he was quoted as saying by Globo Esporte. “I was exhausted after Friday’s match, both physically and mentally.”

Mano Menezes is expected to make just one change, with Zenit St Petersburg new-boy Hulk rewarded for his goal with a starting place, while Paulinho has been ruled out of the clash because of injury.

The five-time world champions have not conceded in two wins since missing out on Olympic gold to South American rivals Mexico, but the mental approach will have to be right against Jose Antonio Camacho’s men.

China have not won a match against a team from outside of Asia since the 1-0 win over Jamaica in August 2011 and historically do not travel well. They have lost four out of their last five road trips – three to nil – but were not embarrassed in tight defeats by Spain and, more recently, Sweden.

Tang Miao could be in line to start at right-back for Team Dragon, with Zhao Xuri set to be the only survivor in midfield.

The last time that these two teams met was in 2003 and Selecao were held to a goalless draw in Guangzhou, but China are currently placed 78th in the Fifa rankings and are trading as big as 18/1 to win in Recife while the draw is available to back at 8/1.

The Brazil/Brazil double result is priced at 1/4, so the way to go here might be to chance the correct score markets.

Republic of Ireland (1/4 – 90 minutes) will hope to put off-field issues behind them when they play Oman (8/1, draw 4/1) at Craven Cottage in a friendly on Tuesday (7:30pm BST).

James McClean has apologised for his foul-mouthed tweet that he angrily posted after being left on the bench during the World Cup qualifier win in Kazakhstan and remains in the squad, but Robbie Keane, Darren O’Dea, John O’Shea, Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan have been released.

Elsewhere, Czech Republic held Denmark to a goalless draw in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Saturday and can be backed at 2/5 to beat Finland (6/1, draw 16/5 – 90 minutes) in a friendly (5pm BST), but have now gone three games in all competitions without a goal.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

League One takes centre stage

Posted on by
Reply

With the Premier League and Championship taking a break during the international period, League One takes centre stage on the domestic front this weekend.

There is a double-header in the third tier on Sunday afternoon, with Coventry City entertaining Stevenage (home 13/10, draw 9/4, away 21/10) and troubled Portsmouth travelling to Crawley Town (home 4/5, draw 5/2, away 7/2).

Momentum plays a key role in modern football and the clubs on show have experienced contrasting fortunes in recent years.

Portsmouth and Coventry, two sides relegated from the Championship last term, have struggled to adapt to life in League One.

In Pompey’s case, that is completely understandable. Michael Appleton saw all of his senior players leave Fratton Park in the summer as the financially-stricken club moved towards liquidation.

The Portsmouth boss fielded a near-youth team in the Capital One Cup first round, with nine players under the age of 21. He brought in 10 new players on short-term contracts and four on loan ahead of their League One opener on August 18, and has continued to add to his squad in the time since.

As you would expect the new-look outfit has struggled to gel and Pompey have amassed just two points from four games.

They travel to Crawley (14/1 – League One outright) this weekend, a club which has achieved back-to-back promotions in the last two seasons. The Reds have had no issues adapting to life in League One – winning three of their opening four matches.

Loanee Nicky Ajose and the experienced Gary Alexander (First Goalscorer and Crawley 2-0 – 25/1 – Scorecast) have led the line superbly and will pose a significant threat to Portsmouth’s backline.

A second relegation in as many years is a real possibility for Pompey and they will not be afforded any favours at Broadfield Stadium (Crawley/Crawley – half-time/full-time – 13/8).

Managerless Coventry, who have financial problems of their own, have yet to win in their first season in the third tier in 48 years.

The Sky Blues established themselves as a top-flight club throughout the latter part of the last century but stood still following their relegation to the Championship in 2001. In their case, they could not find any kind of momentum.

Coventry (Correct Score 1-0 – 7/1), under caretaker bosses Richard Shaw and Lee Carsley, will be desperate to open their account at home to unbeaten Stevenage.

Like Crawley, Boro went straight from the Conference to League One in two seasons. They reached the play-offs in their first season in the third tier and are a good bet to repeat the feat this term.

They are unbeaten in the league going into tomorrow’s clash but will face their most difficult challenge to date at the Ricoh Arena.

Coventry’s desperation for points gives them the edge and should see them get their campaign underway (Draw/Coventry – half-time/full-time 4/1).

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Новак Джокович и Энди Маррей в финале US Open?

Posted on by
Reply

Теннис. Открытый Чемпионат США

Томаш Бердых – Энди Маррей. Что самое обсуждаемое сейчас на US Open? Нет, это даже не теннисные Murray Scot 1 300x189 Новак Джокович и Энди Маррей в финале US Open?баталии, происходящие на кортах Флашинг Медоуз. Самое занимательное сейчас для зрителей – это погода! И что самое неутешительное, для теннисных болельщиков – это прогноз на сегодняшний день…

На всю субботу безоблачная погода планируется только на утреннюю часть дня, ну максимум до обеда, а дальше только дождь, да гроза! И ладно бы суббота, но даже на большую часть воскресенья прогноз обещает дождь и грозы, так что похоже очередной Открытый Чемпионат США не закончится в срок. По словам организаторов, строить крышу они не собираются, даже не смотря на большие финансовые штрафы телевизионным компаниям, у которых финал в понедельник вечером не вызывает большого оптимизма.

Томаш Бердых 2.65 уже может быть уверенным в том, что он не зря приехал в Нью-Йорк. В четвертьфинале он обыграл самого Роджера Федерера, а это согласитесь уже не так и мало. А вот ему удастся убрать со своей дороги еще одного представителя «фантастической четверки»?  Вопрос открыт…

Энди Маррей 1.44 провел крайне удивительную встречу с Марианом Чиличем, ну хотя бы то, что во втором сете он проигрывал со счетом 1:5 и сумел выиграть  7:6!!! И это не говоря, что первый сет выиграл хорват. Сам Энди заметил, что второй сет не столько выиграл он, сколько Чилич не совладал с нервами.

В этом году, мы наблюдаем за другим Энди Марреем, который стал меньше нервничать и больше побеждать, как отмечает сам шотландец – это плоды работы с Иваном Лендлом. Думаю, этот матч может получиться очень затяжным и не только по причине погоды, но и чисто по игре. Не исключу, что все будет решаться в пятом сете.

Давид Феррер – Новак Джокович. Если никто не может знать, когда закончится первый матч этого игрового дня, то вот в противостоянии серба и испанца никто не может поручиться даже за то, когда он начнется…

Матчи, прерываемые дождями, имеют настолько рваный ритм, что инициатива может переходить от одного игрока к другому, но как мне кажется у Новака 1.08 достаточно крепкая нервная система и он уверенно пробьется в финал!

Related posts:

  1. Федерер и Надаль в полуфинале австралийского чемпионата! Джокович и Маррей – следующие?! Теннис. Открытый Чемпионат Австралии. Роджер Федерер – Рафаэль Надаль. Теннис,…
  2. «Реал Мадрид» проигрывает Эль Классико! Жозе Моуринью берет вину на себя. Джокович, Надаль, Федерер и Маррей – «Фантастическая Четверка» на зеленом континенте! Футбол. Испания. Кубок Короля Реал Мадрид – Барселона 1:2. Жозе…
  3. Джокович лечит спину. СКА в ожидании Радулова! Теннис. Japan Open Пока Новак Джокович залечивает травму спины, его…

Список похожих постов предоставлен вам плагином YARPP.


Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Ставки на матч Россия – Северная Ирландия!

Posted on by
Reply

Футбол. Чемпионат Мира-2014. Квалификация

Россия – Северная Ирландия. Первый официальный матч сборной России под руководством Фабио Капелло… В ближайшие несколько дней  команда России 1.17 под руководством нового тренера сыграет два матча.GB Russia Dzagoyev0612 1 300x188 Ставки на матч Россия Северная Ирландия! Желательно взять шесть очков в этой серии игр, но все понимают, что это будет как минимум непросто, хотя бы памятуя о последнем «вояже» россиян в Израиль.

Но вернемся в день сегодняшний, а тут просто масса информационных новостей, которые затмевают одна другую. Сперва, дон Фабио элегантно не пригласил Андрея Аршавина в сборную, и надо сказать мотивировал это вполне спокойно. Не высказывая претензии к игровой форме капитана (теперь уже бывшего), а заметив, что Андрей сейчас просто находится без игровой практики.

Болельщики со стажем могут припомнить, когда лет 15 назад Олег Романцев приглашал в сборную Владимира Бесчастных, который в тот момент полгода занимал прочное место на лавке своего клуба! Мотивация вызова тогда звучала как «Ну надо же ему где-то тренироваться». Но как видим Капелло к такой «практике» несклонен.

При этом тренер россиян уже заявил о некоторых тактических особенностях предстоящего матча. Например, место на левом фланге обороны займет Дмитрий Комбаров. В данный момент – это действительно бесспорная кандидатура на эту позицию. К сожалению, во время сбора национальной команды травму получил Артем Дзюба, что оставляет небольшой простор для маневра в группе нападающих. Из троицы Кержаков, Павлюченко, Кокорин в стартовом составе, быстрее всего будет играть один. И с немалой степенью вероятности – это будет Кержаков.

Новым официальным капитаном сборной стал Игорь Денисов, надо заметить, что именно стал, так эту должность определяет Фабио Капелло. Сам итальянец сообщил прессе, что команда пока будет играть по схеме «Зенита», так как большинство футболистов собранных под его руководством приехали с берегов Невы. С точки зрения стартового состава интрига наблюдается только на позиции правого полузащитника, так как выбор стоит между Александром Самедовым и Владимиром Быстровым. В остальном мы наверняка увидим все тех же персонажей.

Результат сегодняшнего матча можно будет признать удовлетворительным только в одном случае – победы!

Related posts:

  1. Разминка Греции и России перед Евро-2012. Фернандо Алонсо снова в Абу-Даби. Футбол. Товарищеские матчи сборных. Греция – Россия. В то время,…

Список похожих постов предоставлен вам плагином YARPP.


Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Scots to see off Serbs

Posted on by
Reply

Scotland get their World Cup qualification campaign underway a day later then the rest of the home nations as they play host to Serbia at Hampden Park.

Manager Craig Levein is under immense pressure to guide the Scots to Brazil in 2014 and getting off to a good start is a must. Against an under-strength Serbia three points look entirely possible and home advantage could make the difference for an improving Scotland.

Scotland v Serbia 3pm

Group A is likely to be one of the most competitive groups on the road to Brazil, with Belgium, Croatia, Scotland, Serbia and Wales all having realistic dreams of making it to South America. Scotland are 18/1 to win the group, while Serbia are second-favourites at 9/4 to finish in top spot.

The price for the Serbs is surprisingly short considering they finished behind Estonia when missing out on qualification for Euro 2012 as they crawled over the line. Sinica Mihajlovic’s men have won just one of the last ten matches and were far from impressive during their goalless draw with the Republic of Ireland in their last friendly outing.

The Serbs bring a predominantly inexperienced squad to Scotland this weekend, with captain Branislav Ivanovic the most experienced of the group with 52 caps to his name. Defensively, Mihajlovic’s team look strong, with Ivanovic, Neven Subotic, Aleksandar Kolarov and Manchester City new boy Matija Nastasic providing a formidable barrier for the Scots to get over.

Up front, however, the Serbs do not look a massive threat and given the Scots historically goal-shy nature under 2.5 goals at 4/7 could be a safe bet. The Serbs are likely to try and frustrate Scotland, and it will be up to Levein’s boys to take the game to the Eastern Europeans.

In the build-up to the game, Levein has stated that he feels Scotland are in a much better position to qualify for a major tournament than they have been for several years. The former Dundee United boss will now have to back up his words, starting on Saturday.

Whereas Scotland have historically lacked creativity, they now look to have a squad capable of creating the chances the likes of Jordan Rhodes, Steven Naismith and Ross McCormack should thrive on. Robert Snodgrass, James Morrisson and Charlie Adam will look to unlock the Serbia defence, while the pace of Matt Philips and James Forrest will give this weekend’s opposition plenty to think about.

Levein does appear to have plenty of options within his squad now and while, like Serbia, a lot of his players lack international experience, they look to have the talent to make the step up.

Scotland are 8/5 to win, with the draw 9/4 and the Serbs 15/8. The odds suggest it will be a close on to call but with the Hampden roar behind them, the Scots should come through this one with three points to show for their efforts.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Friday Night World Cup Action

Posted on by
Reply

The race for Brazil 2014 kicks-off on Friday night with the first qualifying games for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These opening games are going to be indicators for whether fans can expect an enjoyable or ultimately disappointing qualification campaign.

Moldova v England

England’s Group H campaign begins at the Zimbru Stadium in Chisinau as Roy Hodgson prepares his side for their first competitive game since the European Championships. Despite exiting on penalties to Italy, England have yet to be defeated in open play in Hodgson’s seven matches to date and don’t expect that to change on Friday night (Moldova 12/1 draw 4/1 England 3/10 Match Betting).

Adam Johnson, Ashley Cole, Wayne Rooney and Andy Carroll are all missing through injury but John Terry could play having taken full part in training earlier this week. It is likely that Jermain Defoe will lead the England line and this could be his best chance to shine and prove to Hodgson he is worthy of a regular starting berth.

As for Moldova, they finished second bottom of their Euro 2012 qualifying group and have failed to score in their last five matches, with the opponents of Albania, El Salvador, Venezuela, Belarus and Georgia not exactly in the same league as England. These teams were drawn together for 1998 World Cup qualifying and England won 3-0 in Chisinau and 4-0 at Wembley. Similar results are 7/1 and 11/1 respectively and look possible outcomes.

Wales v Belgium

Chris Coleman’s Wales start their World Cup qualification campaign against one of the blossoming teams in Europe. Belgium have their own golden generation and the squad boasts 10 players from the Premier League, with the likes of Eden Hazard, Moussa Dembele, Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen the standout performers.

All together this means it is a daunting task for Coleman’s side – not helped by the fact they have lost both his matches in charge so far (Wales 7/2 draw 13/5 Belgium 5/6 Match Betting).

Key players such as Neil Taylor, Craig Bellamy, Joe Ledley, Andrew Crofts, Jack Collison, David Vaughan and Wayne Hennessey are all injured, which means Coleman needs to unite a depleted squad.

Home hopes will rest on Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, but they will need to support lone striker Steve Morison as there will not be many expecting him getting much change from Kompany and Vermaelen. Expect a 2-0 win for Belgium, priced at 7/1, to be on the cards.

Russia v Northern Ireland

Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland have lost six of their last seven matches and still need to address their age-old problem of scoring goals. Kyle Lafferty and Dean Sheils are likely to lead the line, while the centre-back pairing of Jonny Evans and Aaron Hughes are set to return to shore up a leaky back-line.

It promises to be a long night in Moscow for the Irish, with Russia starting their new era under former England boss Fabio Capello. The likes of Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Alan Dzagoev – who shone at Euro 2012 – will pose big problems for the Northern Ireland defence as Russia look to continue a formidable home record that has seen them concede only twice in their last seven home games. Russia are 2/9 to win in the match betting and you can’t look much further than that, with the draw 11/2 and a Northern Ireland shock win priced at 12/1.

Kazakhstan v Republic of Ireland

Ireland will want to bounce back from a miserable Euro 2012 in their opening World Cup 2014 qualifier against a Kazakhstan outfit who are ranked 145th in the FIFA World rankings (Kazakhstan 9/2 draw 5/2 Ireland 8/11 Match Betting) .

It is a period of transition for Giovanni Trapattoni as the experienced duo of Shay Given and Damien Duff have retired, while they will do without Richard Dunne. With the likes of Germany, Sweden and Austria alongside Ireland in Group C they really need to get a result against the minnows of Kazakhstan and the Faroe Islands.

Trapattoni has indicated that Simon Cox is likely to start the game ahead of James McClean, with the Sunderland man troubled with a cold. Glenn Whelan, Aiden McGeady, James McCarthy and Cox will make up the midfield, while Jon Walters is expected to partner Robbie Keane up front. Ireland need to go for goals on Friday and 28/1 for a 4-0 win to the Irish looks a tempting prospect.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Home nations hit road to Brazil

Posted on by
Reply

The upcoming international action gives us the chance to assess who out of the home nations can qualify for the World Cup in 2014 as countries prepare for their first group games with the planned final destination being Brazil in two years’ time.

England

Having made it to the last four World Cups, it would be a major surprise if the Three Lions failed to negotiate the group stage for Brazil 2014 over the next 18 months or so (2/5f to win Group H). England’s recent pre-tournament qualifying record is actually very, very good – it’s just when the real action itself gets underway that they let everyone down. Expectations were rightly lowered for Euro 2012 and Roy Hodgson’s side eventually went out on penalties – again – to Italy in the summer as they found their usual level and exited at the quarter-final stage.  A group containing Moldova, Ukraine (9/2 to win Group H), Montenegro, Poland and San Marino looks tricky at worst but fairly straightforward at best and expect Hodgson to guide his side through to Brazil without too many problems. It’s just following that the hard work will start.

Verdict - Qualify as Group H winners.

Wales

Wales (28/1 to win Group A) have only ever made it to one World Cup – in 1958 – and are outsiders once again to make it through another tough qualifying group. Chris Coleman’s side face Belgium (who appear to have a ‘golden generation’ of top stars coming through), a talented Croatia, while they also must take on traditionally-tough opponents Macedonia and Serbia home and away and UK rivals Scotland in two games. Under former boss Gary Speed, Wales were on the up but, after his tragic passing earlier this year, the country’s football team have suffered, perhaps predictably so, as a whole new coaching team and methods have had to be implemented. There is talent available to Coleman but Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale and an ageing Craig Bellamy will, sadly, probably not be able to carry them through to Brazil on their own.

Verdict - Fourth in Group A.

Scotland

Scotland’s latest bid to qualify for a major tournament for the first time since 1998 begins with a winnable home match against Serbia on Saturday and they will hope to get off to a good start to give them a chance of making Brazil 2014 (18/1 to win Group A). The Scots have made good starts before, however, and then have faded badly when the crucial games came around but they will look at Group A and believe qualification can be theirs. Belgium (7/4f to win Group A) will more than likely top the standings but Craig Levein’s side can push Croatia hard for second spot and may just even sneak in as runners-up if they maintain their good home form and mix it up by being difficult to beat away from Hampden. It won’t be easy, of course, and Wales and Macedonia will be difficult opponents too but there is a feeling Scotland can finally progress, especially if Jordan Rhodes can transfer his prolific club form onto the international stage.

Verdict - Qualify as runners-up in Group B.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland have not made the World Cup finals since their famous 1986 showing in Mexico and they do not appear to have enough strength in depth to make it out of Group F (40/1 to win Group). Michael O’Neill’s side will have been delighted with the draw as, aside from traditional heavyweights Russia and Portugal, Azerbaijan, Israel and Luxembourg could all be viewed as beatable opponents, especially in front of a packed, passionate Windsor Park crowd. They have probably the toughest of starts in Russia on Friday, though, and, while Northern Ireland might just pick up a win or two along the way, qualification again looks a bridge too far for the European minnows.

Verdict - Fourth in Group F.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.