Category Archives: news-t

Russia set to spoil Poland party

Posted on by
Reply

alan dzagoev russia smallHaving thrashed the Czech Republic in their opening game at Euro 2012, Russia look like a tough proposition for any team and it will be the job of co-hosts Poland to try and stop them in Warsaw on Tuesday (Poland 12/5, draw 9/4, Russia 5/4 Match Betting).

The competition got off to a lively start on Friday, with Poland impressing in the first half against the Greeks before allowing their opponents back into a game which saw two red cards.

The 1-1 draw will have been a disappointment to head coach Franciszek Smuda, who saw his side dominate periods of the game against Greece, before being undone by their own goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Having been at fault for the Greek goal, the Arsenal man saw red and was in great debt to substitute keeper Przemyslaw Tyton, who saved the resulting penalty to keep Poland’s Euro 2012 campaign very much alive.

Tyton looks set to start between the sticks against the Russians at the National Stadium in the absence of the suspended Szczesny.

In attack the Poles will once again be looking to striker Robert Lewandowski (5/1 first goalscorer), who has continued to be linked with a move to Premier League giants Manchester United.

The 23-year-old Borussia Dortmund star looked like a threat throughout the first half against the Greeks and really got the home fans cheering with the opening goal of the tournament.

Poland will certainly need the supporters to be a 12th man in this game against a very talented Russia side, who took apart the Czechs in their opening encounter.

The Russian’s looked extremely dangerous in attack especially their exciting talent Alan Dzagoev (7/1 first goalscorer), who could well turn out to be a star of this tournament, having bagged himself a brace on Friday night.

Andrey Arshavin, who was largely disappointing in the Premier League with Arsenal this season before making a loan move back to his homeland with Zenit St Petersburg, looked back in the form that made him such an attractive prospect for the north London outfit.

The Russian skipper looked dangerous against the Czech Republic and the Poles will have to keep tabs on the 31-year-old on Tuesday night.

Russia (11/1 Euro 2012 outright) would go a long way to securing top spot in their group and booking their place in the knockout stages of the tournament in Poland and the Ukraine with a victory over the co-hosts, before taking on the struggling Greeks.

This really is a must-win game for Poland if they want to stand a realistic chance of making the quarter-finals to most likely face the winners of Group D, which could well be France or England.

However, based on Russia’s opening performance and their recent free-scoring form, with a 3-0 win over Italy in their previous game, it’s hard to look past Arshavin leading his talented side to another victory.

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

Ukraine face tricky opener

Posted on by
Reply

Co-hosts Ukraine take on Sweden in the second Group D match on Monday night with the support of the whole nation behind them. They are slight favourites to win this one but the Swedes have a habit of upsetting the odds (Ukraine 6/4, Draw 9/4, Sweden 2/1 – Match Betting).

Far from riding on a wave of optimism heading into their first European Championships, Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin has all but written off his side’s chances before a ball has even been kicked.

He was brought back to the post for a second stint in March 2011 after leading his men to the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup during his first spell in charge but he has not really been able to inspire his charges second time around. Consequently, getting out of the group stage of the competition would be seen as a massive achievement (Ukraine 5/4 To Qualify).

The trouble for Blokhin is that he has inherited a team in transition, with several talented youngsters coming through who are not quite ready while veterans such as Andriy Shevchenko and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk are clearly past their best.

They have also had to prepare without any recent competitive football having qualified as hosts and the coach has used 40 players in his 15 months back in charge to try to find a winning combination.

He does not appear to have done that and, worryingly, slated both his defence and attack in an interview on Saturday.

The former Dynamo Kiev striker confessed that he has struggled to select an in-form striker, while making it clear that he has problems both in central defence and at full-back.

This does not leave much of the pitch to enthuse about and the scattergun approach to selection and tactics has left a number of players unsure of their role in the side (Ukraine – Exactly 0 points in group stage 10/1).

They tend to play a standard 4-4-2 which sometimes changes into a 4-5-1 during games and it would appear likely that, despite home advantage, goals will be at a premium against the Swedes and in their subsequent two group games.

One player to watch is 22-year-old Dynamo Kiev wide man Andriy Yarmolenko, who has now moved out onto the flank after starting life as a target man.

He has searing pace and has retained the ability to score, with seven goals from 20 appearances to date.

The St Petersburg-born youngster has been courted by, among others, AC Milan and could make a name for himself in the tournament.

Results for Ukraine in 2011 were not great – with four wins, five defeats and three draws – and they will need their best players to be at the top of their game if they are to advance to the last eight.

They have won three of their last four friendlies, however, and drew 3-3 with Germany in November last year.

But this is where it starts to get serious and Sweden are tournament football veterans, who always seem to make a nuisance of themselves in the group stage.

Erik Hamren has moulded his charges into a solid, hardworking side who are well-organised and difficult to break down.

They also like to play 4-4-2 and hit teams on the break and, in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have one of the best strikers in Europe to put the ball in the back of the net.

The giant hit-man has enjoyed another excellent season with AC Milan and will be full of confidence going into Sweden’s opening match, despite never really having shown his true colours on the biggest international stage.

He does have an excellent scoring record for the Swedes with 31 strikes in 77 appearances but he will need a solid tournament this time around to silence the doubters, with age not on his side.

Lyon’s left-footed midfielder Kim Kallstrom should provide Ibrahimovic with the service he needs as he was credited with seven assists during qualifying, while chipping in with three goals of his own.

If he can find his talismanic team-mate in the box then the Swedes will be a goal threat.

Former Bolton star Johan Elmander is likely to be the second striker and, while he is not as prolific in front of goal as his esteemed strike partner, he is a vastly experienced player and will not be fazed by facing the hosts on their own patch.

Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson could have a big say in proceedings with his ability to score from set plays, while he will also provide decent crosses for the big man up front.

Midfielder Rasmus Elm has the x-factor needed to unlock defences and has been watched by several top European sides over the past 12 months.

Like Larsson, he is a dead-ball specialist but also has the ability to beat players and pick out a pass – he will pull the strings in the middle of the park for Hamren’s side.

Eight wins and two defeats in qualifying was a decent return and they will be confident of getting out of a group that contains England, who have always struggled to beat the Swedes, and a France side that can blow hot and cold.

Consistency is the Swedes’ main strength as they rarely get pummelled, with only Holland giving them a drubbing in qualifying and, despite Ukraine’s home advantage, they should get at least a point out of this one.

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

Hope for England in opener

Posted on by
Reply

Injury-hit England go into Euro 2012 with reduced expectations but will still be under the microscope when they face France in their Group D opener in Donetsk on Monday (England 2/1, Draw 11/5, France 6/4).

Regardless of the lack of expectation around the country before the tournament, England will still be criticised if they fail to make the last eight, something new boss Roy Hodgson is fully aware of.

Hodgson, who led England to consecutive 1-0 victories in his first two games in charge, was quoted as saying “it could be the most terrific three weeks or the most torrid of my career” ahead of Monday’s clash at the Donbass Arena.

Much of England’s build up has been overshadowed by the Rio Ferdinand saga. The Manchester United defender’s omission from the squad has received plenty of media coverage, with many experts miffed by the decision.

Hodgson has defended his call, saying he has plenty of options in central defence and would not take Ferdinand to Poland and Ukraine to be a bit-part player.

The show must go on without the 33-year-old, as well as the likes of Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry. Wayne Rooney will, of course, miss the first two games as well, leaving Hodgson without a whole host of stars for the France clash.

The England chief will pin his attacking hopes on Ashley Young and captain Steven Gerrard, the man who got England’s 2010 World Cup campaign off to a flyer when he scored early on against USA although the match ended in a 1-1 draw (Euro 2012 outright 12/1).

Much has changed since the debacle in South Africa, with Young one of the most promising players to emerge in the past two years. He has hit five goals in his last seven games and will be England’s main attacking threat in the opener (First Goalscorer 8/1).

France go into the game unbeaten in 21 internationals but do have defensive frailties. Those weaknesses were on display during their final warm-up match against Estonia last week, despite their 4-0 victory.

Add to that France’s recent record in tournaments and England have a real chance. It has been a case of all or nothing for Les Bleus in recent years.

Since winning the World Cup and European Championship back-to-back in 1998 and 2000, France have failed to qualify from the group stage three times but reached the World Cup final in 2006 and the quarters at Euro 2004.

It is fair to say, however, France are a different proposition under Laurent Blanc. During their 21-game unbeaten run they have won 15, including victories over Brazil, Germany and England (Euro 2012 outright France 8/1).

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema are France’s main threats going forward but concentrate on those two at your peril.

Fans of the Premier League will be familiar with Samir Nasri and Yohan Cabaye, while 21-year-old Yann M’Vila, if fit, could be one of the stars of the tournament.

England will no doubt sit back and let France do all the running, hoping to hit Blanc’s men on the break. It is a dangerous tactic but one England need to employ in the opener if they are to get their tournament up and running with a win.

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

Spain too strong for Italians

Posted on by
Reply

Defending champions Spain begin the defense of their European crown when they take on an out-of-sorts Italian side in Gdansk on Sunday (Spain 4/5, draw 5/2, Italy 4/1 – Match Betting).

The Spanish head into the competition as one of the heavy favourites – a position they would not have been at all familiar with up until 2008 when they ended their reputation as underachievers by winning the Euros.

Spain’s success has come from the dominance of Barcelona in the club game and the national side is unsurprisingly dotted with a number of stars from the Nou Camp.

Playmakers Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas are all likely to feature heavily against the Azzurri at the PGE Arena but Spain will still be missing one crucial Barca star.

Striker David Villa has been ruled out of the tournament through injury and head coach Vicente del Bosque will have to look for goals elsewhere, with Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente (9/2 – First Goalscorer) and Pedro Rodriguez all vying for a starting role.

As for Italy they come into this tournament on the back of a torrid run of form, with the former European powerhouse suffering a 3-0 defeat in their final friendly against Russia before the competition in Poland and Ukraine.

Before that the Azzurri were on the wrong end of 1-0 defeats to both the United States and Uruguay and confidence will not be that high in the Italian camp ahead of their opener with Spain (3/1 – Euro 2012 Outright).

However, write Italy off at your peril, as they still have plenty of experience in their ranks, especially in defence and midfield, with the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi in the middle of the park and Giorgio Chiellini and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon at the back.

The worry for the for the 2006 World Cup winners will be a lack of goals in attack, with Mario Balotelli (8/1 – First Goalscorer), Antonio Cassano and Antonio Di Natale, in 74 appearances between them, only scoring 20 goals.

Italy always have the ability to keep clean sheets but if they fail to threaten the Spanish defence, which is questionable at times, they will struggle to get their campaign in Group C off to a winning start.

With the Republic of Ireland and Croatia battling in this group as well, the winner of Sunday’s encounter in Gdansk will certainly go a long way in deciding who will go through to the knockout stages of the competition as group winners.

Italy (14/1 – Euro 2012 Outright) have lost only eight of their 29 encounters with Spain, as they have proved difficult to beat against the defending champions, but with the Barca stars in their ranks, del Bosque should be celebrating an opening win in Group C.

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

Will Irish eyes be smiling?

Posted on by
Reply

The Republic of Ireland get their Euro 2012 campaign underway against Croatia on Sunday (Ireland 13/5, Croatia 6/5, draw 11/5 Match Prices). Fixtures against Spain and Italy follow and so they will probably need to take all three points from this one to stand any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

The Irish fans have been starved of tournament football for a decade and win, lose or draw, they will be in full voice this summer to lift their heroes in Poland and Ukraine.

And the Irish are not without hope of making it through to the knock-out stage of the competition as they will begin their campaign with a 14-match unbeaten record (Ireland 7/2 To Qualify).

They have also kept 11 clean sheets in that sequence of results and, while goals might be at a premium, opposition teams will find it hard to break down a tough defence.

Shay Given’s recovery from injury is certainly a bonus and it is likely that the Aston Villa keeper will be busy against Croatia and throughout the three group matches.

He will need protection from his back four and much will depend on the experience of Richard Dunne and John O’Shea, with Sean St Ledger and Stephen Ward tipped to start.

Ward has been making all the right noises in the build-up to the Croatia clash and has spoken about how tight their defence has become but they will need to score a goal or two to win and, in Robbie Keane (6/1 First Goalscorer), Giovanni Trapattoni has one of the top marksmen to call upon.

His record at international level is phenomenal and the only question mark surrounds his decision to play in the USA and whether or not he will be as sharp as the European-based marksmen.

Kevin Doyle looks set to partner the former Spurs man up front and he will be more of a provider than a prolific hit-man but would love to add to his 10 international goals.

The midfield will be key to Ireland’s chances as they will be up against talented Croatian schemers, including Spurs’ star Luca Modric.

With the men in green expected to concede the majority of possession to the opposition, the likes of Damien Duff, Aiden McGeady, Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan will have a lot of defensive work to do in support of the back four and the tournament will be a real test of their fitness and stamina.

Duff will need to be at the top of his game to create chances for the front two and Trapattoni will be hoping he can rediscover the form that made him one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League just a few years ago.

Although Croatia are not the side they were a few years back, they still have enough talent to cause Ireland problems and, in Modric, have one of the best players in Europe.

He pulls the strings for the Balkan state and will need to remain fit and be at the top of his game if Croatia are to reach the last eight.

But Modric is not the only familiar face to British fans as there are several Croatians who ply their trade in the Premier League.

Everton fans know all about Nikica Jelavic (5/1 First/Last Goalscorer), who has been a revelation for the Toffees after arriving in January.

He will be a goal threat on Sunday (Jelavic 9/4 To Score Anytime) and will need to be watched such is his form and prowess in front of goal.

There are concerns over the Croatia defence, however, with Jo Simunic not at his best as he has not been playing regular football.

Former Spurs’ stopper Vedran Corluka, Gordon Schildenfeld and Ivan Strinic look set to complete the back four and there is every chance that Ireland’s front two could profit against these players with decent service.

Another Tottenham old boy, Niko Kranjcar, will be a threat and has the experience of nearly 70 caps to draw on for this clash and beyond.

Captain Darijo Srna has been a regular on the right flank for almost a decade, and is one of the most influential players in the side.

Slaven Bilic has opted to use him on the right side of midfield as opposed to in defence and he will be a constant menace to the Ireland full backs.

A record of 19 strikes in 90 games proves that he is a goal threat and he will need to be marshalled well if the Irish are to win this one.

This has all the makings of a tight game as Ireland will give little away in defence and Croatia may struggle to break them down but both sides may need to win to qualify.

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

Germany too strong for Portugal

Posted on by
Reply

Portugal will hope to exact revenge over Germany for their Euro 2008 quarter-final defeat when the two sides kick off their campaigns in this summer’s tournament on Saturday, but they will find it tough going against one of the tournament favourites.

Portugal, 3/1 to beat Germany, were dumped out of the competition at the last-eight stage four years ago and know a defeat in this clash, with tough matches against Holland and Denmark to come, will leave them struggling to make the knockout stage.

They face a much-fancied German outfit (Evens, draw 12/5) in Lviv, with many people tipping a win for Joachim Low’s men to get their tournament challenge off to a positive start and, sadly for Paulo Bento’s side, we see it going the same way.

Germany were written off by some before both the Euros in Austria and Switzerland and the subsequent World Cup in South Africa two years ago but proved once again just how good a tournament side they are by only losing to eventual winners Spain in both competitions.

This time around and no-one is making the mistake of underestimating a squad that contains the talents of Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller, Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski – to name just five – and they will hope to live up to expectations and be real contenders for the crown this summer.

Portugal, in contrast, only just about made it through to Poland and Ukraine via the play-offs and finished behind fellow group members Denmark in qualifying.

That has predictably led to claims they will struggle in a group containing the quality of Holland and Germany while the lack of a top centre-forward has been cited as one of the reasons why an early exit could loom.

The likes of Nelson Oliveira, Hugo Almeida and the experienced-but-inconsistent Helger Postiga do not exactly strike fear into opposition defenders, but there is real quality elsewhere in the camp.

Cristiano Ronaldo (5/1 to score first/last) is the obvious talisman and, if he produces his dazzling best, the Real Madrid man’s individual brillance can sometimes win games on its own. Premier League stars Nani and Raul Meireles are also impressive performers and, it it all clicks, they might just spring a surprise.

A victory over Germany on Saturday would certainly be one but, as Podolski has predicted, we see this going Germany’s way and the striker’s prediction of a 2-0 win also looks good value at 8/1.

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

Dutch have the Klaas

Posted on by
Reply

The focus on Saturday turns very much to the toughest looking group at Euro 2012, with the Group B campaign kicking off with Holland taking on Denmark at the Medalist Stadium at 5pm.

With Germany and Portugal also in the pool, Group B certainly deserves to have the label of  ‘Group of Death’ as all four sides are currently ranked in the world’s top 10 – and Joachim Low’s men are currently 3/1 joint favourites with Spain to go all the way.

Holland are third favourites to lift the trophy at 6/1 while they are 7/4 to take Group B honours, with Denmark on offer at 12/1 to surprise a few people and book their place in the knockout stages.

With the quality of opposition in the group, none of the sides can really afford to take their foot off the gas but in this case the pressure will be on Holland to deliver, with Denmark widely regarded as the weakest link in the group.

As such, it is no surprise to see Bert van Marwijk’s men installed as 8/13 favourites in the match betting, with the draw priced at 11/4 and Denmark available at 11/2 to cause a shock.

These two sides actually locked horns in their opening game of the World Cup in 2010 with the Oranje running out 2-0 winners (6/1 for a repeat scoreline), en route to their run through to the final where they lost to Spain.

Holland have certainly had the better of recent form having not lost to the Scandinavians in their last eight meetings – five of them draws – with Dirk Kuyt and a Daniel Agger own goal making the difference two years ago.

Kuyt did not score the killer second goal until the 85th minute so Holland will have to work for the win, although they look to have more players who can make the difference in any game.

Arjen Robben enjoyed a fine campaign in South Africa while he has been the scourge of many a team across Europe for Bayern Munich but he is far from the only threat in a squad that boasts the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart and Ibrahim Afellay.

It certainly looks as though there will be plenty of service for the frontmen but, even though Robin van Persie enjoyed a sensational season with Arsenal, it may pay to side with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar at 4/1 in the First Goalscorer market as the Schalke striker outshone his compatriot in qualifying with 12 goals to six.

Of course, a lot will depend on the team put out by van Marwijk but there is no doubt that the threat is definitely there for the Dutch as they look to get off to a winning start.

Denmark do not have quite the same strength in depth but will try and make themselves hard to beat, emphasised by just one defeat in qualifying as they topped Group H – with Portugal incidentally only finishing second in the group.

There are less household names for coach Morten Olsen to call on but Christian Eriksen has been making a name for himself at Ajax and will certainly be one to look out for – particularly with the transfer window now open.

Nicklas Bendtner has not quite hit the heights that he expected in the Premier League but has a decent scoring record for his country with 18 goals in 48 games, while the veteran Dennis Rommedahl is the only other player in double figures – 21 goals in 116 games.

It is a side on the up for Denmark with potential to get better but a game against an in-form, experienced and talented Dutch side may well just be a bridge too far.

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

Poles to avoid Greek tragedy

Posted on by
Reply

Co-hosts Poland will be aiming to get Euro 2012 off to a winning start when they face Group A rivals Greece in the tournament curtain-raiser in Warsaw’s impressive Stadion Narodowy on Friday evening.

Coach Franciszek Smuda’s side will carry the hopes of the nation on their shoulders and will no doubt feel an opening game against the Greeks, who stunned Europe to win Euro 2004, will be the perfect opportunity to get off to a flying start.

The Poles are in good form ahead of the match having won five and drawn one of their last six friendly matches – their last defeat was a 2-0 reverse at the hands of Italy in November 2011.

Smuda looks set to field Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny between the sticks, while he faces a dilemma as to whether Lukasz Piszczek or Grzegorz Wojtkowiak will start in the back four for the match.

Poland have operated with a five-man midfield in the pre-tournament friendly matches and Smuda is likely to stick with that 4-5-1 formation, while Borussia Dortmund’s lethal striker Robert Lewandowski (7/4 – Anytime Goalscorer) will get the nod as a lone frontman.

Greece were the opening game opponents for Portugal in 2004 and they won that match 2-1 before going on to defeat the hosts 1-0 in the final so no doubt coach Fernando Santos will be hoping it is an omen for them in 2012.

The Greeks qualified impressively as they topped their respective group by remaining unbeaten in 10 matches with seven wins and three draws to their name.

However, things have gone off the boil in pre-tournament friendly encounters as they have secured just one victory from their five games played – a 1-0 win on neutral ground against Armenia.

Santos will call on the veteran duo of Giorgios Karagounis and Kostas Katsouranis – who were in the Euro 2004 winning team – to operate in midfield for the game, while Celtic’s Georgios Samaras (10/1 – First or Last Goalscorer) will be looking for a starting role in attack ahead of the likes of Dimitris Salpigidis or Theofanis Gekas depending on what formation the coach decides on.

Looking at the previous encounters and everything goes in Poland’s favour as they have won five of their seven meetings, including four on home soil, while Greece’s only win was in their own backyard back in 1987.

When pondering the outcome of this game the fact the Poles have home advantage, and the vast majority of a sell-out partisan crowd will be giving their players some vociferous support, should stand them in good stead.

Greece have struggled in Poland in the past and will no doubt look to put their strong defensive attributes – only five goals conceded in 10 qualifying matches – to the test (5/2 – To Keep A Clean Sheet) to try and quieten the natives for as long as possible before searching for an opening at the opposite end of the field.

However, as group openers are usually cagey affairs with neither side wanting to lose, expect Poland to nick a narrow, low-scoring narrow.

Prediction: Poland To Win – 90 Minutes @ evens
Value Bet: Lewandowski 1st goal and Poland To Win 1-0 Scorecast @ 16/1

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

Russia target winning start

Posted on by
Reply

On the opening day of the European Championship, one of the competition’s dark horses, Russia, will be looking to get off to a strong start with a win over the Czech Republic (Russia 11/10, draw 9/4, Czech Republic 14/5).

Friday’s encounter in Group A (10/1 to produce the tournament winner) should be an edgy encounter with neither side wanting to come away from the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw with nothing, in what is set to be a highly competitive group which also includes co-hosts Poland and Euro 2004 winners Greece.

Russia are sweating on the fitness of their first choice goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who is hoping to recover in time from a knee injury for the clash on Friday, with Vyacheslav Malafeev waiting in the wings as a replacement.

The Russians, under former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat, have been on a decent run of late and will take plenty of confidence from their last outing when they took apart Italy to beat the Azzurri 3-0.

Led by playmaker Andrey Arshavin, Russia managed to reach the semi-finals of the competition four years ago and will be tough prospect for any team in the tournament this time around.

It’s the Czech Republic who are first up to take on Advocaat’s men and they will be hoping their standout players come to the fore in this summer.

The Czechs certainly have a strong spine to their side, with Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech set for a busy tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Cech was instrumental in helping the Blues win an elusive Champions League title this season and the 30-year-old will have to use that experience to help grind out results for the Czechs.

In the heart of midfield Tomas Rosicky will be an influential figure and expect plenty of the play to go through the Arsenal man, who has come on leaps and bounds this season at the Emirates to become an important player for the Gunners.

The 31-year-old has highlighted his club team-mate Arshavin as the major threat to his side for Friday’s encounter and believes his players will be looking to give the playmaker as little time as possible.

Rosicky will also be hoping to link up with former Liverpool striker Milan Baros (15/2 first goalscorer), who can still be a threat at this level and will hope to cause the Russian defence plenty of problems at the Municipal Stadium.

It’s a very hard opening game for the Czech Republic, who will be up against it against a Russian side who will be brimming with confidence following that comprehensive win against the Italians.

Russia should come out the stronger of the two teams and claim the three points in this encounter, but expect a tightly fought contest between two sides who have a good chance of finishing first and second in this competitive group (9/2 Group A highest scoring group).

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

Kagawa the catalyst for United

Posted on by
Reply

Sir Alex Ferguson has put the wheels in motion for deposing newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City by bringing in Shinji Kagawa from Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United fans will be hoping he is the first of many through the door at Old Trafford this summer.

The Scot’s decision to re-sign veteran Paul Scholes last season was viewed as an act of desperation by the anti-United brigade but news of the capture of the exciting Japan international, subject to a medical and work permit, must be taken as proof that the 70-year-old will not sit back and allow the club’s “noisy neighbours” to rule domestically.

Ferguson has historically concluded any close-season business swiftly, while counterpart Roberto Mancini has yet to show his hand in the transfer market since guiding City to a first title in 44 years.

The champions can be backed at 11/8 with totesport to win back-to-back Premier League titles, with United priced 2/1 to bounce back next season.

“Manchester United is delighted to announce that it has agreed terms with both Borussia Dortmund and Shinji Kagawa for his transfer to the club,” said a club statement.

“The deal is subject only to the player medical and obtaining a UK work permit. These conditions are anticipated to be completed by the end of June. Further details will be announced in due course.”

Ferguson made a personal check on Kagawa in the DFB Pokal win against Bayern Munich at the end of the season and the deal, costing an initial £12m, is expected to rise to £18m with add-ons.

At just 23, Kagawa has yet to peak and the size of the transfer should appease match-going supporters concerned about a lack of funds to strengthen an engine room shy on world-class creative talent.

They will now be hoping the game’s longest-serving manager does not stop at the signing of Kagawa in one last hurrah before sailing off into the sunset.

Embarrassed by their own high standards in Europe last season, United fared better on the home front and were only denied a record 20th domestic crown on goal difference on the final day of the season.

Cynics have argued winning it would have masked a number of personnel issues Ferguson must face if United are to compete against the best again.

A marquee centre-forward to complement England striker Wayne Rooney could now move to the top of Ferguson’s wish-list.

For now at least, the signs are positive that Ferguson is plotting one last great rebuild to cement his legacy.

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