England seek home comforts

There will be those who believe that England have already secured their place in next year’s European Championships but there is still work to be done when local rivals Wales travel to Wembley on Tuesday night (England v Wales – totesport).

Fabio Capello’s men had been locked on 13 points at the top of Group G going into Friday night’s matches with England able to open up a lead after cruising to a 3-0 win, while Montenegro suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat in Cardiff.

The Three Lions are now three points clear of Montenegro with two games to go but they will not be able to confirm their place at Euro 2012, regardless of whether they win or not on Tuesday.

There are one or two injury concerns for Capello but only amongst the squad players as Leighton Baines has picked up a problem and has been ruled out, following on from Sunday’s withdrawals of Darren Bent and Micah Richards.

No replacements have been called up so Capello could well stick with the side that triumphed in Sofia, although there will be a question mark in midfield.

England stalwart Frank Lampard was surprisingly left on the bench against Bulgaria but may be recalled given the fact that Gareth Barry and Scott Parker are both one yellow card away from being suspended for next month’s crunch clash against Montenegro.

England would need a point in that game if they were to match the feat in Cardiff and beat Wales (England 1/7, Draw 7/1, Wales 16/1 Match Betting) after goals from Lampard and Bent secured a 2-0 win (11/2 Repeat Scoreline).

There was plenty on show on Friday to suggest that England will create enough chances to claim the three points, albeit against a poor Bulgaria side, and Wayne Rooney may well prove hard to stop after ending his year-long drought in the national jersey with two goals (Rooney 11/2 to score two or more).

The attacking trio of Ashley Young (3/2 Anytime Scorer), Theo Walcott (3/2) and Stewart Downing (9/4) also carried plenty of threat for the Three Lions and it is sure to be tough going for Gary Speed’s men when they have not got the ball.

The Dragons have endured a difficult time under his leadership but the 2-1 win over Montenegro can only boost the squad’s confidence ahead of the derby clash, and they would love nothing more than springing a 16/1 surprise.

Craig Bellamy and David Vaughan are both missing through suspension but Gareth Bale (9/2 Anytime Scorer), who was sidelined for the earlier fixture in Cardiff, was sensational against Montenegro and will be a real thorn in England’s side.

Whether that is enough is open to question but England have endured some difficulties at Wembley, since an opening 4-0 over Bulgaria last September.

In four games since then, they have been held by Montenegro and Switzerland in the group, as well as Ghana in a friendly, while France took the spoils last November.

The home side should have the ammunition and the tools to pick up the three points but with England, anything is possible.

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Young Lions to roar against Israel

After a superb start to their qualifying campaign, the England under-21s (2/7 to beat Israel) are back in action on Monday in a friendly against Euro 2013 hosts Israel and looking for another superb performance as they look to build form in their quest to qualify for the European Championships in 2013.

Stuart Pearce’s men (1/4 to open the scoring) opened their qualification with a convincing 6-0 victory against Azerbaijan on Thursday and look to have got over the disappointment of their poor showing at the European Championships in Denmark earlier this summer.

A number of that squad have subsequently moved up to the senior side but, as Thursday proved, there is no shortage of talent within the English game and the future certainly looks bright for Pearce’s young squad.

In the absence of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling from the squad, West Brom defender Craig Dawson netted twice on his debut for the young Lions and will be hoping for a similarly impressive performance in Monday’s match, as he looks to establish himself in the side.

Another man who will be looking to prove himself will be Jordan Henderson, who has bounced back from a difficult European Championships and now looks to have rediscovered his form. Henderson has been superb since his switch from Sunderland to Liverpool and, if handed a start, will be looking to take control of the match with the Israelis.

However, Israel (15/2 to win at Oakwell) shouldn’t be dismissed lightly and themselves have a number of talented youngsters who will be looking to make an impression.

Due to their automatic qualification as hosts, Guy Luzon’s side won’t have a competitive fixture until the first round of matches in the tournament next summer so will be using the match to gauge themselves against a team who will undoubtedly be one of the favourites to qualify for the event.

Central to their cause will be flamboyant winger Gai Assulin, who currently plays for Manchester City and will undoubtedly be their star man. Assulin was previously at Barcelona and was part of Pep Guardiola’s successful reserve team at the Nou Camp but opted to leave Spain after his contract expired and was quickly snapped up by the Citizens.

The 20-year-old is known for his quick feet and pace and, after failing to have any real effect on Roberto Mancini’s first team, may be looking at the game as a chance to prove himself and possibly gain a loan move. He has the ability to seriously trouble the England defence and Pearce’s men will have to keep an eye on him.

Despite the obvious threat that Assulin poses, and the changes that England will undoubtedly make, as the coaches look to preserve their players, the home side should run out with a comfortable victory in Barnsley and set themselves up for another successful qualifying campaign (England 25/1 to score seven or more goals).

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Addicks to clip Owls’ wings

The international break has seen England’s top two divisions take a break this weekend, which gives the lower leagues a chance to take centre-stage and a mouth-watering League One clash awaits on Monday evening as Charlton look to maintain their unbeaten start against Sheffield Wednesday at the Valley.

Chris Powell’s new-look Addicks side, which boasts 18 new signings from the end of last term, has made a strong start to the campaign as they are yet to taste defeat in five outings.

And, three points against Gary Megson’s Owls will see them return to joint-top spot alongside MK Dons and Sheffield United, while victory by four clear goals (40/1 Charlton 4-0 Correct Score) will see them top of the pile by 10pm on Monday night.

Charlton have played only two league matches on home soil so far and have picked up four points from a possible six, although Powell will feel they should still be boasting a 100 per cent record after they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Scunthorpe last time out.

But a recent 2-1 Carling Cup win against Championship side Reading tells you that the Londoners could well be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Powell will have a strong side to pick from but will no doubt be hoping that his influential striker Bradley Wright-Phillips (11/8 Anytime Goalscorer) can overcome the knee problem which ruled him out of last week’s 2-1 win at Bury.

The former Manchester City forward has scored two goals in three games and provided three assists so far and he will provide a big threat to the Owls’ backline, which has conceded four goals in their two League One away games this season.

Megson’s side come into the game after a mixed start to the season in which they have won all three games at Hillsborough, but are pointless from two outings on the road.

Therefore it will be a tough ask for the South Yorkshire men to break their duck against Charlton on Monday (11/4 Away 90 Minutes).

However, their attack will be bolstered by pre-transfer deadline day signing Ryan Lowe from Bury.

The hitman scored seven goals in as many games for the Shakers, including one against the Addicks, so Megson will be hoping he can repeat that feat on his debut, while  fellow new signing Daniel Kasnik could also feature at some point.

Weighing up the recent form of the two sides going into the clash, everything points towards a home victory with a repeat of last season’s 1-0 win for the Addicks (6/1 Correct Score) a distinct possibility.

However, we feel there could be a few more goals in this game given the quality of the attacking players that will be on show in both line ups.

Prediction: Charlton Home 90 Minutes @ Evens
Value Bet:  Charlton 3-2 Correct Score @ 25/1

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Impressive England well on course

England enjoyed a perfect night on Friday as a fine performance gave them a 3-0 victory over Bulgaria and, coupled with Wales’ unexpected victory over Montenegro, Fabio Capello’s side now look well on course to qualify for Euro 2012 as Group G winners (England 1/33).

The manner in which the Three Lions disposed of Bulgaria will have thrilled Capello and fans alike with a ruthless attacking display making a mockery of pre-match fears that it was going to be a tricky evening for the men in black.

Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney, Stewart Downing and Theo Walcott all enjoyed themselves against an albeit poor Bulgaria defence as England tore their opponents to shreds at times in Sofia.

Rooney and Young picked up where they had left off for Manchester United so far this season, while the pace of Downing and Walcott, often swapping wings to outfox Bulgaria further, caused problems all evening.

Capello had sprung somewhat of a surprise leaving international stalwart Frank Lampard on the bench and going instead with Scott Parker and Gareth Barry in the centre of midfield. It was a decision that paid off, however, as the duo pulled the strings and dictated the game.

Add to this the positive impact Adam Johnson and James Milner had when they came on, too, and suddenly England had a young, hungry side looking every bit like one capable of going on to win Euro 2012 – should they qualify of course.

It’s tempting to say that appears a foregone conclusion now, but there still remains two difficult games to come in the group – starting with Wales at Wembley on Tuesday.

England should have too much for Gary Speed’s side, especially now Craig Bellamy and David Vaughan are suspended after being booked in their impressive win over Montenegro (10/1 to win Group G), and another victory over their local rivals will leave Capello’s men on the brink of qualification.

Then comes the final match in Montenegro, which will be a tough game. Although that’s what many were predicting before the Bulgaria showdown.

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Five deadline-day movers to watch

drenthePremier League clubs across the country once again left it late to finalise deals on deadline day. A number of notable players moved clubs on that dramatic final day, but who will fare best? Here are five that could prove to be inspired.

Mikel Arteta Everton – Arsenal £10million

In perhaps the most dramatic move of the day, Mikel Arteta’s move to the Emirates was off at 7pm on Wednesday evening. However, lured by the opportunity to play Champions League football, the Spaniard resurrected the deal and it went through with minutes to spare.

He will add badly-needed creativity to a Gunners side still reeling from the double departure of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas, as well as the 8-2 mauling by Manchester United.

Arsenal’s style should suit the 29-year-old, who appears determined to make the most of the move – so much so that he took a reported £20,000 a-week pay-cut to force the transfer through. It could well be an inspired signing by Arsene Wenger (Arsenal 28/1 Premier League outright).

Royston Drenthe Real Madrid to Everton – season-long loan

While much of the talk around Goodison Park was about outgoings, there were some new arrivals for the Toffees, the most notable being Dutch winger Royston Drenthe.

The former Feyenoord winger was player of the tournament at the 2007 European Under-21 Championships, with his displays earning him a big money move to Real Madrid.

However, his time at the Bernabéu soon turned sour and a loss of confidence and form saw him shipped off to Hercules on-loan for the 2010-11 season.

Now, Drenthe finds himself at yet another club trying to replicate his blistering form of a few years ago. David Moyes has a track record of getting the best out of under-performing players and if he can help Drenthe get back to his best, Everton could have quite a player on their hands (Everton 20/1 top four finish).

Bryan Ruiz Twente to Fulham – £10.6million

Despite costing in excess of £10million, Fulham’s latest striking capture appeared to slip under the radar on deadline day. He won’t stay quiet for long, though, as the Cottagers have acquired a powerful striker with a keen eye for goal.

He hit 24 goals for the Eredivisie outfit in the 2009/10 season, helping them to their first-ever Dutch title. A total of 36 goals in 61 games, as well as nine goals for his country Costa Rica, means we could be hearing a lot more of Bryan Ruiz this season.

Craig Bellamy Man City to Liverpool – free

In one of the more eye-opening moves on deadline day, Man City outcast Craig Bellamy rejoined Liverpool four years after departing Anfield for West Ham.

Kenny Dalglish has spent in excess of £100million since returning to the club last January with the likes of Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam, Luis Suarez and Jordan Henderson all joining the Scot’s Anfield revolution.

However, Bellamy – on a free transfer – could be his shrewdest move yet. The Welshman will add pace, experience and guile to the Liverpool attack. He also perhaps has a point to prove after being left out in the cold at Manchester City and unfinished business at Anfield (Liverpool 5/1 top two finish).

Bellamy has never been far away from the headlines during his eventful career and Liverpool will be hoping he will be making them for all the right reasons this season.

Peter Crouch Tottenham to Stoke – £10million

Stoke City have earned an unfair reputation for being overly-aggressive and direct since earning promotion to the Premier League in 2008. However, boss Tony Pulis deserves huge credit for establishing the Potters as a Premier League force without spending huge money.

After reaching the FA Cup final last season the supporters are eagerly hoping that the club can push on, and the signing of Peter Crouch could help them do that (Stoke 33/1 to win the FA Cup).

The 30-year-old is an established top-flight striker, having had spells with Aston Villa, Portsmouth, Southampton and Liverpool. He also has an impressive record at international level, netting 22 goals in 42 England games.

Expect him to profit from the excellent delivery from wingers Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant this season.

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Scotland to keep hopes alive

Scotland (6/4 to win in 90 minutes) manager Craig Levein faces his most important game in charge against the Czech Republic at Hampden on Saturday and he is boosted by the return of some important faces to the side.

Last year in Prague, the manager opted for a surprising 4-6-0 formation – which backfired when they were defeated 1-0 thanks to a header from Roman Hubnik – but there will be no repeat this time around as Scotland strive to get closer to that second spot in the group.

The Tartan Army need maximum points to keep themselves in with a realistic shot of winning a play-off place as runners-up to runaway Group I leaders and world champions Spain, so the return of skipper Darren Fletcher comes at just the right time.

The Manchester United man is going into the game woefully short of fitness – he has only played twice since being hit by a mystery infection back in March – but Scotland are not blessed with many world class midfielders so his guile and determination will be a massive boost.

Levein has also included Charlie Adam (10/1 First Goalscorer) in for his first competitive start and the Liverpool man should add the class and skill to Fletcher’s running to ensure Scotland are really competitive in the middle of the park.

Elsewhere, Alan Hutton is in at right back and Kenny Miller (5/1 First or Last Goalscorer) will start up front alone in what looks a strong Scotland squad on paper. The vast majority of the starting line-up plays in the Premier League, with three from the SPL and only one from the Championship – and that is something Scottish fans have not always been able to boast in recent years.

The Czech Republic (9/5 to win, draw 23/10 90 Minutes) come into this game smarting after a 3-0 friendly defeat to Norway last time out and they are without Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, meaning one of the untested duo of Jan Lastuvka or Jaroslav Drobny will be between the sticks.

There remains some real talent among the Czech ranks with the likes of Arsenal star Tomas Rosicky and former Liverpool man Milan Baros (6/1 First Goalscorer) the real familiar faces to British football fans. Elsewhere though they are full of European pedigree and there is a core of the unit from Czech champions Viktoria Plzen – who recently made it into this season’s Champions League.

Scotland recorded a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in Levein’s first game in charge back in March 2010, thanks to a goal from Scott Brown who will also start at Hampden on Saturday, and they need to go out confident in search of another victory (5/1 Scotland 1-0 Correct Score).

Nothing but a win for Scotland on Saturday, and also against Lithuania on Tuesday night, will be enough if they want to make the Euro 2012 play-offs. But Levein has a talented squad at his disposal and they should have enough to get wins in both games, especially as the Czechs are not the force they were in the days of Poborsky, Koller and Nedved.

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Can Euro minnows bite back?

kazakhstan‘There are no easy games in international football any more’ say the experts but can a case really be made for Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, San Marino, Cyprus and Kazakhstan to avoid heavy defeats this weekend?

San Marino (66/1 in Match Betting) are the biggest price on the Totesport international football coupon and, with their 42-match losing streak stretching back to 2004, that looks like a fair assesment of their chances against the World Cup finalists Holland (1/100, Draw 16/1) in Eindhoven.

The tiny principality have improved their home form under Italian coach Giampaolo Mazza recently, going down 1-0 to the visiting Romanian side last month, but their away form still looks rotten – leaving them ripe for a spanking by the Dutch.

San Marino last their two most recent away European Championship qualifiers to Finland and Hungary by the same scoreline 8-0 and, prior to that, were beaten 6-0 by Sweden. A repeat of that mauling is on offer at 8/1 in the Correct Score market.

Luxembourg have also stopped shipping goals at home, although they remain weak on their travels which makes this week’s home clash with low-scoring Romania ripe for a 1-0 away win on the Correct Score front (6/1).

Victor Piturca’s side have scored three goals in their last eight away matches and will surely settle for a solitary goal win at the Stade Josy Barthel.

Liechtenstein are fast-earning a reputation for no longer being among the chief whipping boys of Europe. They almost ended Craig Levein’s Scotland career before it began when the Tartan Army needed a stoppage time Stephen McManus winner to take a 2-1 home win last year and they have won twice since then – away to San Marino and at home against Friday’s opponents Lithuania.

Liechtenstein are too big at 14/1 to record an unlikely double over their group rivals but a safer bet may be for them to hold off the home side until the second half (4/1 Draw/Lithuania in HT/FT).

Andorra, similarly, are no mugs but lack the firepower to seriously trouble better opponents like Armenia this Friday. However with the draw a tasty 5/1 with Totesport, they may be good enough to stop the visitors from claiming all three points at the tiny Estadi Comunal.

Turkey’s home record is good enough to frighten anyone, let alone the minnows they come up against the form of Kazakhstan.

Guus Hiddink’s side have won six and drawn one of their last seven home matches, which includes good wins over Belgium, Romania and the Czech Republic.

But Kazakhstan escaped with only a 4-0 defeat at the hands of a strong-looking German outfit in March and may be in the mood to frustrate a better side again. Turkey 2-0 (11/2) and 3-0 (5/1) look like the most likely scorelines to support in the Correct Score market for this one.

Cyprus and Portugal played out a 4-4 thriller in a coupon-busting Euro 2012 qualifying clash a year ago, but can the minnows go one better and beat Cristiano Ronalo and co on home soil?

The fact that Ronaldo did not play that night in Guimaraes may have had something to do with the result, but clearly the Cypriot attack caused problems for the home defence and they should do again.

Portugal to win 4-1 is on offer at 8/1 while a 5-1 win is a juicy 28/1 – how can you ignore that when Ronaldo remains one of the most potent attackers on the planet – yet the Portuguese defence has conceded five goals in their last four away matches.

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England focus on Group G summit

With the transfer merry-go-round put on the back-burner for another three months or so, the players can now get their minds back on football and the immediate focus is on the international scene with vital Euro 2012 qualifiers coming up on Friday as England (1/8 Group G Winner) look to maintain their position at the top of their group.

The Three Lions are currently level on points with Montenegro but have a superior goal difference and will be confident of taking maximum points from their trip to Bulgaria (Bulgaria 6/1, Draw 3/1, England 1/2 Match Betting).

Scott Parker has seemingly safe-guarded his future in the national set-up after leaving Championship side West Ham for Tottenham, while another summer transfer target, Gary Cahill, has to now accept that his immediate chances of European football remain with England as he will be staying at Bolton.

England opened their European qualifying campaign last September with a 4-0 success over Friday’s opposition but there are sure to be those who still feel that Capello’s men can be hit and miss.

The 4-0 scoreline may well have been different in the reverse fixture had Stanislav Angelov not missed a one-on-one chance against Joe Hart on the hour before England went straight down the other end to make it 2-0.

Jermain Defoe (6/1 First Goalscorer) scored a hat-trick at Wembley in that win but has struggled with form and injury since, and has yet to open his Premier League account this term – although Spurs have only played two games.

Andy Carroll has yet to score in the Premier League for Liverpool this season (11/0 Anytime Scorer) while England are without Darren Bent, who has pulled out with an injury.

Wayne Rooney sticks out like a sore thumb in the goalscoring markets after a fantastic start to Manchester United’s title defence with five goals in three games – but that is reflected in the betting as he is an 8/11 anytime scorer and 3/1 First or Last.

It may well be worth taking a chance on the bigger prices, depending on how Capello sets up the side, and Ashley Young is in top form following his move to Old Trafford and can be backed at 7/1 to get on the scoresheet.

Bulgaria still have a chance of making it to Euro 2012 but, lying six points behind the group leaders and losing to both earlier in the campaign, they need some big results in their last three games.

After losing those first two games, they have gone unbeaten under new boss Lothar Matthaus but two have been draws, while they have yet to score at home in the campaign.

Their record against England is poor as well as they are yet to taste victory in nine games, losing five, although they have only lost one of three previous games in Sofia.

Ivelin Popov has scored Bulgaria’s only two goals in qualifying to date in the 1-0 win over Wales and the 1-1 draw in Montenegro and is worthy of consideration at 10/1 to open the scoring for those who spy a shock.

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England to roar against Azerbaijan

After a disappointing campaign at this summer’s European Championships, Stuart Pearce’s England Under-21 side are back in action on Thursday facing what could be a tricky tie against an unfancied Azerbaijan team (England under-21 1/12 to beat Azerbaijan).

Pearce’s team were seen as one of the favourites for the title in Denmark but crashed out in the group stages after a string of disappointing results. Many expected the former Manchester City boss to walk following his side’s failure but he has been installed for another four years and will see the next European Championships in Israeli in 2013 as his perfect shot at redemption.

However, they have to qualify first and face a group that on paper seems simple but could provide a few slip-ups.

The first game against the former Soviet Republic should be a straightforward task and both players and staff will be expecting an easy win to get their campaign off to the perfect start at Vicarage Road.

One plus point for Pearce is despite losing the likes of Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck to the senior side, he still has a number of talented youngsters at his disposal and will no doubt be fielding an extremely strong side.

The man charged with replacing Welbeck’s goals is likely to be Aston Villa forward Nathan Delfouneso (11/4 first goalscorer), who has been tipped to have a breakthrough year this season at both club and international level this term. Delfouneso made his debut for Villa as a 16-year-old and has shown impressive maturity in recent years, meaning Pearce will be looking for the forward to establish himself in the side as he plans for 2013.

Anther player to look out for is Everton midfielder Ross Barkley (8/1 first goalscorer). The Toffees youngster has made the most of the injury problems at Goodison Park and established himself in the club’s midfield and will be hoping his form can help him earn selection for his first cap at under-21 level.

However, Azerbaijan (25/1 to beat England) will also be looking for a strong performance and look out for striker Cihan Ozkara (16/1 first goalscorer), who has so far scored two goals in his two appearances for the side and could be the man to unlock the young lions defence.

The Azerbaijanis’ other big star could well be Barkley’s Everton team-mate Araz Abdullayev, who has the vision and stamina to trouble any defence and will be looking for a strong showing. The midfielder is yet to make his debut for the Everton first team but is highly regarded at the club and will be looking to make his mark on the game.

Unfortunately, despite Azerbaijan’s likely enthusiasm, they shouldn’t trouble England and the match should be a rather straightforward test for Pearce’s youngsters. They should pull off a comfortable win in Watford.

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NI aim to keep dream alive

There’s no Premier League action this weekend due to the international break and one of the most intriguing games involving the home nations on Friday sees Northern Ireland take on Serbia in a Euro 2012 qualifier – a crucial match for Nigel Worthington’s side as they try and keep their hopes of a making it to a major tournament once again alive.

Northern Ireland have never featured at a European Championships and have not made the finals of a major tournament since the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, but their current campaign represents their best chance in many a year.

Before the Windsor Park showdown against Serbia they sit third in Group C, a point ahead of Friday’s opponents and two points behind second-place Slovenia with a game in hand.

The morale-boosting 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands earlier this month has left Worthington’s side in with a great chance of progressing through the group and booking their place in Poland and Ukraine next year, but it is the final three qualifying games that will obviously prove critical.

Following Friday’s clash in Belfast, they take on Estonia – also at home – before finishing their schedule with a daunting away game at current Group leaders Italy.

So, with that in mind, getting a victory over Serbia looks even more important if they are to keep the dream alive.

Northern Ireland have been in this position in their group before only to capitulate in the final games to miss out on qualification and Worthington will have his side pumped up for Friday in front of what is usually a passionate home support.

He is preparing for the game, however, with major doubts hanging over the fitness of both Kyle Lafferty and Pat McCourt. If the pair, who scored two each in the Faroe Islands win, miss out then it will be a major blow to the boss and he will have to rely on the likes of experienced duo David Healy and Chris Brunt to find the goals that would secure a win.

They are viewed as underdogs, despite home advantage, and 2/1 looks appealing with Northern Ireland likely to go all out for the victory but Serbia (11/10) will be a tough proposition.

It’s a tough one to call, this, but the draw at 9/4 does represent good value while a punt on Healy to score anytime at 7/2 is also well worth a shot.

Prediction: draw @ 9/4
Value bet: 2-2 @ 14/1

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