Tag Archives: Euro

Spurs set for first Euro win

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Spurs remain unbeaten in the Europa League group stages, having drawn both their games to date, but expect Andre Villas-Boas’ side to pick up their first win at NK Maribor on Thursday.

Villas-Boas has made no secret of his desire to go all the way in the competition and has named strong sides for both games so far.

Spurs have also improved as the season has progressed, despite the loss against Chelsea on Saturday, and should be too strong for the Slovenian outfit on Thursday night.

The north Londoners are priced at 4/6 to get the win, the hosts are 4/1 to pick up maximum points and the draw is 11/4.

Unlike his Spurs counterpart, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has fielded weakened sides in the Europa League so far and the Reds face a big test on Thursday as they host big-spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.

Anzhi have some world class players, including Samuel Eto’o and Lassana Diarra, as well as an experienced manager in the shape of Guus Hiddink and are more than capable of causing Liverpool problems.

If Rodgers does indeed leave the likes of Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Daniel Agger and Pepe Reina out of the starting line-up, as expected, Anzhi could cause an upset and seal an historic win at Anfield.  This is a bet that should certainly be considered an outsider, but the 11/5 on offer for an away win could well be a risk worth taking.

Liverpool are 6/5 to secure the victory, and the draw can be backed at 12/5.

Udinese, who are in Group A with Liverpool, travel to Swiss side Young Boys on Thursday and the Italian side should be strong enough so come away with maximum points.

Young Boys have lost both of their Europa League games to date, while Udinese drew with Anzhi before grabbing a win at Anfield in their last fixture.

The Serie A outfit are an experienced side in the Europa League and will be keen to beat Young Boys and edge closer to the knock-out stages. A win for Udinese is priced at a very attractive 13/8, the draw is 11/5 and the hosts are 8/5 to pick up their first win of the competition.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has fielded his fringe players in Europe this season but his youngsters have impressed and secured a 3-0 win over Bordeaux in their last European fixture.  The north East side host Belgian outfit Club Brugge on Thursday and should be able to get the win and maintain their unbeaten record in the Europa League.

The Belgian side have a reasonable record on the road domestically but slumped to a 4-0 defeat at Bordeaux in Europe.  Newcastle look good value at 4/6 to take all three points, the draw is 11/4 and the visitors are 4/1 to grab a shock victory.

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City and Arsenal set for Euro wins

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Arsenal and Manchester City both enjoy home advantage on Wednesday night in the Champions League, and we think the two English sides can pick up wins over Olympiacos and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

The Gunners got off to a winning start in the Champions League two weeks ago as they came from behind to see off French champions Montpellier away from home.

Olympiacos suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Schalke in their opening game and need to get a result at the Emirates to give themselves a chance of reaching the latter stages of the competition, but Arsenal should be too strong on home soil.

Arsenal are 4/11 to secure the win in the standard match betting market, the draw is 4/1 and Olympiacos are 8/1 to grab a shock victory.

However, the Gunners have scored 13 goals in their last three home games, conceding just four, and we think the 20/23 on offer for an Arsenal win with a -1 handicap is the best bet in this particular fixture.

Manchester City can count themselves unlucky to be without a point after their Champions League opener at Real Madrid.

Roberto Mancini’s side were leading heading into the closing stages of the match but conceded two late goals at the Bernabeu and City will be eager to get their first points on the board when German champions Dortmund arrive at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Dortmund picked up a 1-0 win over Ajax in their opening fixture but City should be too strong for the German giants, who haven’t won away in the Bundesliga yet this season.

City are priced at 10/11 to secure the win and they should be able to take all three points when the Bundesliga champions visit on Wednesday, a win for Dortmund is available at 10/3 and the draw is 5/2.

Real Madrid travel to Ajax as two giants of European football meet in Amsterdam but it should be a relatively straightforward win for the Spanish champions, who will be looking to maintain their 100% start to the competition and put the pressure on Dortmund, City and Ajax.

Coach Jose Mourinho will be desperate to land the title with a third club, having lifted the trophy with Porto and Inter Milan, and will almost certainly name his strongest possible side at the Amsterdam Arena.

Real are 4/9 to win in the standard match betting market, but the 21/20 on offer for a Madrid victory with a -1 handicap looks much more appealing and we think this is the best bet in this tie.  Ajax are 7/1 to grab the win and the draw is 7/2.

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Euro midweek football bonanza

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There may be no Champions League or Europa League action this week but there are a few games taking place in Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga throughout the week so we thought we’d take a look at the midweek fixtures.

There is a full programme in Serie A with most of the games taking place on Wednesday, but on Tuesday Fiorentina host defending champions Juventus in what could be an intriguing contest.

La Viola have won their last two home fixtures, against Udinese and Catania respectively, scoring four goals and conceding just once, while Juve sit at the top of the table having won all four of their league fixtures to date.

The Old Lady also demonstrated their resolve and desire with a 2-2 draw at Chelsea in the Champions League, having fought back from 2-0 down to seal a share of the spoils.

Juve have won convincingly in both away games to date, beating Genoa 3-1 and Udinese 4-1 and the Turin outfit appear to be the team to beat in Italy in these early stages of the season.

Fiorentina do have goals in them, however, and have found the net in each of their last five games, losing just once against Napoli.  The hosts will provide a stern test for Juve but the reigning champions should just about edge this tie and the best bet in this particular fixture could well be the away victory, which is priced at 11/10.

If you think Fiorentina can dent Juventus’ title charge they’re priced at 13/5 to take maximum points and the draw is 11/5.

Bayern Munich failed to secure any silverware last season for a second successive campaign and the giants of German football have begin the 2012-13 season with real purpose, winning all seven of their games to date and scoring 22 goals in the process.

Wolfsburg visit the Allianz Arena on Tuesday and Bayern should stroll to victory against a side who have drawn their last two games and sit 10th in the Bundesliga table.

Bayern are 1/5 to win the match but it may be worth considering a Bayern/Bayern result in the half-time/full-time market, which is priced at 4/9.

Eintracht Frankfurt also have a 100% record in the Bundesliga after four games but they face their biggest test yet on Tuesday when they host reigning champions Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund are yet to win on the road this season, with one defeat and one draw, yet they’re considered the 4/5 favourites to take all three points ahead of this fixture.

Dortmund undoubtedly have a stronger squad on paper than their opponents on Tuesday but they did lose a key player in Shinji Kagawa in the summer and could struggle to take maximum points on Tuesday.

Frankfurt look good value at 3/1 to seal the win on Tuesday and continue their fine start to the season, but the best bet could be the draw, which is priced at 13/5.

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City ready for big Euro test

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The serious business in the Champions League gets underway with a real humdinger of a tie on the very first night as two of the tournament fancies go head to head when Real Madrid host Manchester City at the Bernabeu (Real 4/1, City 10/1 – Tournament Outright).

City were done no favours by the draw for the group stages last season in their first foray into the Champions League but fate has been arguably crueler this time around.

If ever there was a ‘Group of Death’, Group D certainly appears to be it as Borussia Dortmund and Ajax are also involved to pit the champions of England, Spain, Germany and Holland against each other (Real 4/5, City 15/8, Dortmund 5/1, Ajax 20/1 – Group D Winners).

There will be no excuses about complacency in this fixture – which has arguably been used in the past – with both sides having genuine aspirations of going the distance in Europe’s elite competition.

Real have made the Bernabeu a stronghold and recorded six straight home victories in last season’s competition, scoring 24 goals in the process, and are unsurprisingly installed as 8/13 favourites in the match betting to kick off with a win.

Los Blancos have made a slow start to the season, already suffering two league defeats albeit both on the road, but motivation could be a factor – as they showed no lack of it in the Spanish Super Cup and managed to get the better of Barcelona over two legs on the away goals rule.

City look a big price at 4/1 in the match betting considering the talent at their disposal but they have also made a slow start to the season, being held on both away trips in the Premier League so far.

Roberto Mancini’s men lost three of their five games on the road in Europe last season, although they did win in Spain when beating Villarreal – their first in the country at the fourth attempt.

The recent form of the two sides does make this tougher to call, but City have enough strength in depth and will have learned from their experiences last term to come away with something (Draw 11/4).

The other game in the group gives Borussia Dortmund home advantage and, although their record in last season’s competition was poor, they should have the tools in Robert Lewandowski et al to see off Ajax at the Signal-Iduna-Park (Dortmund 4/9, Draw 3/1, Ajax 6/1 in the match betting).

Arsenal, meanwhile, kick their Champions League campaign off at last year’s surprise French champions Montpellier and look good value at 6/5 to open up with a win.

Montpellier, of course, lost star striker Olivier Giroud to the Gunners over the summer and although he has yet to score for the north Londoners, his absence does leave a big hole up front for Rene Girard’s outfit.

La Paillade have won just one of their opening five fixtures in Le Championnat and although three of them have been on the road, it is difficult to see them upsetting the odds at 11/5 (Draw also 11/5) when a confident Gunners’ side rides into town.

The weekend form does not read too well for Zenit Saint-Petersburg following a 2-0 home defeat to Terek Grozny but, with Hulk and Axel Witsel starting on the bench, it is clear they had one eye on Tuesday’s encounter in Spain.

Malaga looked impressive in beating Levante 3-1 at home but the Granotes are hardly a powerhouse, particularly on the road, and Zenit can avoid defeat at La Rosaleda (Malaga 6/4, Draw 11/5, Zenit 7/4 – Match Betting).

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Reds look set for Euro progress

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Liverpool are in Europa League third qualifying round second leg action against Gomel on Thursday at Anfield as they look set to seal their place in the play-off round of the tournament.

Stewart Downing’s goal in Belarus last week handed Brendan Rodgers a winning start to life in charge of the Merseysiders after he took over from Kenny Dalglish this summer.

And, with a 1-0 lead to defend on home soil, it seems unlikely that Gomel (10/1 Away Win 90 Minutes) will have enough to overturn the deficit and dump the Reds out of Europe at this early stage.

Rodgers is likely to name a similar side to the one which triumphed in the away leg so Daniel Agger is again set to miss out as he is still building up his fitness levels for the new Premier League campaign.

Luis Suarez, fresh from signing a new contract at Anfield, is back from the Olympic Games with Uruguay and could be on the bench with Andy Carroll pushing summer signing Fabio Borini for a starting role.

Gomel manager Oleg Kubarev is not expected to make wholesale changes from the first leg with danger man Aleksandr Alumona set to lead the attack, while Nikolay Lipatkin could be handed a start after a 15-minute substitute display last week.

Despite Liverpool’s first-leg win, it was Gomel who dominated large spells of the game as they are six weeks into their league season.

Match-winner Downing is hoping the Reds will not be as lacklustre this time around following another week of pre-season work and use their quality to seal a safe passage into the next round (11/2 Liverpool to win 2-0).

He said: “Obviously I can understand fans who want us to be fast out of the blocks but we had only been back 10 days so for me, it was a good result, maybe not the best performance but with a week’s training behind us we’ll put a better performance in at Anfield.”

Another notable second leg fixture sees Scottish Premier League outfit Dundee United travelling to Russia to face Dinamo Moscow hoping to snatch a win (15/2 Away Win 90 Minutes) which would send them through.

Moscow have two away goals after last week’s 2-2 draw at Tannadice and are 3/10 favourites to progress, although Peter Houston’s men could go for the draw after 90 minutes (10/3) and try and take the tie all the way to progress.

The 2010 Champions League winners Inter Milan thrashed Croatian outfit Hadjuk Split 3-0 in last week’s away first leg so not surprisingly are 1/7 to win the home tie at the San Siro.

Last season’s Europa League finalists, Athletic Bilbao, travel to Croatia for their second-leg tie against NK Slaven Belupo.

The Spanish outfit, who comfortably dismissed Manchester United over two legs last term, managed a 3-1 home-leg win and will look to ease their way through (2/1 Away Win 90 Minutes).

However, the away goal could be the key if the hosts can grab an early goal (Slaven 9/2 Home Win 90 Minutes), but Bilbao should have too much firepower to be really troubled.

A closer tie involves Marseille, who were held 1-1 in Turkey by Eskisehirspor last week.

The French Ligue 1 outfit should have enough to progress on home soil and that is reflected by the fact they are 4/11 to win the game, but a draw at 90 minutes is worth noting at 16/5.

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Celtic face tough Euro test

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Celtic head into their Champions League third round qualifying tie with HJK Helsinki as favourites to move a step closer towards a place in the group stages of the competition, though their opponents head into the match with wind in their sails.

The 2011 Finnish champions, who currently trail 2012 league leaders FC Inter by two points, qualified to face the SPL holders with a 9-1 aggregate victory over Icelandic side KR.

And, while questions could be raised about the standard of opposition, the impact a comfortable victory can have on a team ahead of a big match should not be underestimated.

HJK are priced at 6/1 to leave Celtic Park with a first-leg win on Wednesday, which seems extremely generous considering their hosts’ lack of competitive action in recent months.

Celtic are priced at 4/11 to take an advantage with them back to Iceland for the second leg, while a draw is available at 16/5.

But, when you consider as well that manager Neil Lennon could be without key attacking duo Anthony Stokes and Kris Commons for the clash, it may be difficult for the Glasgow side to break down their less illustrious opponents.

Elsewhere in the third qualifying round, Celtic’s SPL rivals Motherwell welcome Panathinaikos to Fir Park Stadium for what will be a big occasion for the old Lanarkshire club.

The Greeks finished second in last season’s Super League, while the Steelmen’s third-placed finish in last year’s SPL was enough to ignite their own hopes of mixing it with Europe’s biggest clubs in 2012/13.

Following the withdrawal from the SPL of Rangers, there is belief at Motherwell that the team can challenge Celtic’s domestic supremacy, and advancement in Europe will also be high on head coach Stuart McCall’s list of priorities.

His side are available in the match betting at 3/1 to win the first leg tie, while Panathinaikos are priced at 4/5 to ruin the party, with the draw up for grabs at 11/5.

It’s a tough game to call, but a siege mentality from the hosts could make life difficult for the Greeks, who could be prepared to settle for a draw to take back to Athens.

Another tie to look out for is the showdown in Denmark, where FC Copenhagen face Club Brugge.

The men from the Danish capital qualified from their group in the 2010/11 Champions League and will be desperate to replicate that success after failing to make the competition last season.

Brugge, meanwhile, will be looking to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2005/06 season, when they defied the odds to take a point from Bayern Munich before bowing out at the group stage.

Copenhagen are priced 21/20 to win the game, while Brugge are at 21/10, and the draw is at 11/5. But a cursory glance at the two teams’ domestic fortunes last season indicates there perhaps isn’t as much between these two sides as those odds suggest.

With that in mind, a punt on Brugge at relatively long odds could be a decent option here.

Finally, Bate Borisov will look to reach the group stages of the Champions League for a second consecutive year, but must first overcome Debrecen, who were comfortable winners in their second qualifying round tie against Albanian champions Skenderbeu Korce.

Debrecen have not reached the ‘competition proper’ since 2010/11, but, following their comfortable Hungarian league triumph in 2011/2, they will approach this challenge with confidence.

Bate are the favourites at 4/5 in the match betting, though Debrecen’s odds of 3/1 bely the team’s ability and recent form, so a bet here on the visitors at such a good price would make a lot of sense.

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Euro 2012 Countdown!

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With Euro 2012 rapidly approaching, countries across the continent are finalising their plans ahead of the big kick-off next Friday. Co-hosts Poland and 2010 World Cup finalists Holland are among the sides in action on Saturday, with plenty of options available for the punters.

Denmark v Australia

Denmark were shock winners of their qualifying group, beating Norway to the sole automatic qualification spot in Group H.

However, they will have to raise their game still further at the finals, with Germany, Holland and Portugal – again – lying in wait in Group B.

The need to hit the ground running should ensure they take their friendly clash with Australia in Copenhagen seriously.

Australia will also see this as a key game with the first of eight matches in the final phase of World Cup qualifying taking place in Oman next week.

Key Aussie duo Josh Kennedy and Brett Holman are unavailable, meaning Holger Osieck’s men look weak up front.

For that reason, a Denmark win and clean sheet looks the value bet, with 2-0 priced at a handy 6/1.

Match odds – Denmark 4/5,  draw 23/10,  Australia 16/5

Poland v Andorra

Poland had the luxury of automatic qualification thanks to their co-hosting of the tournament so the players will be desperate for competitive action after two years of friendlies.

They will also be keen to erase the memory of their miserable Euro 2008 campaign, where they picked up just a point.

They should go into their tournament opener against Greece next week with confidence given their opponents on Saturday, Andorra, are ranked 205th in the world and finished bottom of their qualifying group without picking up a point.

Goals are where the value is in this fixture, with a 3-0 Poland win the value bet at 21/5.

Match odds – Poland 1/25,  draw 10/1,  Andorra 22/1

Norway v Croatia

Slaven Bilic’s Croatia were surprisingly beaten into second place by Greece in qualifying, but a 3-0 play-off victory over Turkey ensures they have the chance to go at least one better than their quarter-final appearance four years ago.

It is a side packed with talented individual players, but they face a tough task in a group alongside Spain, Italy and the Republic of Ireland.

Norway have not qualified for a major tournament since Euro 2000 and were narrowly beaten 1-0 by England in a friendly last weekend.

Norway manager Egil Olsen is a wily old boss who sets out his team to keep it tight at the back and they only conceded seven goals in qualifying.

However, they only scored 10 at the other end so a Croatia clean sheet is a tip here.

With the likes of Luka Modric, Nikica Jelavic and Ivica Olic in their side Croatia surely have too much for their Scandinavian opponents, with a 1-0 win priced at a potentially profitable 11/2.

Match odds – Norway 6/4, draw 21/10,  Croatia 8/5

Holland v Northern Ireland

Holland will once again head into a major tournament with plenty of backing to go all the way.

Their sides have always possessed talented individuals, but it is their ability to gel as a unit that has sometimes been questioned.

Bert van Marwijk appeared to do just that by guiding them to the World Cup final in 2010, despite criticism for their physical tactics, and they will be desperate to go one better this time around.

On paper Northern Ireland are facing a monumental task if they are to keep their opponents at bay for the full 90 minutes.

Not only are they ranked behind the likes of Guyana and Vietnam in the world rankings, but new boss Michael O’Neill has picked an experimental side as he looks to unearth a new generation of talent.

A Holland win is a certainty so the value is again with goals and a 5-0 win priced at 16/1 is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Match odds – Holland 1/6, draw 6/1, Northern Ireland 14/1

Portugal v Turkey

Portugal were forced to qualify for Euro 2012 via the play-offs and another tricky obstacle was put in front of them when they were drawn with Holland, Denmark and Germany in a formidable Group B.

Turkey reached the semi-finals in Austria and Switzerland four years ago but after finishing a commendable second behind Germany and ahead of Belgium in qualifying, they crashed out of the play-offs to Croatia.

However, Abdullah Avci’s men should provide Cristiano Ronaldo and co with a tricky challenge before the action kicks off next week.

There certainly appears to be a smaller gap between the teams than the 27 places in the current world rankings suggests so the draw appears to be the bet to make in this one – 1-1 is priced at 11/2.

Match odds – Portugal 8/15, draw 11/4, Turkey 9/2

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Pick of the Euro friendlies

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More Euro 2012 hopefuls are in friendly action on Thursday evening, with France, Germany and Greece all taking the chance to put their players through their paces with the countdown to Poland and Ukraine now on.

France v Serbia
Les Bleus take on Serbia in Reims and then Estonia in Le Mans on Tuesday as they look to bounce back on the world stage after a disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Coach Laurent Blanc has axed Lyon’s Yoan Gourcuff and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa of Montepellier from his pre-tournament squad as he gears up for the Group D opener against England in Donetsk on June 11.

France imploded in spectacular style two years ago but Blanc led them to the European Championships despite opening their qualification campaign with a home defeat to Belarus.

However, that setback turned out to be their only loss although they came close to another poor result at the weekend when coming back to beat Iceland 3-2 in Valenciennes.

Match Odds: France 8/15, draw 13/5, Serbia 5/1 – 90 Minutes

Germany v Israel
The Germans made it a perfect 10 in qualifying, scoring 34 goals and conceding just seven, to underline their credentials to go all the way this summer.

However they were not given the best draw and will take on Holland, Portugal and Denmark in the tournament’s Group of Death.

Joachim Loew’s men have also lost their last two friendlies with seven goals against and four for them, with France (1-2) and Switzerland (5-3) the opposition.

But they will be stronger for the clash with Israel after which the focus will be the clash with the Portuguese in Lviv on June 9.

Match Odds: Germany 2/11, draw 5/1, Israel 11/1 – 90 Minutes

Greece v Armenia
Greece were the 2004 European champions and were undefeated in qualifying for Euro 2012, having crashed out four years ago in Switzerland and Austria following three defeats in the group stage.

However, the fact they made the 2008 UEFA showpiece was an achievement given the fact the Greeks were unable to qualify successfully for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

Surprisingly, Armenia won half of their Euro 2012 qualifiers before coming up short behind Russia and the Republic of Ireland, however do not discount them to pile tragedy on the Greeks on Thursday night.

Match Odds: Greece 7/10, draw 23/10, Armenia 19/5 – 90 Minutes

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French fancy for Euro 2012?

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Ahead of Euro 2012, there have been some pundits who believe France can go all the way and take the title this year, but coach Laurent Blanc was quick to downplay expectations and his side’s chance of glory.

France, who are 12/1 to take the top prize, have been drawn in Group D with England, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine and there is a growing confidence amongst the French public that they could impress this year.

However, Blanc is quick to point out that his side have failed to navigate their way beyond the group stages in the last two tournaments (Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010) and believes reaching the quarter-finals would be an achievement for his side.

“We’re hoping to reach the quarters first and foremost,” said Blanc. “As you all know, once you’re in the knockout phase of a competition anything can happen over 90 or 120 minutes, and I can remind you that France hasn’t gone passed the first round the last two times. That’s the reality of the situation.”

Indeed, the French boss claims he cannot see his side winning the tournament and believes defending champions Spain, who are the 5/2 favourites ahead of Euro 2012, will take the top prize.

He added: “I can see Spain winning the Euros. I can’t say the same about us.”

Blanc’s caution should perhaps be taken with a pinch of salt, however. Les Bleus are on an 18-game unbeaten run, which includes away victories over England and Germany, and they finished top of their qualifying group.

France are missing a number of key players for the tournament through injury, with Loic Remy, Eric Abidal, Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby and Younes Kaboul all sidelined, but they do possess plenty of talent amongst their ranks.

France are 7/4 to fall in the quarter-finals, but there is every reason to suggest they can go further than the last eight based on recent form and the players at their disposal.

The star names in the French squad include Franck Ribery, who will be seeking to bounce back from Champions League disappointment with Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, who is expected to start as a lone frontman in France’s opening group game against England.

There is also a strong Premier League contingent in Blanc’s squad, such as Manchester City pair Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri, Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, Newcastle duo Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabeye, Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny and Chelsea veteran Florent Malouda.

Ben Arfa will be eager to impress after a stop-start season with Newcastle, while Lyon’s Yoann Gourcuff will also be desperate to make his mark after a disappointing domestic campaign.

There are plenty of players who ply their trades in Ligue 1 and for some Euro 2012 offers an opportunity to put themselves in the shop window in order to try and secure a move to one of the major European leagues.  The likes of Olivier Giroud, Mathieu Debuchy and Marvin Martin all won plaudits for their performances in the French league this season and will be keen to show what they can do in international football.

Blanc may have played down France’s chances but they are one of the form teams heading into the tournament, they have a good mix of experience and younger players all eager to impress, and with players such as Ribery and Nasri to call upon they have some of the world’s most talented stars at their disposal.

So, at 12/1, Les Bleus are certainly worth some consideration.

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Andrews’ bullish Euro vision

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Keith Andrews insists Republic of Ireland are not going to Euro 2012 next month to just make up the numbers but can Giovanni Trapattoni’s men really progress (Republic of Ireland – Group C To Qualify) out of a very tough-looking Group C?

Ireland, an outside 11/1 shot to win Group C, have qualified for their first major football tournament since the 2002 World Cup and, after easily beating Estonia in the play-off, they will proudly take their place in Poland and Ukraine.

However, one glance at the group – which features World and reigning European champions Spain, traditional heavyweights Italy and a talented Croatia side – suggests they may not be set for an extended stay in the tournament.

Andrews, predictably, says the Irish are approaching the Euros with plenty of confidence and why not? – because, actually, they have very little to lose with expectations relatively low. A couple of decent performances where they do themselves proud but still fall short and everyone will surely be satisfied while anything else than that would be a major bonus.

Andrews says the minimum the Republic are aiming for is to qualify for the knock-out phase and one thing in their favour is the fact they kick off Group C against Croatia.

Any side containing the likes of Luka Modric, Nikica Jelavic and Ivica Olic needs to be feared and the match odds reflect the fact Croatia have much more big-game experience in their squad than the Irish (totesport – match prices – Ireland 15/8, Croatia 6/5, draw 11/5).

Andrews, though, is bullish of his side’s chances.

“We are going there full of confidence. We have qualified from a tough group, come through a tough qualifier and we are certainly going there to come out of that group,” he said.

If, however, they can get something out of that first game then confidence levels will rise for the big two tests that remain as Ireland hope to negotiate the group (5/1 Stage of Elimination- quarter-finals).

Following the Croatia opener, Ireland take on the mighty Spain and totesport prices a shock win in that clash at 9/1. Spain (2/7, draw 7/2 – match prices) will probably be too good for Trapatonni’s men but this game could be closer than many people expect.

So if things go very well, it could all come down to the final group game against Italy for the Republic if they are to achieve Andrews’ dream of getting out of the group.

Italy, of course, have plenty of talent in their squad as well but they do not have the same fear factor as the Spanish and Ireland may be able to approach that game (totesport – match prices – Italy 4/5, Ireland 3/1, draw 9/4) knowing a win would see them through. That may be the stuff of dreams and very much against the odds but Ireland have surprised in big tournaments before and, with the pressure off, they may just do so again.

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