Switzerland v Czech Republic (8pm)

The Swiss (4/1 Outright) have stormed to the last four of the tournament this year after winning Group A with a 100% record, while they are also yet to concede a goal so far – only the second side to get this far without conceding after France in 2007.

Pierluigi Tami’s side have not only been strong defensively, but they have also improved at the opposite end of the field after starting with a 1-0 win against the hosts Denmark, before beating Iceland 2-0 and finishing in style with a 3-0 victory against fellow semi-finalists Belarus.

The likes of Xerdhan Shaqiri and Innocent Emeghara, who featured in a recent Euro 2012 qualifier against England at Wembley, have stood out in the Swiss ranks.

However FC Zurich defender Philippe Koch has highlighted the side’s excellent team spirit and quality from goalkeeper Yans Sommer right through to the forwards.

He said: “At the start of the tournament, no one would have counted on us qualifying with such style. We’re not surprised.

“We knew before the tournament that we had quality. So far, we’ve been able to show that quality in our matches.”

Granit Xhaka is suspended for the Swiss as they look to reach their first final at Under-21 level having lost to France on home soil at this stage in 2002, but they will take heart that they kept clean sheets in the group phase of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2009 and the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2002 and went on to win both tournaments.

The Czech Republic will feel they have their name on the trophy this year (6/1 Outright) as they were on the verge of going out at the group stage on Sunday when trailing England 1-0 with just two minutes remaining.

But goals from substitutes Jan Chramosta and Tomas Pekhart sent them through in second place behind Spain and condemned England to an early flight home.

The omens are on the Czechs’ side too as the only other time the Swiss reached the semi-finals, in 2002, they went on to win the tournament at the expense of France on penalties, ironically in Switzerland.

The Czech Republic bounced back from an opening game defeat against Spain to see off Ukraine and England and will hope to continue their momentum in the Swiss encounter.

However, they have been practising penalties and could be preparing for a long night.

Looking at the form of the two sides going into the clash it is hard to see past the Swiss to edge into the final for the first time, although it could be a close affair.

Prediction: Swiss To Win 1-0 Correct Score @ 11/2

Spain v Belarus (6pm)

On paper this clash in Viborg looks a foregone conclusion as Group B winners Spain are odds-on 2/5 favourites for the tournament, while Belarus scraped through to the semi-finals behind Switzerland on just three points ahead of Iceland and hosts Denmark.

The Spanish did drop points against England, but defeated the Czech Republic and Ukraine in the group stages, while Belarus go into the match on Wednesday on the back of a 3-0 thumping against the Swiss.

Spain have Adrian Lopez leading the way for the Golden Boot on three goals, Juan Mata is one behind, while coach Luis Milla is poised to name another unchanged line-up as Cesar Azpilicueta is set to shake off a thigh injury suffered in training.

Belarus, who are the first team since Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 to progress to the semi-finals with three points, are boosted by the return of Sergei Politevich and Nikita Bukatkin after they served suspensions against Switzerland. But Sergei Matveychik will miss the semi-final after his dismissal in the final Group A game.

Belarus did hold Spain to a 1-1 draw in a friendly in March, but with a place in the final up for grabs on this occasion it would be a real shock if the Spanish do not win handsomely.

Prediction: Spain To Win 3-0 @ 5/1

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The World Cup is just around the corner now and the anticipation is already building for the greatest show on earth.

The Italian team have been getting rather annoyed however, with suggestions by various punters and commentators alike that collectively the squad is too far over the hill in the age department to be able to win this summer’s show piece in South Africa.

The Azzuri defender Gianluca Zambrotta has attacked the doubters regarding their World Cup chances, he said:

“In 2006 we knew it would be difficult, but we won. We are here to get to the end once again,” he said at a press conference.

“We are old? We have nine winners from the World Cup in Germany, but that’s just a percentage. This is an Azzurri side with a mix of younger and experienced players, they have just as much desire to do well and want to bring home a major trophy like the World Cup.”

“There has always been scepticism surrounding the national team, but we have gotten used to it and all know how to deal with the situation,” he concluded.

The Italians are currently training in Sistriere as Marcello Lippi looks to fine tune his squad before their opening game against Paraguay on June 14th.

If you fancy the Italian granddads to retain their trophy in South Africa, you can back them at a very long 15.00 – this is well worth a punt considering France are also 15.00 to win the World Cup even though they have looked an awful side in recent years.

Related posts:

1. World Cup Outsiders Italy Offer Great Betting Value
2. 2010 World Cup Starting to Take Shape
3. World Cup 2010 Qualification is Almost Complete

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