Home nations make nervy qualification start

Posted on October 17, 2012 by SoccerCapper

Following the World Cup qualifiers over the past week, the European groups are beginning to take shape with a feel for who is now likely to make it to Brazil in 2014 emerging. Here, we assess how the home nations’ chances look after the early games.

England

Wednesday’s delayed draw with Poland exposed England’s frailties and dampened the optimism generated by big wins over Moldova and San Marino earlier in the group.

Roy Hodgson’s side remain well placed to qualify for Brazil and their favourites tag in Group H proves they will have no problem getting positive results against the aforementioned two minnows.

However, it is against the better sides that they struggle – as the draws against Ukraine and the Poles have proved – and the Three Lions certainly need to improve overall if they are to seal a spot in the top two.

Montenegro’s unexpected rise to the top of Group H early on has moved them into contention in the betting market and shaken things up somewhat and Hodgson and his players know how important a run of victories now is for his side to ensure their place in Brazil.

Scotland

The pressure has intensified on Scotland boss Craig Levein following their meek surrender in Belgium that leaves the Tartan Army on just two points from four games and now long odds to qualify with totesport.

Draws against Serbia and Macedonia, whose odds have now shortened to qualify, followed up by that dramatic defeat in Wales, means their chances of making a major tournament for the first time since 1998 are hanging by a thread.

Only a remarkable comeback from this position in the group and a series of unlikely wins over seemingly better-equipped opposition will save Scotland now – and that, sadly, looks about as likely as Levein still being in the job come the start of November.

Wales

Wales are only marginally better off than their Celtic cousins after the 2-0 defeat in Croatia on Tuesday left Chris Coleman’s side on three points in Group A. They, too, simply do not look good enough to find big wins over Serbia, Macedonia and Croatia in the return game and the feeling is the wait for an appearance at a World Cup Finals will go well beyond 2014, as their qualifying odds now reflect.

Limited resources and only a handful of top drawer players, like Gareth Bale and Joe Allen, suggest the best they might be able to hope for come next autumn will be the satisfaction of finishing above local rivals Scotland in the final standings.

Northern Ireland

Michael O’Neill’s side produced the result of the past week as far as the home nations are concerned when they came away from Portugal with a point after a 1-1 draw in Porto.

Niall McGinn’s goal was giving the international minnows, who have not made it to the World Cup since 1986, a superb 1-0 away win until Portugal eventually equalised in the second half but the result gives Northern Ireland hope of better to come after years in the doldrums.

True, tough tests lie ahead in upcoming clashes against Russia and Israel, and they have only two points from three games but if they can build on the Porto point with fellow minnows Luxembourg and Azerbaijan also in the group, the qualification dream, despite their generous odds, could well be alive.

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Eintracht aim to preserve perfect start

Posted on September 20, 2012 by SoccerCapper

Looking across Europe’s top leagues on Friday evening, there are some tasty games in France and Germany to whet the appetite for the weekend’s action.

FC Nurnburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (7.30pm)

The first Bundesliga clash of the next few days sees two sides go head-to-head who have made impressive starts this season and this could well be the game of the weekend in Germany.

Eintracht (9/4) have, in fact, begun perfectly and boast a 100 per cent record after three games so Nurnburg (EVS), who themselves have won two out of three, will know they will be in for a tough evening.

Victories over Bayer Leverkusen (2-1), a thumping 4-0 triumph at Hoffenheim and a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Hamburg mean the visitors will surely approach this clash with plenty of confidence as they sit second in the table behind Bayern Munich, who have also started with three wins from three.

Early-season results can sometimes be misleading with teams firing out of the blocks before fading badly but Eintracht appear to have plenty of talent in their squad to realistically mount a top-five Bundesliga challenge.

Goals have been not been a problem so far with Alexander Meier and Stephane Aigner, who have two apiece, particularly catching the eye.

Nurnburg, however, will be no pushovers and, with home backing, may also fancy their chances of a victory to maintain their good start.

Two impressive away wins (1-0 against Hamburg and 3-2 over Borussia Monchengladbach) have been sandwiched by a decent 1-1 draw at home against champions Borussia Dortmund.

A lack of star names means both sides focus on hard work and team spirit first and, with results going well so far for both, expect a tight contest with a draw appealing at 9/4. Goals look on the cards too and an entertaining 2-2 is tempting at 14/1 in the correct score market.

Montpellier v St Etienne (7.45pm)

The big game in Le Championnat on Friday sees out-of-form champions Montpellier (11/10) hoping to kick-start the defence of their title with a win over St Etienne (9/4, draw 2/1).

Montpellier were surprise winners of Ligue 1 last term and many people will not be surprised to see them struggling at the start of the campaign as they wrestle with higher expectations and the added burden of Champions League football.

So far, Rene Giraud’s side have managed just one win from five domestically (a 1-0 victory at Sochaux) and have been held to draws by Lyon and Toulouse while they have been beaten by Marseille and Lorient.

Clearly, all is not well, and the midweek 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in Europe, while no disgrace, shows their fallibility, especially as they threw away an early lead against the Gunners.

St Etienne, though, have not made a particularly good start themselves and sit in 10th place after five games, winning just two and losing the other three.

However, on closer inspection, their defeats have all been by just the single goal whereas the two wins were a fine 3-0 triumph over Bastia and a 4-0 hammering of Stade Brest.

Gabon star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is someone Montpellier will have to keep a close eye on with the striker proving a real handful to opposing defences so far as he has managed three goals and generally caused havoc up front.

There’s a case to be made for both sides to come out on top in this, too, but we think the visitors can snatch it, to therefore continue the champions’ poor start. Go for 2-1 to St Etienne at 11/1.

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Russia target winning start

Posted on June 7, 2012 by SoccerCapper

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).

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Tough start for Hughes at QPR

Posted on January 14, 2012 by SoccerCapper

There are just two Premier League games on Sunday but there’s plenty at stake as Mark Hughes takes charge of QPR for the first time against Newcastle while Arsenal hope to maintain their bid for a top-four place with a win at Swansea.

Newcastle v QPR

The Hughes era at Rangers gets underway at the Sports Direct Arena in what is a stiff test for the R’s and their new boss.

Hughes said in his press conference this week that he had initially been impressed with what he had seen from his new charges in training and he believes he has a good squad at his disposal at Loftus Road that can definitely avoid relegation.

The new boss is expected to be handed significant funds and he is already close to landing defender Alex from Chelsea while several other targets have been identified.

More quality to compliment the likes of Joey Barton, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Adel Taarabt is needed but Hughes can get the best out of them and, with some additions, QPR can become a mid-table side.

A trip to the north east first up is a difficult test but expect ‘new manager syndrome’ to kick in with the Rangers players all desperate to impress and prove they have a future at the club. With that in mind, the visitors can claim a draw in this one at 13/5.

Newcastle (4/5 to win) have continued to exceed expectations this season and the stunning 3-0 win over champions Manchester United recently proved Alan Pardew has a squad to be reckoned with, and European football can be secured.

However, the Magpies are without top-scorer Demba Ba and influential midfielder Cheik Tiote so they are weakened for this clash. It all points to a lively clash and expect an entertaining draw – go for 2-2 at 14/1 in the correct score market.

Swansea v Arsenal

Arsenal’s recovery from a poor start this season has been impressive and the recent return of legend Thierry Henry has added to the feelgood factor at the Emirates.

A top-four place is well within the Gunners’ grasp once again this season and they should have enough to claim all three points at Swansea (Arsenal 8/11, Swansea 4/1, draw 11/4).

Henry made the perfect return when netting the winner within minutes of coming on in the FA Cup third-round win over Leeds on Monday and he is again expected to be on the bench to make an impact if boss Arsene Wenger needs him in the second half. In fact, he looks a good bet at 3/2 to score anytime in this one.

The Swans are another club to have exceeded expectations so far this season but you sense, like Blackpool 12 months ago, they are now entering the key phase of the campaign and need to maintain their form if they are to avoid getting dragged into a relegation scrap.

Brendan Rodgers has made an astute loan capture in bringing youngster Josh McEachran to the Liberty Stadium from Chelsea and they have impressed at home so far in the top flight, losing just once in Wales all season – against Manchester United.

However, they face an Arsenal side determined not to slip up in their pursuit of fourth and this looks likely to be a narrow away win. Take 0-1 in the correct score market at 6/1.

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Madrid to start 2012 with success

Posted on January 6, 2012 by SoccerCapper

After the traditional winter break, Spanish football saw one of the most remarkable comebacks of the season on Tuesday as Real Madrid recovered from 2-0 down to take a 3-2 Copa Del Rey victory over Malaga. Jose Mourinho and his side now turn their attention to the league with their first La Liga fixture of the year on Saturday at home to minnows Granada (Real Madrid 1/14, draw 9/1, Granada 25/1).

Mourinho once again showed his ruthless streak in the Malaga match, making all three of his substitutions at half-time and the players he introduced all made a big difference. You can expect that trio of Benzema, Ozil and Khedira to be recalled to the starting XI at the weekend.

Of these three, Benzema (2/3 to score at anytime) will have the biggest point to prove as he continues to cement his place in the side ahead of Argentine Gonzalo Higuain. After a difficult first two seasons in Spain, where he struggled to adapt both on and off the pitch, Benzema is now one of the world’s premier strikers and has led the line with aplomb this term, scoring 14 goals in all competitions. Its pretty hard not to see him adding to his tally on Saturday and he’ll be looking for a big performance at the Bernabeu to help his side get 2012 off to the perfect start in the league.

Granada will be heading to the capital with little hope of winning and will view the match as a ‘damage limitation’ exercise. Fabri Gonzalez’s side have done well since their promotion and hold one of the best defensive records in the league. This has helped them rise to 13th in the league but it is at the other end of the pitch where they have struggled and they’re currently the lowest scorers in the competition.

However, they will certainly not lie down, especially after Madrid’s poor defensive display in the cup, and will look at Ikechukwu Uche (13/2 to score at anytime) as their best chance of breaking the Madrid rearguard. Uche is a well-travelled striker, having previously played for a number of top flight clubs in the last few seasons where he has always managed to find the net. The Nigerian has only scored once this season but has a habit of popping up with crucial goals and could find himself on the scoresheet.

However, Madrid should win this game and will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the table ahead of Barcelona’s match on Sunday. All their stars will be looking to make an impact as they look to get their 2012 campaigns off to a good start so expect a comfortable Madrid win (Madrid 11/1 to win 6-1).

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Barca set to start with a bang

Posted on December 14, 2011 by SoccerCapper

After their superb El Clasico victory over Real Madrid on Saturday, Barcelona has flown to Japan to take part in the Club World Cup and face an opening semi-final against a talented Al-Sadd side (Barcelona 1/33 in the match betting).

Pep Guardiola’s side were truly impressive at the Bernabeu and bounced back from an early setback to beat their great rivals 3-1 and, after a string of good performances in Europe, look like they could once again claim the league and Champions League double (Barcelona 13/8 Champions League outright).

However, their attention now turns to the Club World Cup which they qualified courtesy of winning last season’s Champions League and will understandably be doing all they can to win their second world title in three seasons.

Following Saturday’s triumph, Guardiola is likely to rest a number of his key players for the semi-final but this hardly means he is weakening his team and will still be able to call upon the likes of Thiago, David Villa and Javier Mascherano.

However, the one to watch could be winger Pedro Rodriguez who has lost his place this season and will be desperate to recapture his position in the starting line-up. The talented winger was the star of the 2009 edition of the tournament, netting twice which helped him to become the first player to score in six different competitions in a season.

His form continued onto the international stage as he was one of the stars for Spain when they won the World Cup in South Africa. However, first-team opportunities have been limited this campaign so, with him likely to start, he’ll be desperate to put in a good performance to remind Guardiola of his capabilities and maybe earn a place in the team for the final and beyond.

Al-Sadd (25/1 to win in 90 mins) qualified for the tournament by virtue of wining the Asian Champions League and will be looking to cause an upset after an impressive victory against Tunisian side Esperance. The Qatari side have a number of players who may be familiar to football fans as they boast the likes of Mamadou Niang and Ivory Coast International Abdul Kader Keïta.

However, their big name is arguably former Portsmouth full-back Nadir Belhadj, who has a superb left foot. During his time at Pompey he was courted by a number of the top sides in Europe but chose to move to Qatar where he has flourished and is truly one of the stars of their league.

Despite the Qatari side’s talented players though, the Catalan giants should run out comfortable winners regardless of a likely weakened line-up as they boast plenty of strength in depth – and they should go on to beat Santos in the final (Barca 11/2 to win 4-0).

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Lomas set for winning start

Posted on November 6, 2011 by SoccerCapper

After another weekend of thrilling SPL action, Monday sees St Johnstone host Aberdeen in what is sure to be a thoroughly entertaining encounter with both sides looking to play exciting, attacking football (St Johnstone 6/5, draw 9/4, Aberdeen 23/10 – Match Prices).

All the focus will be on new Saints boss Steve Lomas, who was appointed to the role last week following the departure of Derek McInnes to Bristol City, and he’ll be hoping his side can give him the perfect start to his reign at McDiarmid Park.

St Johnstone currently sit fourth in the SPL table and have been one of the league’s surprise packages this year and so will be confident going into the game against their lowly opponents.

As a player Lomas was well known for his determination but was also a highly competent midfielder with a lot more skill than people gave him credit for and he will surely be looking to mould the Perthshire club in his image.

Key to this could be ex-Chelsea man Jody Morris, who like his new boss is known for his ability to mix tenacity with skill and is almost always at the forefront whenever St Johnstone do anything positive.

The skipper is always the first name on the team-sheet and his performance will be vital if Lomas is to get off to the perfect start.

Another of St Johnstone strength is their strike duo of Cillian Sheridan (3/2 to score at anytime) and Francisco Sandaza (11/8 to score at anytime) who have notched nine goals between them this season and have struck-up a superb understanding in the short amount of time they’ve been together. Both will be looking to fire their side to victory and make a good impression on the new boss.

However, Aberdeen won’t simply roll over and have some exceptionally talented players themselves and are capable of beating anyone on their day. The Dons have struggled so far this season and currently sit 11th in the table.

Boss Craig Brown is a wily old character and knows how to motivate struggling teams and will fancy his chances of getting his players in the right frame of mind ahead of the match.

Their key player is more than likely to be talismanic striker Scott Vernon (15/8 to score at anytime) who has struggled to rediscover his form of last season but will be determined to find the net again.

However, it seems as if the script is written for Lomas and it’s hard to see anything other than a home win but it will undoubtedly be a tight game.

On paper St Johnstone have a much stronger line-up and, with Sheridan and Sandaza leading the line, should have enough to overpower their opponents.

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City eye winning start

Posted on August 15, 2011 by SoccerCapper

A trip to title hopefuls Manchester City (7/2 Premier League outright) is almost the toughest opening possible for top-flight new boys Swansea City.

Brendan Rodgers’ men have been tipped by many to head straight back down to the Championship (8/15 to be relegated) after reaching the Premier League promised land via the play-offs last term.

Rodgers has moulded his side into a confident passing outfit and has vowed not to change his ways, having largely stuck with the players who helped the Swans win promotion.

The most notable new face is £3.5million record signing Danny Graham (9/1 match goalscorer), with the striker having netted 27 goals for Watford last season to earn a crack at the Premier League.

Leroy Lita also adds to the attacking options available to Rodgers, who last season placed his faith in the twin threats of Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer on the flanks.

Rodgers may be more concerned by having to make a change in goal following Dorus De Vries’ departure for Wolves, with Dutchman Michel Vorm and Portuguese Jose Moreira competing for a starting role.

His worries will be heightened by the knowledge that the Swans conceded 31 goals on their travels in the Championship last season, while at home they let in a mere 11.

However, Rodgers is ready for the tough task of avoiding the drop, saying: “We understand the scale of the task, not only on Monday, but throughout the season.

“We know it will be a roller-coaster ride but I’m excited about the challenge.”

Hosts City have high expectations after winning the FA Cup last term and head coach Roberto Mancini will be under pressure to mount a title challenge this time around.

Mancini has again been busy in the summer transfer market, with former Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic strengthening their defence.

The big-name signing has been Argentina frontman Sergio Aguero (7/2 match goalscorer), a £38million recruit from Atletico Madrid, who is seen as a direct replacement for compatriot Carlos Tevez, who is expected to depart before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

However, Mancini is wary of expecting an easy win to start their Premier League campaign, with both Aguero and Tevez short of full fitness.

“I think that the first ten games are very difficult – the squad is not 100 per cent ready,” Mancini warned. “It needs four or five games to find good form for the players.”

Mancini’s caution is understandable after his side capitulated in the second half of the Community Shield to lose 3-2 to Manchester United, but City cannot afford to make a slow start in the league and lose touch with the likes of United and Chelsea.

Anything less than three points on Monday evening will be seen as a setback at the earliest stage of the battle for Premier League supremacy.

However, a victory should be on the cards if the hosts perform as they did in the opening 45 minutes against United, when they took a two-goal lead against the reigning champions and the favourites for glory again in 2011/12.

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Mancini’s men aim for winning start

Posted on August 14, 2011 by SoccerCapper