Tag Archives: Test

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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Goalless Gunners face Anfield test

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Following Saturday’s Premier League action, there are three games to look forward to on Sunday with Arsenal’s visit to Liverpool the highlight at 1.30pm.

Liverpool v Arsenal (1.30pm)
Liverpool (11/10) have come in for criticism for letting Andy Carroll go without, in the end, bringing in a replacement but face an Arsenal (5/2, draw 12/5) side who similarly failed to splash the cash on deadline day.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers made it clear on Thursday and Friday that he wanted at least one more addition to his frontline but, for whatever reason, he failed to land Clint Dempsey from Fulham and now must approach the next three months will very little cover for Fabio Borini and Luis Suarez.

Scoring goals was their biggest problem last season and could well haunt them again this time around as, taking into account their Europa League games against Hearts as well as the two league games so far, missing chances have again been a feature of their early matches.

However, the Reds were impressive last weekend against champions Manchester City and, but for a shocking back-pass from Martin Skrtel, would have got a deserved 2-1 win, so there is optimism they can get three points against the Gunners.

Finding the back of the net has also been a worry for Arsene Wenger as Arsenal have begun slowly with two unimpressive goalless draws against Sunderland and Stoke.

The Frenchman will hope Oliver Giroud, Lukas Podolski and apparent Liverpool target Theo Walcott begin to fire soon, preferably on Sunday, as they look to get a win under their belts.

Despite a lack of goals from both sides, then, this one should be entertaining with Liverpool tipped to win by the odd goal. Go for 2-1 in the correct score market at 9/1.

Newcastle v Aston Villa (4pm)
Newcastle (8/13) host Aston Villa (5/1) after their Europa League success on Thursday and will hope to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Chelsea last time out.

The Magpies began with a 2-1 win over Spurs and many believe they can again battle for a top-six spot after last year’s surprise bid for a top-four place. They host a poor Villa side and this looks nailed on a home win.

Villa have began the campaign dreadfully and last week’s 3-1 reverse against Everton was as bad a performance the home faithful witnessed under old boss Alex McLeish.

The deadline-day signing of Christian Benteke is designed to provide Darren Bent with a decent strike partner but it remains to be seen if a side who many are now tipping for relegation, can be revitalised by Paul Lambert.

Two games in remains very early to judge a side but the signs are not good for Villa and we cannot see anything other than an away defeat on Sunday to leave them point-less after three games.

Southampton v Manchester United (4pm)
United go to top-flight new-boys Saints (5/1) hoping to find a bit more rhythm as Sir Alex Ferguson’s title-chasers have been rusty so far.

A deserved defeat at Everton was followed up by a sloppy 3-2 home victory over Fulham and they will need to be wary of a Southampton side bound to be pumped up for what will undoubtedly be one of the occasions of the season at St Mary’s for the home fans.

Robin van Persie did get off the mark well last week and appears to have hit the ground running in his new surroundings so the Dutchman is worth backing in the first goalscorer market at 4/1.

Expect a tight opening 45 minutes in this one as Nigel Adkins sets his side up with two banks of four but United are eventually tipped to break them down with a narrow away win on the cards (Draw/United – HT/FT – 10/3).

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Wolves to pass Cobblers test

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The final match of the second round of the Capital One Cup takes place on Thursday and there’s a chance of a shock, as League Two Northampton take on Championship promotion hopefuls Wolves at Sixfields (Match Betting – Northampton 12/5, draw 12/5, Wolves 11/10).

The competition has already seen a number of upsets, with the likes of Burton, Swindon and Crawley all beating teams from higher divisions, and the Cobblers will be hoping their luck holds out.

Aidy Boothroyd’s men currently sit ninth in the table following an unbeaten start to the campaign and will look on the Capital One Cup as the perfect opportunity to raise some much-needed funds.

After finishing 20th last season, Boothroyd has remodelled his squad through the summer and has brought in a number of talented youngsters in a bid to aid his side’s push for promotion.

However, on nights like this it’s often experience that can make the difference and in veteran striker Clive Platt (13/2 – first goalscorer) Northampton may just have the perfect man to help them cause a shock.

The 34-year-old moved to Sixfields in the summer and although he has yet to find the net in his four appearances this season, he is a man who always rises to the occasion.

Platt’s physicality is sure to cause the Wolves defenders some problems and he’ll be hoping to prove he can still mix it with Championship players.

Like Thursday’s opponents, Wanderers have also had to make changes to their squad over the last few months but now look set to make a genuine challenge in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in May.

New boss Stale Solbakken has had to wave goodbye to the likes of Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher but still has plenty of quality in his ranks and is likely to use the Northampton tie as the perfect opportunity to assess whether or not some of his fringe players are good enough to force their way into the side.

One of these is likely to be Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (5/1 – first goalscorer), who after years of failing to find any consistency in the top flight is likely to be given plenty of chances to shine in the Championship.

After already netting twice this term, the stocky striker will expect to get onto the scoresheet at Sixfields so look out for him to have big impact on the outcome of the game.

These matches are almost always too close to call and both teams will fancy their chances of making it into the third round where they could come up against one of the Premier League big boys.

However, despite their recent relegation, Wolves still have plenty of quality in their ranks and should emerge with a comfortable win (Wolves 16/1 to win 3-1).

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Well face tough Spanish test

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Stuart McCall’s Motherwell side will have to show some steel if they are going to secure a first leg lead from the Europa League Play-off first leg clash against Spanish Primera Liga side Levante at Fir Park on Thursday.

Well dropped into the Europa League after Greek giants Panathinaikos ended their Champions League dream at the first hurdle and they have now been given a draw which is akin from being thrown out of the fire and into the frying pan.

Valencia’s other club, Levante, are enjoying their first taste of European football and arrive having recently sold star striker Arune Kone to Wigan Athletic, but Juan Ignacio Martinez still boasts a wealth of talent which can pose problems to Motherwell.

Veteran Greek hitman Theofanis Gekas was immediately drafted in to replace Kone and will look to hit the ground running with a goal in Scotland.

Levante got their La Liga campaign underway with a 1-1 home draw against last season’s Europa League winners Atletico Madrid at the weekend so will no doubt fancy their chances of gaining a satisfactory result.

McCall’s men won 2-1 at Kilmarnock at the weekend so come into the fixture on a high note and the former Scotland international is set to stick with the 4-4-2 formation he utilised in the Panathinaikos home tie for the game.

Simon Ramsden is out of the match which means Adam Cummins should partner Simon Hutchinson at the back.

Levante’s form this season is difficult to assess so early, but the fact they recorded wins over eventual La Liga champions Real Madrid, Champions League qualifiers Malaga, Europa League winners Atletico Madrid and finalists Athletic Bilbao last term suggests they are a capable unit.

A crumb of comfort for Motherwell is the Spanish outfit’s disappointing away form as they won only five from 19 away games in the league last season, have not won on the road since March and have been known to rely heavily on their home form in two-legged cup ties.

Therefore, if Motherwell are to progress in the Europa League then the outcome of Thursday’s match is likely to be crucial. But, whether they will have enough to take a lead to Spain for the second leg is a doubt.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 5/2
Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

Meanwhile, Levante’s Spanish rivals Athletic Bilbao should have no problems in overcoming A HJK Helsinki side which was dumped out of the Champions League qualification at the hands of Celtic and this is reflected in the 2/13 odds for them to win Thursday’s home tie.

Italian giants Inter Milan (12/1 Outright joint favourites) face a tricky first leg trip to face Romanian outfit FC Vaslui, but Andrea Stramaccioni’s men should have just enough at 4/6 to secure a lead to take back to the San Siro.

Steve McClaren guided then Premier League club Middlesbrough to the 2006 final of this competition. And, the former England coach will look to repeat that feat with Dutch side FC Twente this season. But his side are facing a tough first leg play-off trip to Turkey to face Bursaspor.

FC Twente defeated Czech side Mlada Boleslav 2-0 home and away in the previous round and have won their opening two league games against Groningen and NAC Breda respectively, so are on a high at the moment and 11/8 for a first leg away win looks a decent price.

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Rovers to rally for Tigers test

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Blackburn Rovers will be looking to get a first win under their belts when they host Hull City at Ewood Park on Tuesday (Blackburn 10/11, draw 5/2, Hull 3/1 – Match Betting) having been held to a draw on the opening weekend of the Championship season.

Rovers manager Steve Kean will still be ruing his side’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road last weekend, after they conceded a late own goal to give the Tractor Boys a share of the spoils.

Looking at the starting line-up, Blackburn (10/1 Championship outright) have been able to keep hold of most of their squad from the Premier League last term and with the likes of Nuno Gomez and Danny Murphy in their ranks, Kean has made some shrewd signings, with plenty of experience in the transfer window.

As for Hull, they made a promising start under manager Steve Bruce on home turf, with a 1-0 victory over a much fancied Brighton outfit.

The Tigers did have to wait till just five minutes from time before Jay Simpson scored his first goal in 16 months for the East Yorkshire club and they would need to create many more chances against Rovers, if they are to get anything out of the game at Ewood Park.

It might not be the most friendly of atmospheres in this battle of the Roses clash but Blackburn should have the quality to edge out the Tigers.

Just down the road Bolton Wanderers will be in action for their first home outing of the Championship campaign when they take on Derby County (Bolton 8/11, draw 5/2, Derby 4/1 – Match Betting).

The Trotters, who are fancied as the favourites to win the Championship title this season, were brought down to earth last weekend when they were convincingly beaten by Lancashire rivals Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

Manager Owen Coyle has plenty of experience in the Championship having previously managed Burnley and he will be eager to get Bolton’s first points on the board at the Reebok Stadium.

Derby have goals in them but what has been worrying for boss Nigel Clough is the goals that have been leaked at the back.

Comfortable leads over Scunthorpe United and Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup and the Championship have been squandered and Bolton (7/1 Championship outright) could record a convincing win, if the likes of Kevin Davies and Marvin Sordell are firing on all cylinders.

As for Burnley they will be hoping to build on that dream start to the season when they travel to the North East to face Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough 11/10, draw 12/5, Burnley 12/5 – Match Betting).

The combination of Charlie Austin and Martin Paterson looks like it could be a fine partnership in the Championship this term and Boro will have to be on their guard, having already tasted defeat at Barnsley last weekend.

Middlesbrough (25/1 Championship outright) have brought in Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran on loan to strengthen their options in the middle of the park and he is set to make his debut on Tuesday night.

Burnley have gone somewhat under the radar in the build-up to the campaign and they look like they should be able to secure a draw at the Riverside, against a Boro side who have not had the best of records on home soil in recent seasons.

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Hodgson hindered for Azzurri test

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Totesport has chalked up England the 6/4 favourites in the match betting for an international friendly against Italy (9/5 draw 9/4 – 90 minutes) in Switzerland on Wednesday.

Roy Hodgson has seen his preparations for the Berne rematch against England’s Euro 2012 conquerors hit by a raft of late withdrawals, the latest being Arsenal winger Theo Walcott.

The Emirates Stadium flyer has a thigh injury and joins team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joe Hart and Daniel Sturridge on the sidelines.

At 23, Walcott was one of the older heads in a new-look and youthful England squad and confirmation of his withdrawal further blunts the Three Lions as an attacking proposition.

Hodgson’s pragmatic approach, underpinned by a more sobering level of expectations, won him some new friends in Poland and Ukraine, although his safety-first brand of football failed to inspire.

England did not lose a game in normal time this summer and scored in all three group games, but this does not paint the full picture.

The first genuine test came against the same opponents at the knockout stages and England spent the best part of 120 minutes chasing shadows.

That said, Italy too intend to experiment and coach Cesare Prandelli is without a host of marquee players.

There will be no fewer than eight uncapped players in his squad, in part due to the club commitments of his Juventus and Napoli contingent, but the likes of Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani are included. The maverick Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will also miss out because of an eye infection.

Andy Carroll has a chance to prove he can be a mainstay No 9 in the Hodgson set-up and he is 7/1 joint favourite with Jermain Defoe in the first goalscorer market, although Ashley Young may appeal at 9/1 in the same market given that he has been given licence to roam.

The game is England’s only friendly before the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign starts in September.

England can be backed at 2/5 to emerge Group H winners and 20/1 to triumph in Brazil in two years’ time.

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Birmingham City), John Ruddy (Norwich City).

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Steven Caulker (Tottenham Hotspur), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Jake Livermore (Tottenham Hotspur), James Milner (Manchester City), Jack Rodwell (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Manchester United).

Forwards: Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur).

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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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Croatia a big test for must-win Italy

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With Spain expected to beat the Republic of Ireland in the late Group C game on Thursday, Italy know a win for them  in the 5pm kick-off against Croatia (Italy 5/4, Draw 11/5, Croatia 5/2 in the match betting) is crucial if they are to progress to the knock-out phase of Euro 2012.

Italy began the tournament well with an impressive 1-1 draw against Spain although, after taking the lead in that clash, they may now look back on Sunday as a great chance to have beaten the reigning European champions wasted.

But, all the same, they still head to Poznan in upbeat mood ahead of what will be another test of their credentials against Croatia. Substitute Antonio Di Natale’s strike in Gdansk set them on their way against La Roja and he is in contention to start for Cesare Prandelli’s side with question marks over whether Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will keep his place in the starting XI alongside Antonio Cassano.

Balotelli, backable at 5/2 to score anytime, dwelled on the ball when through on goal on Sunday to allow Spain defender Sergio Ramos to get back and make a last-ditch tackle and there have been calls in Italy for the coach to play Di Natale from the start after his impressive second-half appearance.

Other than that possible change, Prandelli intends to field largely the same side which did well against Spain although there is the possibility that the Azzurri may also go with a more defensive-minded left-back in Federico Balzaretti to counter the threat Croatia pose down the right with Darijo Srna and Ivan Rakitic.

If Italy can match their weekend performance, they have every right to believe a win is theirs for the taking on Thursday but there remains a fragility in the squad that Croatia can exploit.

Slaven Bilic’s men excelled against an admittedly limited Irish side in their opener, keeping the ball well and creating plenty of good chances. In fact, they should have won by more than the 3-1 scoreline and could be a real threat in the tournament if they build on that win and improve further.

Mario Mandzukic’s impressive brace has led to speculation that he could be on his way to the Premier League this summer where his strike partner, Nikica Jelavic, is already doing the business for Everton. Those two are a formidable partnership and the Italy defence will need to be on their toes to keep them quiet.

Luka Modric dictated the game from midfield against Ireland and Andrea Pirlo, who would like to do the same for Italy in this one, will have his work cut out just tracking the Spurs ace such was the ground he covered on Sunday.

Bilic is unlikely to make changes after praising the way his players performed against Ireland and expect them to again play an expansive, attacking game in Poznan.

These two sides look fairly well-matched, then, ahead of the Group C clash and a moment of brilliance from the likes of Modric or Balotelli may just decide it.

A draw at 11/5 is appealing but Croatia can edge it to virtually secure qualification and, at the same time, leave Italy staring at an early return home. Go for 2-1 in the correct score at 12/1.

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Stiff test for Irish finale

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The Republic of Ireland finalise their plans for Euro 2012 on Monday evening, when they face Hungary in Budapest in their final warm-up match. Giovanni Trapattoni’s men will look to extend their unbeaten run to 14 matches and further boost confidence going into this summer’s tournament.

March 2011 was the last time that the Republic lost a match, going down 3-2 at home to Uruguay in a friendly, and belief has grown in the squad, especially following the their qualification for Euro 2012.

The most impressive fact during that run has been the defensive record, with the Irish conceding just three goals and keeping 10 clean sheets in the process. With a group containing Spain, Italy and Croatia, Trapattoni’s men will need that solid base to give themselves a chance of progressing in Poland and Ukraine (Ireland 4/1 to Qualify from Group C).

Cynics would say that the quality of opposition during their recent unbeaten run has not been the best – with fixtures against the likes of Bosnia, Estonia, Andorra and Armenia. But the Irish have also recorded wins over Italy and Scotland, with draws against Russia, Croatia and Czech Republic.

A trip to Hungary should give us more of an idea where the Republic are ahead of the European Championship, as the home team also look to defend an impressive record (Match Betting – Hungary 17/10, draw 23/10, Rep of Ireland 6/4). The Magyars have lost just one of their last nine home internationals and are fresh from a shock 2-1 away win over Euro qualifiers Czech Republic.

Hungary are not made up of household names, but they do have a good team ethic and showed some of their quality in a 2-1 defeat to England at Wembley in 2010.

Midfielder Balazs Dzsudzsak, who plays for Dinamo Moscow, scored and claimed an assist against the Czechs, with Videoton striker Adam Gyurcso grabbing the winner. Meanwhile, Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan will be a familiar face to the Republic players and supporters.

Expect a number of changes in personnel and formations for the Irish, as they look to try some different things ahead of their opening group game against Croatia on June 11. Jon Walters (15/8 Anytime Goalscorer), Keith Andrews and Shane Long all started on the bench in the 1-0 win over Bosnia last week and are expected to feature from the start on Monday.

The last meeting between these sides was in 1993, when Hungary won 4-2 in Dublin in a friendly, although the Irish were 2-1 winners on their last visit to Hungary in a 1991 friendly.

The Republic would accept a draw this time as they look to continue their fine form and set themselves up for their big challenge at the European Championship.

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Crewe to survive Southend test

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Attention on Wednesday turns to the League Two semi-final play-off at Roots Hall in an evenly-poised tie with Crewe and Southend both just 90 minutes away from Wembley.

Cheltenham are the current 6/4 favourites for promotion having established a 2-0 first-leg lead from their semi-final with Torquay, with Crewe on offer at 2/1 and Southend at 13/5 to triumph at Wembley.

This tie is finely poised with Crewe holding a slender one-goal advantage following the clash at Alexandra Stadium on Saturday with centre-half Adam Dugdale proving perhaps an unlikely matchwinner – heading home Ashley Westwood’s free kick early in the second period.

The betting suggesting that Southend are certainly not out of it, though, with the Shrimpers hosting the second leg on Wednesday as 10/11 match favourites, with the draw priced at 12/5 while Crewe can be backed at 3/1 to make it a double success.

Of course a draw will suffice for the Railwaymen, which places all the pressure on the Blues, especially as they also only missed out on automatic promotion by a solitary point.

There was 11 points separating these two sides in the regular season so a lot may depend on how Paul Sturrock’s men cope with expectation and pressure – and maybe any nervous tension that transmits from the crowd, if the Seasiders fail to get in front early.

Southend do have a decent record at Roots Hall without being spectacular – they suffered five defeats in front of their own fans during the regular season, while they were also held six times.

Crewe went into the play-offs on the back of a 16-match unbeaten run – seven wins and nine draws – with Southend the last team to beat them, winning 1-0 at Roots Hall at the start of February.

Whether much can be read into that is open to question – Southend also won 3-1 at Crewe earlier in the season and look what happened at the weekend – but it is certainly something that Sturrock’s men can take into the game.

Bilel Mohsni scored the winner in this fixture earlier in the season and certainly looked as though he can cause Crewe plenty of problems in the first leg. He can be backed at 6/1 to be the First/Last Goalscorer and 13/8 Anytime, although on-loan signing Freddy Eastwood leads both markets.

However, Crewe have made themselves hard to beat on the road of late and are unbeaten in seven and, although five of those have been in draws, Alex have taken a point from trips to promoted Crawley and fellow play-off contender Torquay.

Steve Davis’s men have tended to spread the goals around this season with Nick Powell leading the scoring markets for Crewe at 6/1 First/last and 13/8 Anytime – perhaps providing a bit more value elsewhere with Byron Moore on offer at 8/1 and 9/4, while first-leg hero Dugdale is available at 33/1 and 10/1.

All the pressure is on Southend for this one but they perhaps enjoyed better success on the road this term, and in-form Crewe can secure the necessary result to book their Wembley date.

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