Tag Archives: Test

Ireland set for Tallinn test

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Ireland will be hoping that luck is on their side this time as they begin their quest to qualify for their first major international tournament since the 2002 World Cup when they take on Estonia in their Euro 2012 play-off first leg in Tallinn on Friday.

Two years ago, the men in green were cruelly robbed in Paris when Thierry’s Henry handball was not spotted – and William Gallas was allowed to score the extra-time winner to send France to South Africa at the Republic’s expense.

The boot is on the other foot in this particular match-up with Ireland favourites to progress and the pressure, unlike against Les Bleus, will be on Giovanni Trapattoni’s men over the next few days.

Ireland did taste victory when they were involved in a play-off to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, beating Iran 2-1 on aggregate – although they lost the away leg, which came second, 1-0.

This time the Republic start on their travels with a trip to Tallinn on Friday night before the return leg in Dublin next Tuesday, and the Irish are 11/8 favourites to win tomorrow night’s encounter.

Estonia can be backed at 13/8 in the match betting to hold an advantage going into the second leg, while punters can get 11/5 about the draw.

Estonia surprised many to make it this far after being drawn in a group that contained Italy, Serbia and Slovenia – who all qualified for last year’s World Cup – but qualified as a runner-up when Slovenia beat Serbia in the last game.

The Blueshirts will be hoping that expectations have not got out of hand when they host the Irish on Friday night and that they can play with the freedom of a team which has nothing to lose.

If they can do that then they will cause problems, given the Republic’s struggle in their final Group B game, but both sides enjoyed better away performances to make the play-offs.

Estonia won 3-1 in Serbia and 1-0 in Slovenia, while Trapattoni’s side was unbeaten on the road, losing just one game in the entire group stage, 2-3 to group winners Russia at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

When the pressure was on, however, in the final group game against Armenia, Ireland struggled to cope with Armenia’s fluent passing game – and only made it through after a shocking decision by the referee to send off the visiting keeper Roman Berezovski and a comedy own goal to retain second spot – just winning 2-1.

Trapattoni has a number of injury worries to contend with as Shane Long and Leon Best have been ruled out, while Kevin Doyle is suspended after his red card against Armenia.

Good news for the men in green is the fact that talismanic skipper Robbie Keane is available again and warmed up for this clash with a goal in LA Galaxy’s 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake at the weekend.

The 31-year-old has been a fantastic servant for his country, leading their scoring charts with 51 goals in 112 appearances, and is the 5/1 favourite in the First/Last Goalscorer betting.

With so much at stake, it is difficult to see it being a free-flowing open game of football with plenty of goals, but the Republic’s experience may just tell in the end and Draw/Rep Ireland is on offer at 9/2 in the Half-time/Full-time market, while a 1-0 win for the away side is priced at 5/1.

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Celtic to come through Hibs test

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It’s been a difficult campaign for Neil Lennon and Celtic (8/15 in the match betting) so far, but things could be looking up and they should see off Hibernian (5/1) on Wednesday to book their place in the last four of the Scottish Communities League Cup.

Lennon’s Bhoys sit 10 points behind Old Firm rivals Rangers in the SPL with the 4-2 defeat at Ibrox in September the low point of the season so far. They do have a game in hand and will hope to claw back that deficit as the season goes on but they can forget about their league woes in midweek when they travel to Edinburgh for the Hibs clash.

A 2-0 win over Ross County in the last round has set up the Easter Road meeting and, while Lennon is expected to make changes for the game, the Northern Irishman insists he is taking the competition seriously and is focused on securing a semi-final spot.

Lennon’s side got a much-needed 2-1 win over Aberdeen on Sunday thanks to Charlie Mulgrew’s winner. He has been a rock at the back and is expected to play in Edinburgh alongside first-team regulars Beram Kayal and Joe Ledley, who all featured against County in September in the last round.

Kayal, in particular, was impressive in the win over the Dons after it was announced last week he had agreed a new, long-term contract at Celtic Park. He has yet to score this season but might be worth a a punt at 4/1 to score anytime in this one.

Looking at the goalscorer markets more closely, Gary Hooper is the 7/2 favourite to score first – as he looks to repeat the feat he managed against Ross County – but better value can be had elsewhere. Ivan Sproule (Hibs) looks tempting at 10/1 to open the scoring while Ledley at 9/1 is attractive for the visitors.

Hibernian will be without on-loan Richie Towell as he can’t face his parent club so that means manager Colin Calderwood must change the side which beat St Mirren 3-2 in the SPL on Saturday.

Mark Brown should start in place of Graham Stack, continuing as goalkeeper for the League Cup campaign, while Calum Booth could return.

Calderwood’s side will be revved up for the clash and will fancy their chances of at least taking the game to extra time but we expect Celtic to come through without too many problems – with the draw/Celtic – HT/FT at 10/3 well worth a bet.

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Hammers set for Seagulls test

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West Ham United have had to learn the hard way that they will not be walking away with the Championship title this season and the London outfit face another tough test as they go on the road again to face Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday (Brighton 15/8, draw 12/5, West Ham 11/8 in the match betting).

The Hammers will have spent plenty of time on the south coast in recent days, after they were beaten 1-0 in a hard-fought contest against high flying Southampton in their last outing.

Manager Sam Allardyce and his men came away from St Mary’s Stadium with not a point to their name, after Jos Hooiveld headed home from a simple set-piece for Southampton, leaving West Ham in fourth place in the Championship table.

A win over Brighton on Monday would push the Hammers (2/1 Championship outright) up into the automatic promotion places just behind the Saints, who were held by Reading to a 1-1 draw at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.

Considering the injury problems at Upton Park this term, it has been a credit to Allardyce’s men for sticking to their task and continuing to pick up points.

James Tomkins, Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Gary O’Neil and keeper Robert Green have been joined by Henri Lansbury and Matt Taylor on the extensive injury list that the Hammer’s boss has had to deal with.

A trip to the AMEX Stadium has been no easy task as many sides have found in the Championship so far, and with West Ham struggling for personnel, it poses a big challenge for the Londoners.

After a storming start to their campaign in England’s second tier, when the Seagulls were continuing their impressive form from last season, they have gone off the boil in recent outings.

Brighton have failed to pick up a win in their last six matches and now find themselves out of the playoff places in 12th position.

The south coast outfit only lost two games at home last season and have tasted defeat just once at the AMEX Stadium this term, while they have played some attractive football in front of their fans.

Scotland international striker Craig Mackail-Smith (6/1 first goalscorer) has carried on where he left off last season with Peterborough and has proved to be an exciting player to watch.

With five league goals to his name so far, the gifted forward will be someone the West Ham defence will have to look out for if they want to head back to the capital with any points.

Brighton boss Gus Poyet could be tempted to give a debut to Gonzalo Jara Reyes, who has joined the club on loan from Premier League outfit West Brom and may add some extra quality into the starting XI.

The Seagulls may have struggled in recent weeks but, at home and with West Ham struggling with injuries, Brighton might just edge this one and push up the Championship table.

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Celtic nations set for Euro test

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Friday night will throw up some intriguing games in the race to qualify for the Euro 2012 Championships in Poland and the Ukraine and it’s a big night for the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales for very different reasons.

The Republic have a crucial away trip to the continent to take on Andorra in what is a must-win for manager Giovanni Trapattoni and his men (Andorra 33/1, draw 12/1, ROI 1/20).

A victory on the road and a win against Armenia on Tuesday night would secure at least a play-off place for the Irishmen, who have enjoyed a decent qualifying campaign so far.

However they will not want to be looking too far ahead and must first focus on bagging the three points in Andorra.

Ireland currently sit in second place in Group B behind Russia but would overtake the favourites if they secured a victory on Friday night and the Russians failed to do likewise.

And Ireland really should come away with the win, as Andorra are one of only two teams in any group to have not picked up a single point in qualification so far.

Ireland will have Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne out of action due to suspension, however Darren O’Dea, who is on loan with Leeds United from Celtic, is set to deputise in a strong Republic side.

It’s hard to see the Andorrans causing any problems for Trapattoni’s men and it will be important for his side to improve their goal difference, with this group looking like it will come down to the wire.

A game that’s important for different reasons is Northern Ireland’s clash with Estonia, as under pressure manager Nigel Worthington looks to prove his doubters wrong (NI Evs, draw 12/5, Estonia 11/4).

The Ulstermen’s chances are all but over for qualifying for Euro 2012, and with another major tournament slipping them by, people have called for a fresh face to be brought into the managerial  hot seat.

With only two wins from their eight games so far, Northern Ireland have struggled to compete with the likes of Italy and Serbia.

However in Estonia, Worthington’s men have a real chance of pulling off a win if they can be backed by the home support at Windsor Park.

The Baltic nation have won two more games in Group C, however in what is likely to be a wet and windy night at Windsor Park, Northern Ireland might just pull off a victory for their under pressure boss.

Another manager who would love to see his side pick up three points is Wales manager Gary Speed, who has not made a smooth transition into international football on the none-playing side.

Wales’ most capped outfield player sees his side sit rock bottom of Pool G, which also includes the likes of England, Montenegro and Bulgaria.

Friday’s opponents for the Welsh at the Liberty Stadium will be Switzerland, who still have a chance to qualify for Euro 2012 (Wales 10/3, draw 13/5, Switzerland 4/5).

Speed has some injury concerns with Jack Collison and Andy King join fellow midfielder Joe Ledley on the list of absentees, in what is already a limited Wales squad.

Switzerland have proved to be an efficient team which can grind out results and unfortunately for Speed and his men, it could be another disappointing night for the Welsh.

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Gunners face German test

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Arsenal have a huge European test on their hands on Tuesday when they face Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in their first Champions League group clash of the season (Dortmund 6/5, draw 23/10, Arsenal 12/5).

The Gunners have endured a slow start to their Premier League campaign with just four points from their first four games in the top flight so far.

Arsenal (16/1 Champions League outright) head to Germany with a win under their belts but it was a less than convincing 1-0 victory over newly promoted Swansea City last weekend that will not fill Gunners fans with confidence.

Having finished in fourth place in the Premier League last term, manager Arsene Wenger and his men have already played in the qualifying rounds of this competition and were able to overcome Italian outfit Udinese over two legs.

That success will have been a good experience for a somewhat new look Arsenal side who will need to draw on that when they take on the current Bundesliga champions.

Dortmund have not made the best start to the defence of their domestic crown, as they currently sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table and this could be a promising sign for the Gunners.

Arsenal’s new signings Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun could all feature for the Gunners but Aaron Ramsey will miss out through injury in what will be a fiery clash.

Wenger’s side will have their work cut out for them but they might just be able to nick a draw to take back to the Emirates.

Tuesday’s other game with British interest sees Chelsea host German opposition of their own in the form of Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Chelsea 2/5, draw 7/2, Leverkusen 15/2).

This will be the first game for manager Andre Villas-Boas with the Blues in the Champions League and the Portuguese coach will be looking to continue his unbeaten record with the London outfit.

Chelsea (8/1 Champions League outright) midfielder Frank Lampard has admitted there is extra pressure on his side to win this lucrative European competition from the club’s owner Roman Abramovich, who has made no secret of his desire to win the tournament.

The Blues have come close in the past, most notably their final appearance against Manchester United back in 2008, but the club are yet to lift the prestigious European Cup.

With Chelsea looking like they are starting to settle under Villas-Boas, they will be full of confidence going into this game, however it won’t be easy against a Leverkusen side who are only two points off the top of the Bundesliga.

Tuesday’s game will see a welcome return for Germany international midfielder Michael Ballack, who helped the Blues secure the first domestic double in their history.

The 34-year-old has plenty of European experience but not even that is likely to stop Chelsea picking up all three points in front of their home fans at Stamford Bridge.

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Celtic set for toughest test

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Celtic head to the capital on Wednesday to face Hearts in what is set to be the toughest test of their final three remaining games of the SPL season (totesport match prices – Hearts 9/2, draw 10/3, Celtic 1/2).

The title race is out of Celtic’s hands after their defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle last week but a 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock on Sunday has kept the Hoops in the running for the domestic crown.

Manager Neil Lennon and his players will still be hoping their arch rivals Rangers slip up before the end of the season.

However, they will have to concentrate on their own games and a trip to Tynecastle is arguably the second hardest ground in the SPL calendar.

The atmosphere at the Edinburgh ground will be fiery and Hearts would be happy to spoil Celtic’s chances of winning the title this season.

Hearts have only lost one of the last four games between these two sides at Tynecastle, winning two of them.

However, the Maroons are in a poor run of form – and were thrashed 4-0 by Rangers at Ibrox in their last outing on Saturday.

Before the thumping by the Glasgow giants, Hearts could not buy a win and had drawn their five previous games in the league.

The club remain third in the SPL table but manager Jim Jefferies will be disappointed that his team’s season has faded away towards the end.

Despite their decent record against Celtic at Tynecastle, Hearts current form suggests they will be up against it on Wednesday.

As for Celtic they bounced back from their disappointing defeat against Caley with the win over Killie.

Attacking midfielder Kris Commons was once again on the scoresheet and he has been arguably the club’s best signing this season since his move from Derby County in the January transfer window.

He will need to be on top form again when Celtic travel to the capital.

The Bhoys have two games home and away against Motherwell after their clash with Hearts and at this stage of the campaign every game is a must win.

Wednesday will be a tight and edgy affair and Hearts have had a gift of getting draws in recent weeks so they may well bag another, which could gift the SPL title to the blue side of Glasgow.

Inverness are still riding on the wave of that victory over Celtic and picked another victory on the weekend with a win over St Mirren.

Caley host Hibernian on Wednesday and manager Terry Butcher will looking for his side to finish on a high (totesport match prices – ICT 11/10, draw 23/10, Hibernian 23/10).

As for Hibs, they have failed to pick up a win in their last four games and have a terrible record at the Caledonian Stadium.

Not only have the Edinburgh club lost on their last four trips to Inverness but they have failed to score on the last three occasions.

With this in mind, Caley should come out on top in this one as they continue to enjoy a decent season.

Motherwell face Kilmarnock in Wednesday’s other fixture in their last game before they take on Celtic in back-to-back games (totesport match prices – Motherwell 23/20, draw 12/5, Kilmarnock 21/10).

This clash at Fir Park is between two evenly-matched teams with only three points separating the sides in the SPL table.

‘Well have conceded 12 goals in their last three games which should give Killie the edge as they look to consolidate fifth place in the league.

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Worthington’s men set for Serb test

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Friday night throws up some intriguing international fixtures as nations across the continent look to go one step closer to securing a place in Euro 2012.

Northern Ireland currently sit in fourth place in Group C but could go up into second spot if they can pick up three points against Serbia (Serbia 1/2, draw 3/1, Northern Ireland 6/1).

This will be a tough test for head-coach Nigel Worthington and his side as they travel to Serbia in a challenging away fixture.

The Serbs have underperformed in the qualifiers so far and have not yet picked up a win in front of their home fans and will be desperate to do so on Friday night.

Northern Ireland have shown great improvement in the qualifiers this term and a draw away from home would be a great result to keep them in the hunt for Euro 2012.

Slovenia host Italy in the other Group C clash with the Azzurri looking to increase their three-point lead at the top of the table (Solvenia 13/5, draw 9/4, Italy 11/10).

The Italians have put the disappointment of the World Cup in South Africa behind them and will once again be a force in Euro 2012.

Italy should win this one against a Solvenia side who lack any real attacking threats.

France also look like they have turned a corner after a shambolic World Cup and they will be looking to continue their good form against Luxembourg on Friday (Luxembourg 25/1, draw 8/1, France 1/25).

Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and Bayern Munich’s Frank Ribery return to the side following their suspensions for their parts the training strikes in South Africa.

They will add some extra quality to a side that have improved under manager Laurent Blanc and Les Blues should comfortably pick up another three points here.

Defending European champions Spain will hoping to maintain their 100% record in Group I as they host the Czech Republic (Spain 2/9, draw 4/1, Czech Republic 10/1).

Spain cruised to a 4-0 victory in their last qualifier against Liechtenstein but the Czechs will be a more difficult proposition.

However, at home and with the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta pulling the strings in the midfield and David Villa up front, Spain should have enough to win this one.

World Cup finalists the Netherlands travel to Hungary to also maintain their perfect record in qualification (Hungary 11/2, draw 11/4, Holland 4/9).

Hungary are battling in second place in Group E and have been competitive in qualifying.

The Dutch will be without Arjen Robben and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for the trip to Hungary but with the likes of Wesley Sniejder and Robin Van Persie in their ranks they should head home with three points.

Austria take on Belgium in Group A as both teams look to chase down Germany at the top of the table (Austria 7/5, draw 23/10, Belgium 19/10).

The last time these two sides met it finished 4-4 in Brussels and hopefully the return game will be just as exciting.

Austria have made some big improvements in qualification and should just have the edge over the Belgians.

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Pearce faces tough Danish test

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An England Under-21 side weakened by injuries will have it all to do when they come up against their Denmark counterparts in a tough-looking friendly in Viborg.

The Danes will be hosting the European Under-21 Championships in June, although they have been drawn in a different group to Stuart Pearce’s team, who are 6/5 to win Thursday’s match.

Denmark qualified for the tournament as hosts, but England struggled to join them, finishing as runners-up to Greece in Group Nine before sealing their place in the finals with a narrow 2-1 play-off success against Romania.

With another friendly against Iceland on Monday to prepare for, Pearce selected a big squad for the double-header although five early withdrawals have lessened his options.

Jack Rodwell, Gary Hooper, Mark Davies, Henri Lansbury and Alex Smithies have all dropped out as Pearce continues to ponder his options as he attempts to pick a 23-man squad for this summer’s extravaganza.

Celtic striker Hooper’s injury is particularly unfortunate as the prolific former Scunthorpe United star was set to win his first cap for his country, while Huddersfield goalkeeper Smithies has returned to his club with a slight injury.

Everton’s Rodwell is probably the highest-profile absentee, although Jack Wilshere – a regular in the Under-21 side until recently – is now an established fixture in the senior squad.

The withdrawals could hand chances to the likes of Ipswich Town teenager Connor Wickham and Chelsea starlet Josh McEachran, who were part of last year’s Under-17 Championship winning team.

England’s last game was February’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Italy in Empoli while Denmark, 9/5 to win the match and 11/5 to draw, are coached by Keld Bordinggaard, although ex-Dundee and Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst will take on the role after this summer’s tournament.

The Danes were beaten 2-1 by ten-man Spain last month but are an attractive side that includes the likes of Villarreal’s Nicki Bille Nielsen and Jens Stryger Larsen of Brondby.

Reading goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen is also among their ranks while the goals are most likely to come from Lille’s Emil Lyng or Soren Frederiksen of Copenhagen.

Last month, Fabio Capello’s senior side were forced to come from behind before beating Denmark 2-1 in an international friendly, but the youthful Danish side could have the edge in this one – they 11/2 to win it 1-0 – as Pearce continues to juggle his resources.

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Depleted United face French test

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Injury-hit Manchester United will have their work cut out Bet on the Premier Leagueon Wednesday night when they travel to France to take on Marseille in the Champions League knockout stages (Marseille 5/2,draw 23/10,United 11/10).

Admittedly, the draw has been a favourable one for the Red Devils considering London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been pitted against Barcelona and AC Milan respectively.

However, United will have to do without five players for the game in the south of France.

The major losses are central defender Rio Ferdinand, who has still not recovered from a calf injury, and Anderson who was forced off the field during United’s 1-0 win over Crawley Town in the FA Cup.

Jonny Evans would be the go-to man in the absence of Ferdinand but the Northern Irishman is also on the injury list with an ankle problem.

Add to this the injuries suffered by Ryan Giggs and Michael Owen, and you’re left with some tough decisions for Sir Alex Ferguson to make on Wednesday night.

Fortunately for United they still have firepower up front with Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov fit and ready to go.

Meanwhile, playmaker Nani will be bursting forward from midfield to create chances and bag goals of his own.

Marseille will be no pushovers on home soil, as they currently sit in third place in Ligue 1, and have only suffered two defeats in their last 22 games.

United were lacklustre in their last outing in the FA Cup and they would probably be happy with a draw in Marseille, especially if they can bag themselves an away goal, so at 23/10, that looks appealing.

In Wednesday night’s other game, Inter Milan take on Bayern Munich at the San Siro in a replay of last year’s final (Inter 5/4, draw 9/4, Munich 11/5).

Under former boss Jose Mourinho, Inter were the side to come out on top at the Santiago Bernabeu to break German hearts.

There has been a change of manager at the San Siro as Leonardo has since taken the reins after former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez struggled to find his feet in Milan.

Inter are not the same side that they were under the ’special one’ Mourinho, as they have shown a weakness at the back that has been exploited a few times this season.

Tottenham were able to exploit a lack of pace at the back, as Gareth Bale glided past Maicon on a number of occasions to bag himself a hat-trick in the group-stage clash.

Bayern do not have that same out-and-out pace in their ranks as Spurs do with Bale and Aaron Lennon, but they do boast technical players like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Frank Ribery who will pose problems for the Italian club.

With Inter on home soil they will be the favourites but Munich might be able to get something out of this mouth-watering clash and money on another draw, at 9/4, could be rewarded.

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Reds ready for Sparta test

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Liverpool can put their thoughts of climbing the Premier League behind them as they focus on back-to-back Europa League clashes with Sparta Prague, starting with a tough away leg on Thursday (Sparta 16/5, draw 23/10, Liverpool 10/11).

The Reds have made great strides under Kenny Dalglish since the departure of his predecessor Roy Hodgson. Apart from a blip last weekend in a 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic, results have started to go in favour of the Merseyside club.

Liverpool have already had some tough away days in the Europa League this season, with difficult trips to Holland, Italy and Romania. They have only managed to score one goal away from home in the competition, which came in a 1-1 draw with Steaua Bucharest.

Liverpool managed to battle out goalless away draws against Napoli and FC Utrecht whilst blooding youngsters in Europe. Like Manchester City against Aris Salonika, Liverpool may now look to strengthen their team for the knockout stages.

The Reds are without their skipper Steven Gerrard and experienced defender Daniel Agger, as they have been sidelined with injury. New signing Andy Carroll has travelled with the squad to the Czech Republic but he is still not fit enough to make his Liverpool debut.

One talented youngster who could make his first appearance for the Anfield club at the tender age of just 16 years and 71 days is Raheem Sterling.

The Jamaica-born striker would become the youngest player ever to play for the Liverpool first team if he manages to get on to the pitch on Thursday night.

Sparta will be another difficult nut to crack – especially on their home turf. It looks like it’s going to be close contest in the Czech capital and a low goal-scoring draw looks to be on the cards.

Flying the flag for Scotland in Europe are Glasgow Rangers who face Sporting Lisbon at Ibrox on Thursday (Rangers 6/4, draw 23/10, Sporting Lisbon 9/5).

As they did when they reached the final of the Europa League in 2008, Gers will be looking to make themselves difficult to beat.

Rangers will head into their first game in Europe without their season’s top goalscorer Kenny Miller who moved to Bursaspor in the January transfer window.

Rangers have to get something out of this home leg if they want any chance of going through to the latter stages of this tournament.

In front of a packed house at Ibrox, Gers could just grab a goal to have a slender lead going into the tough second leg back in Portugal.

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