Domestic football across Europe may have drawn to a close but there isn’t a complete absence of footballing action as there’s a round of World Cup qualifiers to enjoy. All the sides from the United Kingdom are involved over the weekend and all are still in with a shot of making it to the finals in Russia in 2018. Qualification groups are tight though and a slip up here could make the difference as we pass the halfway mark on the road to Russia.
On Saturday, Northern Ireland travel to Azerbaijan, hoping to maintain their second place spot in Group C with the Czech Republic hot on their tails. Kicking off at the same time are Scotland and England who go toe to toe at Hampden Park in what will be a big occasion for both sets of fans. Sunday sees two games of massive importance in Group D, the first being second placed Republic of Ireland versus fourth placed Austria. Four points separate the two sides at the moment and the same gap also divides table toppers Serbia with third place Wales who face each other in the Red Star Stadium.
Saturday 10th June 2017
Azerbaijan v Northern Ireland (17:00) – Northern Ireland to win (13/10 with Bet365)
When Azerbaijan travelled to Belfast in November they were easily brushed aside during a 4-0 defeat. Being back on familiar territory will help their cause but the advantage may be limited. At home they were able to secure a useful win against Norway but largely performances have been disappointing from the nation ranked 76th in the world. They did beat Northern Ireland in Baku three year ago but a lot has changed since then so it’s wise not to take much notice of the result.
Michael O’Neill has worked wonders for Northern Ireland and they look to stand a serious chance of finishing second in their group. He has a selection headache for this game as there were some good performances during a recent 1-0 win over New Zealand but it’s a nice problem to have. They’ve performed solidly throughout the qualifying campaign and their defence has managed four clean sheets already. Rarely do the Northern Irish find away fixtures easy but their strong foundations should help them secure a hard-fought victory.
Scotland v England (17:00) – England to win and under 3.5 goals (15/13 with Ladbrokes)
Many were touting Scotland’s last game against Slovenia as a must win fixture for Gordon Strachan if he was to stay on as manager of the national side. Chris Martin’s late winner is likely to buy the 60-year-old boss some more time as well as keeping the Scotland’s qualifications hopes alive. Now just two points separates them from second placed Slovakia but they can’t afford this gap to increase. Strachan will have to get his tactics spot on if he’s to take points from what should be a youthful England side.
England didn’t win any plaudits during their most recent test, a 2-0 victory over Lithuania. It was a rather uninspired display form a side who look like they need more time to improve. They got the job done though and that’s something they usually tend to do. England’s qualification record for Euro 2016 was faultless and they are in pole position to finish top of the group here. The quality of the players Southgate has at his disposal should be enough to give them the edge in what should be a close battle. Don’t expect many goals though as the Scotland’s last four home games have all seen less than three goals.
Sunday 11th June 2017
Republic of Ireland v Austria (17:00) – Under 2.5 goals (8/15 with Betfair)
A 3-1 friendly victory over Uruguay is great preparation for this huge fixture especially as the Irish usually struggle for goals. It was just the second time in their last seven matches they’ve managed to score more than one goal in a game and another three goal haul isn’t something you should expect here. The Irish are likely to approach the game quite cautiously as a loss would be a disaster while a draw wouldn’t be terrible. Added to this, they don’t really have a reliable source of goals and the usual main threat, Shane Long, is out with a metatarsal injury.
Austria also have a significant striking injury in the form of Marcel Sabitzer but team news is largely positive. David Alaba, Marc Janko, Louis Schaub, Valentino Lazaro and Martin Harnik are all expected to recover from knocks in time and will help Austria be competitive here. The onus is on the away side to come out an attack here but that will be difficult against an often resolute Irish backline. Defences look like coming out on top here much like they did in November’s 1-0 reverse clash so backing under 2.5 goals is a sensible option for this one.
Serbia v Wales (19:45) – Draw (5/2 with Betfred)
Wales haven’t enjoyed their time against Serbia so far. Their first meeting with the eastern European side ended in a 6-1 defeat and more recently they suffered a frustrating 1-1 draw after a late Aleksandar Mitrovic goal. The Group D leaders are improving under Slavoljub Muslin and it would be no surprise to see them make life tough for Wales once again. Serbia is not an easy country to travel to and it’s a place at which only Portugal have won during the last two years.
Normally a point away in Serbia would be a good result but four consecutive draws means that Wales need more than that to give them a realistic chance of a top two finish. Without the suspended Gareth Bale however, this looks like an incredibly difficult ask. The Real Madrid start is often the focal point of the Wales attack, scoring half of his sides goals in the qualifiers and without him they are at risk of being a little toothless. Chris Coleman’s side will still have plenty to offer defensively but with no major threat at the other end, another draw looks like being as good as they can hope for.