The start of the new Premier League season seems an eternity away, but luckily we’ve got a few more international fixtures to keep you entertained you over while you wait. Last weekend saw the match insomniacs everywhere were crying out for, as England drew 0-0 in the Republic of Ireland. Elsewhere, Scotland just about edged out Qatar in a game that was little better, while Northern Ireland and Wales took the weekend off.
Hopefully this weekend is an improvement, with crucial European Championship qualifying points on the line. All five of the British and Irish sides are in with a chance of making the finals, but this weekend’s games are potentially make or break. Here we have previews for four of the upcoming qualifiers, with a betting tip included for each.
Friday 12th June 2015
Wales v Belgium (19:45) – Both teams to score (6/5 with Coral)
The top two in group B go head to head on Friday night, with the Welsh knowing they could move top with a win. They face the side currently ranked second in the world, so it’s far from an easy task. While this isn’t make or break for the Welsh, a defeat would certainly halt their fantastic momentum. A top two finish is very realistic for Chris Coleman’s side, and it would be even more probably if they could snatch a result here.
Belgium come into this one on the back of a great 4-3 win over 2016 hosts France. They are among the front runners to win the tournament, and they’ll want their place at the finals sewn up as early as possible. A win here would put them on the verge of making it, and it would put them clear at the top. The only issue is their defence, something the Welsh should be able to take advantage of at home. A Belgium win looks likely, but the best value bet here is both teams to score, whilst 2-1 is worth a pop at long odds.
Saturday 13th June 2015
Republic of Ireland v Scotland (17:00) – Draw and under 2.5 (12/5 with Sky Bet)
Saturday sees two close neighbours in action, as Scotland make the short trip across to Dublin. These two are locked in battle in the tightest group, with the top four separated by just three points. One of them is going to miss out on qualification and the play-offs, and that’ll probably be whichever team loses here. The Republic are currently fourth, two points behind the third placed Scots, so defeat just isn’t an option. Ideally they need to go and pick up three points, but winning games hasn’t been the Irish’s strong point of late.
Their recent goalscoring woes have cost them points, especially in their last qualifier against Poland. Their lack of options going forward was shown in the 0-0 draw with England last week, and they won’t find Scotland easy to break down either. Since both sides know a defeat would be disastrous, this will probably be a very cagey affair. It’s easy to see them both sitting back here, making it very similar to the friendly on Sunday. A draw will just about keep both teams in the hunt for the play-off spot. Backing a 0-0 is good value at 13/2, but we’re tipping the draw and under 2.5 goals at 12/5, with 1-1 also a distinct possibility.
Northern Ireland v Romania (19:45) – NI to win (9/4 with BetVictor)
Northern Ireland have taken everybody by surprise in the qualifiers, as they sit second in group F at the halfway stage. They look well placed to make the Euros as things stand, with an eight point lead over fourth place. They have three home games and a trip to the Faroe Islands in their last five, so they should be able to get themselves over the line. A win here would be huge, as it would send them above the Romanians, putting them top of the group. With Greece faltering, that would put them in a fantastic position to make it to France.
Their home record goes somewhat unnoticed, but NI have a solid record at Windsor Park and a fantastic set of fans. This is possibly their biggest game in decades, so no doubt the crowd will be absolutely rocking. While they don’t have any stars, their team is such a solid unit that they are more than capable of getting a result here. It’s surprising to see them at such a huge price after their recent results, so a home win is a bet worth grabbing, especially before the odds come in closer to kick off.
Sunday 14th June 2015
Slovenia v England (17:00) – England to win to nil (19/10 with BetVictor)
The final one of the home nations to kick off is England, as they head to Slovenia, looking to maintain their 100% record in the group. They’re basically already qualified for France, but they have a few nice trips to get through before that’s mathematically confirmed. They’ll be in no mood to let their 100% record slip here, and they do have to give the fans something to get excited about after the dire draw in Dublin. It was hailed as the worst game England have ever played, and they’ll be looking to get back to winning ways after that.
The most interesting thing here will be the team, with the possibility of Charlie Austin making his debut. It’s likely that they won’t change too much, but it’s hard to see Austin being left out again. Their back five should remain unchanged here, and for good reason. They’ve conceded just one goal in qualifying so far, and they should keep that fantastic record up, as Slovenia aren’t much of a threat going forward. Despite their superb defensive stats, England’s defence are well priced to do their job here. A win for the visitors with a clean sheet is priced at 19/10, great value when you consider that they’re runaway group leaders.