There’s even more World Cup qualifying action to sink your teeth into between Sunday and Tuesday as teams from across Europe prepare themselves for their second match of the international break. England travel to Slovenia for their second game under Gareth Southgate in what could be a potentially tricky fixture for the interim boss. Elsewhere, one of the biggest matches on show is between the Netherlands and France it’s one that promises plenty of entertainment for the neutral.
We also focus our attention on Group D, which looks like being one of the most competitive of the nine qualifying groups. Currently there are four closely matched nations tied on four points so neither Wales nor the Republic of Ireland can afford any dropped points when they take on Georgia and Moldova respectively. With goal difference looking potentially decisive in this group, both teams will surely be hoping for a big scoreline, but that is far easier said than done.
Sunday 9th October 2016
Wales v Georgia (17:00) – Wales to win 2-1 (21/2 with BetVictor)
Securing a point away in Austria on Thursday can certainly be considered a good result given that it’ll be one of Wales’ toughest matches in Group D. Chris Coleman’s side weren’t at their best and if it wasn’t for a fortuitous Kevin Wimmer own goal just before the half time break, then perhaps the home side would have walked away with all three points. Seeing as though Georgia ran Austria close last month in a 2-1 defeat, Wales will need to put in a decent performance to earn their second group stage win.
One win in their last nine matches doesn’t make for great reading for Georgia but it’s important to remember that their solitary victory was a shock one against Spain in Madrid. The Georgians do have the occasional habit of performing above expectations, as also highlighted in their 2-1 loss to Germany in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, this time last year. They worked very hard in Dublin on Thursday to give the Irish a run for their money and you can expect them to do the same in Cardiff too. It’s unlikely they will have enough to even secure a point here but don’t expect them to be beaten by a big margin.
Moldova v Republic of Ireland (19:45) – Republic of Ireland to win 1-0 (9/2 with Betfred)
Moldova currently lie bottom of Group D due to their inferior -7 goal difference. The eastern European outfit are certainly used to losing, having lost nine of their last 11 matches but their recent 4-0 and 3-0 qualifier defeats have been the only time they’ve lost by more than a two goal margin since September 2013. Therefore, it’s fair to say that the Moldovans are performing below what they are capable of at the moment and they’ll be looking for some improvements here against an Irish side with a growing injury list.
With several key Irish players absent for this match, Martin O’Neil will be happy to avoid a potentially embarrassing slip up here which could prove incredibly costly in such a tight group. Although Georgia are a stronger opponent than Moldova, Ireland’s lacklustre performance will have been a concern and they will hope to create a little more goal mouth action this time. The Boys in Green rarely win a match comfortably though, only winning by more than a one goal margin on two occasions during the Euro 2016 qualifiers, so while they should have the beating of Moldova, a 1-0 win looks like the most likely route to victory.
Monday 10th October 2016
Netherlands v France (19:45) – Over 2.5 goals (13/10 with Coral)
While the Dutch have often been one of the big hitters in world football, it’s fair to say that at the moment, they are not enjoying one of their best periods. They failed to make it to the finals of Euro 2016 and a place in the World Cup 2018 looks far from assured. A win against France this Monday though would do their cause a world of good however and if their recent meeting, a 3-2 friendly loss in March, is anything to go by, then the Dutch may stand half a chance here.
For France, a 0-0 draw away to Belarus was not what they had hoped for to begin their qualifying campaign but their destiny is still in their own hands and you can expect a better showing from them on home soil. Being the hosts for the Euros meant they avoided the qualification stage but their performance at the tournament itself showed they are a very talented side who may perform even better now some of the pressure is off. It’s a match which could go either way but with both teams scoring goals on a very regular basis, this one should have goals in, just like it did last time.
Tuesday 11th October 2016
Slovenia v England (17:00) – England to win (8/13 with Betfred)
Although Slovenia made it to both the 2002 and 2010 World Cup finals, it looks very unlikely that we will be seeing them in Russia in two years’ time. Defensively they are reasonably sound, especially with the incredibly talented Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, between the sticks, but going forwards they can often be a bit toothless. This is something only made worse by the absence of the creative Leverkusen midfielder Kevin Kampl, who will miss this game due to an infection he recently picked up.
The last time the two sides met Slovenia gave England to a scare and it took a late Wayne Rooney goal to secure a 3-2 win for the Three Lions. Under interim manager Southgate, it’s hard to see England playing at their very best but they did boast an unbeaten record during the Euro 2016 qualifiers and it seems they perform better when the pressure is off. Southgate may well make a couple of changes for this match from the side that featured at Malta but with a strong squad to pick from, England should have enough quality to get the job done in Ljubljana.