International weeks are rarely anyone’s favourite, but this Tuesday is packed with great football to keep you entertained. Not only are England taking on one of the best sides in the world, but there are some great games happening in Europe and beyond. The European qualifiers for the World Cup might be over, but that doesn’t signal the end of the international action.
Friendlies aren’t universally loved, but there are some fantastic games coming on Tuesday. England host Spain at Wembley, the final game in Gareth Southgate’s interim spell in charge. Northern Ireland are looking to finish off their fantastic year with a win over Croatia. There’s also a clash between two European giants, and some crucial qualifiers in South America. Ahead of those games, take a look at our betting tips for Tuesday’s games here.
Tuesday 15th November 2016
England vs Spain (19:45) – Aritz Aduriz to score any time (5/2 with Bet365)
Gareth Southgate has two wins from three in temporary charge of the Three Lions. With Spain heading to Wembley on Tuesday night, the former Middlesbrough boss could be about to manage the senior side for the last time. While many are already calling for him to get the job on a full-time basis, surely this result will play a role in the FA’s decision. Southgate and his team have a tough task ahead, as they host a revitalised Spain, with a new 35-year-old forward leading the charge.
Julen Lopetegui was appointed as manager after Spain’s Euro 2016 exit, and made a strong start. Like Southgate, he’s taking on the senior job after managing the under-21s. The former Porto boss hasn’t been afraid to make changes. They’ve had a more direct approach, which suits Aritz Aduriz. The Athletic Club forward has just 10 caps to his name at 35, but he’s forcing his way into the national set up. He hit the headlines after scoring five goals in a recent Europa League game. He scored for Spain at the weekend, and he should get a start here. We’re backing the experienced striker to score anytime here, which is priced at very decent odds of 5/2 with Bet365.
Northern Ireland vs Croatia (19:45) – Both teams to score (11/10 with Sky Bet)
Northern Ireland have had a fantastic 2016. After their strong showing at the European Championships, they are now pushing for a place at the next World Cup. Their 4-0 win over Azerbaijan on Friday has them second in their group, and they look to be favourites to finish behind Germany and make it into the play-offs. At the very least, they’ll be wanting a strong campaign that can boost their co-efficient score ahead of qualifying for Euro 2020. A result against Croatia would help that a lot.
The Croatians are top of their qualifying group, but they face a tough test here. The Ulstermen are usually strong at home, and they have a good record of upsets against major nations at Windsor Park. While Croatia are favourites, we can see them conceding when they make the trip to Belfast. Northern Ireland showed their scoring touch with their win at the weekend, and we’re backing them to follow that up with a goal here. We also see Croatia scoring, they’ve hit 10 in four qualifying games already. Both teams to score is our tip here, at huge odds of 11/10 with Sky Bet.
Italy vs Germany (19:45) – Over 1.5 Germany goals (13/8 with Bet365)
This was the biggest of the Euro 2016 quarter-finals last summer, and now it’s the biggest friendly this week. Italy are in the middle of a slight rebuilding job, after Antonio Conte’s departure in the summer. Giampiero Ventura is now in charge, and he’s not changed too much. However, he’s having a difficult time getting as much out of the side as Conte did and they face Spain in a tough qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup. That makes this week’s clash important to them before they travel to face Spain later next year.
The Germans may have been knocked out in the semi-finals in the summer, but they still extended Joachim Low’s contract through to 2020. They’re aiming to retain the World Cup in Russia. With a pretty straightforward qualifying group, they need big friendlies like this to prepare them for the finals in 2018. They beat Italy 4-1 back in March, and they’ll be looking for another win here. The Italians are vulnerable defensively, having conceded in five of their last six. The Germans have scored two or more in their last five, so we’re backing them to score over 1.5 goals yet again at 13/8 with Bet365.
Argentina vs Colombia (23:30) – Lionel Messi to score anytime (23/20 with Coral)
Argentina lost to bitter rivals Brazil last week, which left them in serious trouble in the race to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They are sixth in the table, with the top four qualifying automatically. If they don’t shape up soon, they risk missing out on the tournament in Russia. Colombia are in much better shape, they sit third overall, but they’re just two points above the Argentines. Can they keep that lead intact after this clash in San Juan? A result here would be a huge boost for the visitors’ chances of qualifying.
Lionel Messi held nothing back when dressing down his teammates after their 3-0 loss to Brazil. His decision to reverse his international retirement might be something he’s regretting now, with his side struggling to even qualify for the World Cup. However, they can never be counted out with Messi up front. The Barcelona man showed how he can turn around games when the Catalans were struggling away to Sevilla. He was in inspired form, leading his team to victory. We’re tipping more magic from Messi and we’re backing him to score any time at 23/20 with Coral.