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England V Bulgaria

Friday, 3rd September – 20:00 GMT
LIVE on ITV1
EURO 2012, Group G Qualifier

England

Just over two months since Fabio Capello’s England massively underachieved at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Three Lions look to bounce right back with a positive start in the EURO 2012 qualifiers, where Capello’s charges will face dangerous opposition in the form of Bulgaria first up at Wembley before travelling to Switzerland for their second qualifier in four days.

You could argue that following on from their abysmal showing at the summer’s finals in South Africa, England’s Three Lions are a wounded animal, desperate to lash out and exert some pent up frustration. But those theories were quickly dashed when England only managed a less than convincing 2-1 win over Hungary in a recently friendly, with captain Steven Gerrard sparing England’s blushes with a sublime brace in front of a well turned out Wembley crowd which really should have been baying for blood but instead, the vast majority anyway, gave their support – And Capello will be hoping England’s fans will become the 12th man on Friday as the Italian’s weakened side look to get back to winning ways in competitive action.

Of those which would have definitely featured but are no longer available through injury; John Terry and Frank Lampard provide the biggest hiccup for Capello, who is now set to embark upon his second notable campaign as England manager with the expectations level within the country now at its highest following the disappointments of South Africa. There are even some corners which suggested Capello shouldn’t even be at the helm, which just goes to show how much pressure the Italian disciplinarian is under to get the very best out of a team which recently got nowhere near their true potential. Rio Ferdinand is also out with a knee injury, but Jermaine Defoe has postponed a groin operation in order to play a part in England’s Group G opener – Just the commitment Fabio Capello needed ahead of a ‘must win’ encounter.

Fabio Capello has also made headlines with his squad selections, naming eleven players which didn’t travel to South Africa in June. The most poignant inclusion was winger Theo Walcott, who was one of Capello’s shock omission from the World Cup squad but his form at the start of the season for Arsenal, opening with four goals, including a hat-trick, in three games, has seen him become almost a certain starter for Friday’s match up with the Bulgarians. The Arsenal Gunner will hope to link up well with an out-of-sorts Wayne Rooney, who has found the net just once since March for club and country, but the main concerns lye in defence, as without John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King, Capello may have to entrust an unlikely England centre-back duo with guarding Joe Hart’s goal in Michael Dawson and Phil Jagielka.

Bulgaria

The south-eastern Europeans don’t have the most ideal of records against the English having never recording a win over the team from the British Isles, but their coach, Stanimir Stoilov, is confident the 21-man party he’s assembled to take on England and then Montenegro four days later are more than capable of banishing memories of a poor World Cup qualifying campaign, when finishing third in a group containing Italy and Republic of Ireland and therefore missing out on the play-off’s, and making the dream start to EURO 2012 qualifying.

Stanimir Stoilov has assembled a team comprising mainly of overseas players, which will surely mean his knowledge of his 21-man squad won’t be as sharp as he would like, this despite the amount of scouting most team do nowadays. Stoilov is also without the country’s all-time leading goalscorer in Dimitar Berbatov, who earlier in the year decided to enter into early international retirement in a bid to focus on his club career following stinging criticism during his time in a Manchester United shirt. The Bulgarian does, though, still contain a host of accomplished stars and household English names. Captain Stiliyan Petrov and Martin Petrov of Aston Villa and Bolton respectively, as well as former Man City forward Valeri Bojinov, are all an integral part of the Bulgarian set up and their experience from playing in the English Premier League will serve them well when pitting themselves against English opposition.

Since missing out on South Africa, Bulgaria have struggled for form and have even tried to bolster their away credentials by playing a succession of away internationals – Which had they of won would have been formidable form coming into Wembley’s encounter with England. However, losses Poland, Belgium and Russia have cast doubts over their credentials of challenging for a play-off berth in Group G, with England the firm favourites to clinch top spot. They are, nevertheless, tricky opposition, a team boasting a great deal of valuable European knowledge, and are worthy of England’s respect on Friday.

Match Verdict: England to WIN – 1.33 SkyBet

Injuries have blighted Capello’s preparations for this Bulgarian tester, but anything less than a performance baring three points would be both a huge disappointment and a significant setback considering England should be looking to win all four of their home encounters in a group where they are firm favourites to win outright thus qualifying automatically for the finals in two years time.

The worries are at the back as this is where England encountered so many problems during the World Cup, and even in a recent EURO 2012 warm up international with Hungary. We have every faith and belief in Joe Hart becoming England’s regular number one from this point on, but his defence let him down agaisnt Hungary and with Capello having no option but to field an untested centre-back partnership at this level, perhaps England aren’t quite worth their strong favourites tag. However, there are so many match winners in the squad, as well as certain individuals eager to impress and prove the manager wrong for discarding them for England’s dire World Cup campaign, that England just look too good to oppose.

England’s record at home to Bulgaria: W2 D3 L0

England’s record at home during 2010 World Cup qualifying: W5 D0 L0 (Goals – F: 21 A:3)

Soccer-Betting Value Tip: Wayne Rooney to Score Two or More – 4.50 SkyBet

Match Odds:

England – 1.33 SkyBet
Draw – 5.00 Bet365
Bulgaria – 11.00 VCBet

Lithuania V Scotland

Friday, 3rd September – 19:15 GMT
LIVE on BBC Scotland
EURO 2012, Group I Qualifier

Lithuania

Situated in the north of Europe, Lithuania will be doing their utmost to ensure they remain competitive throughout qualifying as they look to qualify for their first ever major tournament, having never played in either a European Championship or World Cup proper. In all honesty, that feat doesn’t look likely to change any time soon, especially not in a group as competitive and difficult as this one; Group I.

Ranked eleven places behind Scotland in FIFA’s World Rankings, Lithuania will look to defy the odds on Friday by halting Scotland’s aspirations of making their first major tournament since 1998. However, the last meeting on Lithuanian soil between the two didn’t go accordingly with home advantage, as Scotland ran out 2-1 winners, but that doesn’t necessarily rule the home side out of exacting some revenge on Friday, as there was glimpses of form during their World Cup qualifying which would indicate a possible winning start for Raimondas Zutautas’ men. Despite suffering narrow 1-0 losses to France & Romania, Lithuania did manage wins over Austria (2-0) and the dangerous and well equipped Serbia (2-1) – Two results which should have Scotland rightly on their toes and a little apprehensive about their trip to Kaunas.

Lithuania’s form, however, since capping off a promising World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Serbia hasn’t been ideal, with Zutautas seeing his side lose back-to-back friendly internationals to nearby Ukraine (4-0A) and Belarus (2-0H).

Scotland

Craig Levein and his depleted Scotland ranks will be hoping to start EURO 2012 qualifying with a bang as they make a familiar trip to Lithuania to take on a team they have faced in the previous three European qualifying campaigns – With Scotland’s record in Lithuania standing at W1 D1 L1. Miserable memories of World Cup qualifying, where the Scots didn’t get anywhere near making the cut for South Africa, still linger and will continue to do so until Scotland’s finest show their true potential and start bringing home the bacon for a change.

Scotland have been handed a golden opportunity to begin their road to Poland-Ukraine in 2012 with a quick-fire back-to-back winning spree, with the Scots beginning their journey with a reasonably difficult trip to Kaunas, Lithuania in a fixture which is nevertheless winnable, while just four days later they return home to Hampden Park where nothing less than a comfortable win is expected over Group I minnows Liechtenstein. To be brutally honest, what with Scotland being involved in a five-team qualifying group meaning just one country automatically progresses to the finals in two years time without the need of a play-off, anything less than maximum points from their opening two contests will be good enough to keep them in toe with the group’s leading players; the dangerous and usually very consistent Czech’s and, of course, the highlight of Group I, reigning World and European champions Spain – There is absolutely no room for error in Levein’s first meaningful game in charge of Scotland.

The former Dundee United now turned Scotland manager hasn’t been dealt any favours, with news of injuries to key players hampering his preparations ahead of two significant encounters. Defenders Andy Webster, Kevin McNaughton and Lee Wallace have all been ruled out of Friday’s Group I opener while forward Chris Iwelumo, who infamously missed an opening foal for Scotland against Norway during their disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign, further depletes Levein’s squad. To add to his woes, Steven Fletcher is nursing a foot injury picked up early in the season when playing for his club side Wolves and is unlikely to start against Lithuania, meaning Levein will decide whether to partner Kenny Miller with either Kris Boyd or James McFadden in attack, with the latter likely to get the nod as Levein looks to pack the midfield by positioning McFadden just off Miller.

Match Verdict: Scotland to WIN – 2.80 Ladbrokes

Lithuania showed that they were more than capable of putting in a high calibre performance against teams more glamorous than themselves during their previous qualifying campaign for a major tournament, but their form has taken a dip more recently and despite Scotland’s injury headaches, we’re siding with the Scots to make the flying start.

Games on Lithuanian soil haven’t been what we would call exciting in recent years, at least not by looking at the scorelines. In five matches on Lithuanian soil during World Cup qualifying, only one produced more than two goals; A 2-1 win over Serbia, with four of the five ending with one side failing to score, so whoever grabs the first goal could be home and hosed by the looks of it.

Soccer-Betting Value Tip: Scotland to WIN to NIL – 4.50 SkyBet

Match Odds:

Lithuania - 2.75 WilliamHill
Draw – 3.30 Coral
Scotland – 2.80 Ladbrokes

Montenegro V Wales

Friday, 3rd September – 18:30 GMT
EURO 2012, Group G Qualifier

Montenegro

Zlatko Kranjcar, father of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Niko, will manage the newest international team on the block as Montenegro aim to qualify for their first major tournament since gaining full UEFA membership in 2007, when splitting from neighbours Serbia. However, Kranjcar has already bemoaned the lack of the country’s most coveted star in Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic, who famously scored a brace against Liverpool in the 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League but will not feature for his country against until next year as he recovers from a serious knee injury.

Despite being an active international side for just three years, Montenegro are ranked a modest 72 in the world and find themselves twelve places better off than their Group G opponents Wales in the latest FIFA rankings. That doesn’t, however, entitle Hrabri Sokoolovi to three points and the team will need to battle on gamely without their star player if they wish to make the perfect start to qualifying, although household names are few and far between. One name in particular, though, which does stand out is AS Roma’s clinical finisher, Mirko Vucinic, whom has racked up 9 goals in 19 appearances for Montenegro and will look to inspire team-mates with his goals as he leads by example as team captain.

The home side will feel they have already won the mental battle between themselves and Wales having beaten the Welsh in the only previous meeting between the two, when Montenegro recorded a 2-1 win in Podgorica via goals from Jovetic and Radomir Djalovic. The former is obviously not available to strike again against the Welsh but the fact this fixture is being played in the exact same venue could have a huge baring on the outcome of the game.

Wales

It’s been 44 years since Welsh fans last entertained the fact that they were competing in a major tournament, with the 1976 European Championships their last and only major qualifying triumph for the country since participating in their also one and only FIFA World Cup back in 1958. On both occasions Wales reached the quarter-finals, an omen perhaps should John Toshack complete the Welsh dream and take his country of birth to the 2012 European Championships in Poland-Ukraine.

I don’t know about you Welsh fans out there but this current crop assembled by Toshack seems a half-decent bunch to me, with a useful mixture of hardened Premiership veterans and genuine world-class potential. All Wales fans need to complete the mix would be Ryan Giggs’ announcement that retirement is no longer for him, although that’s an unlikely scenario. To be honest, Wales have a player in the form of the great Ryan Giggs, arguably the greatest Welsh player to have ever lived alongside Ian Rush of course, in Tottenham’s coming of age defender/midfielder Gareth Bale, who in the last couple of seasons has come on leaps and bounds in the Premiership and is beginning to earn the worldwide reputation for being a lethal winger for Spurs.

Taking into account my little knowledge of the Montenegro team, I would say Wales are more than a match for their Group G openers and only need to cast the away factor aside to claim a positive result in Podgorica this Friday. Granted their defence is a little suspect, but the wealth of attacking options now at John Toshack’s disposal finally makes Wales a tidy little force to be reckoned with. The seemingly hostile relationship between manager and Bellamy seems to have diminished as the now Cardiff striker is set to start in Montenegro, of which any one of Simon Church, Ched Evans or Robert Earnshaw would provide a suitable strike-partner, although preference is likely to be for the pace of 29 year-old Robert Earnshaw. It is, though, the amount of creativity in the midfield which impresses us the most and will have Wales fans in unison believing that 2012 could be the year when Wales end their wait for participation in a major tournament.

Match Verdict: Wales to WIN – 4.50 Bet365

You cannot underestimate how much weaker Montenegro are without their linchpin, Stevan Jovetic, who really does make the team tick. Everything positive goes through the Viola playmaker, and now the hopes of a nation rest upon Mirko Vucinic shoulders, just about the one and only remaining high profile name inside the camp.

John Toshack will be missing his fair share of key components too, with Darcy Blake, Brian Stock and Andrew Crofts all dropping out with injuries, but there’s something potent about Wales’ attacking line which has us thinking that perhaps Toshack’s side will produce a performance of high calibre needed to overhaul the Montenegro team on their own patch. The form of two players in particular will be pivotal; Gareth Bale looking to continue where he’s left off for Spurs this season when scoring twice at the weekend in a 2-1 win over Stoke City, while Craig Bellamy now has his confidence and self-belief back following his loan move back to his homeland, Cardiff.

At enticing odds, we’re on the Welsh to spring a mini surprise by beating Montenegro in their own backyard.

Soccer-Betting Value Tip: Craig Bellamy First Goalscorer – 9.00 VCbet

Match Odds:

Montenegro – 1.91 PaddyPower
Draw – 3.40 Boylesports
Wales – 4.50 Bet365

Slovenia V Northern Ireland

Friday, 3rd September – 19:45 GMT
LIVE on Sky Sports 1
EURO 2012, Group C Qualifier

Slovenia

Fresh of the back of a mildly impressive World Cup campaign – impressive simply because they managed to make the finals despite a population of just over two-million – and will now have high hopes and aspirations for an equally successive route to their next major tournament: EURO 2010. Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek was said to be very proud of his players after their efforts in South Africa, as Slovenia recorded their first ever win in the finals when beating Algeria 1-0 in Polokwane, and the aim over the next two years will be to complete an historic journey of making back-to-back major finals.

Slovenia warmed up for their EURO 2012 qualifying campaign with a comfortable 2-0 friendly win over Australia on August 11th against a team boasting more star names than their Group C opener’s Northern Ireland, so on that form the Slovenians should open their European account with another straightforward win. If only it was that simple, although there is furthermore strong form to suggest the central Europeans will register three points at the first attempt as Slovenia clashed twice with the Irish on route to qualifying for South Africa, with Matjaz Kek’s men recording a 2-0 win in Maribor, the same venue for Friday’s encounter.

The main concern with the Slovenians is how fired up and excited the entire country is at the prospect of a derby with nearby Serbia, who they face just days after hosting Northern Ireland. Forward Milivoje Novakovic has promised followers that there will be no complacency whatsoever from his team-mates, and the FC Koln striker, as well as the rest of the Slovenian nation, expect nothing less than victory on Friday against an opponent they should be beating if they fancy their chances of making the finals in two years time on Poland & Ukraine soil.

Northern Ireland

The smaller of the two Irish national teams, Northern Ireland have never competed in the finals of a European Championship and will be bidding to halt their drought in another competitive but realistic Group C containing former European winners Italy, Serbia and Slovenia as qualifying challengers, while Estonia and Faroe Islands make up the group as the two sides unlikely to register too many points during the course of qualifying – With Nigel Worthington pinpointing maximum points from all four encounters against the group’s minnow contingents.

Despite being the lesser of five British footballing nations, Northern Ireland haven’t actually faired badly in recent qualifying campaigns and will consider themselves a tad unfortunate not to have qualified for the previous two major tournaments, having missed out on the World Cup finals in the summer by five points and failing to reach the previous version of this competition by six points despite the sensational 3-2 win over Spain in Belfast.

There have been some special results down the years for NI, with wins over the English and the Spanish highlights, and it’s those extraordinary results which give fans back home, in a country which houses less population than their match day rivals, genuine belief that the team can reach the heights of 1958, 1982 & 1986 when qualifying for the World Cup finals, but qualification for the European Championships has always eluded the Irish and with Nigel Worthington’s squad not boasting the strongest of internationals, it will take one magnanimous effort for Northern Ireland to make the cut.

We feel we need say no more other than Nigel Worthington’s team contains a mixture of Premiership bit-part players and low league professionals, ranging from Jonny Evans of Manchester United & kyle Lafferty of Rangers in the SPL right down to Gary McCann of Peterborough United in League One. On paper Northern Ireland won’t strike fear into any opponent, probably shouldn’t even have a pray, but there’s a determination about Northern Ireland, that spirit and camaraderie which has served the Irish so well in the past which has so often enabled them to bridge the seemingly sizeable gulf in class and make the impossible games close run things. This game isn’t impossible though, as no-one in this Slovenia team is a world-beater, but Northern Ireland will need to find something extra, locate that fifth and sixth gear if they are to challenge a Slovenia team which was so dominant on home soil during World Cup qualifying.

Match Verdict: Slovenia to WIN – 1.70 bWin

The Slovenians will be buoyed by their World Cup experience, having savoured South Africa’s valuable experience when playing against quality opposition in the form of the United States and England, and shouldn’t really have too many problems despatching of Northern Ireland.

Nigel Worthington’s men have plenty of character and resilience but they tend to put in their better displays on home soil, in front of an atmospheric Irish faithful. The conditions are going to be wet and miserable, not a lot of difference from life in Northern Ireland in all fairness, but on home soil, Slovenia should find that they have too much going for them not to begin qualifying with the win they crave heading into a huge encounter with neighbours Serbia straight after, a fixture they would ideally momentum behind them in the build up.

Soccer-Betting Value Tip: Slovenia/Slovenia (HT/FT) – 2.80 bWin

Match Odds:

Slovenia – 1.70 bWin
Draw – 3.75 StanJames
Northern Ireland – 5.50 WilliamHill

Armenia V Republic of Ireland

Friday, 3rd September – 16:00 GMT
LIVE on Sky Sports 1
EURO 2012, Group B Qualifier

Armenia

I’m not sure whether to call any followers of the Armenian Premier League shrewd or mad, but we think it’s fair to say that only the select few, the rare few in fact, will know anything about the Armenian national team and its representatives. Many of coach Vardan Minasyan’s squad hail from Armenia and ply their trade in their home country, while a host have been plucked from the U-21’s which just goes to show how limited his resources are in a country currently ranked 96 in the world according to FIFA’s official ranking system.

In terms of potential stars on the day, we have no idea as not a single Armenian internationals rings any sort of bell. However, that is largely down to the age of the squad, with many barely past their teenage years, but that could work in Minasyan’s favour as Armenia’s youth look to seize their window of opportunity in a crucial international which will be shown live in front of millions of viewers. That raw enthusiasm for the game, that eagerness to impress may serve Armenia well against Ireland, although whether that will equate into a quality performance remains to be seen.

Armenia do at least have home advantage going in their favour, where they beat Belgium during World Cup qualification nearly a year ago to the day, and if they can somehow attract a large enough crowd to fill the 15,000 capacity Yerevan Republican Stadium then who knows, perhaps a shock could be on the cards if the home contingents could make the atmosphere in Yerevan a hostile one.

Republic of Ireland

Ireland will looking to vent some frustration as they begin their EURO 2010 qualifying adventure, with memories of their near miss in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals still lingering through camp. However, two of the more experienced Irish internationals, Shay Given & Richard Dunne, have hinted that their valiant efforts in bidding to make South Africa, combined with the disappointment and heartache of not making the cut, will be the catalyst for an even strong qualifying campaign this time, while their group, as competitive as it is, does boast more than its fair share of winnable games for Trapattoni’s men.

First up is Armenia and it is a trip to Yerevan in unfamiliar terrain. So unknown is Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, that Ireland have never played an international there, or anywhere for that matter with the pair clashing for the very first time. As difficult a trip it may be, Ireland’s opening Group B encounter provides them with an ample stepping stone to pick up an early win to really get the wheels in motion, while next up is a home clash with minnows Andorra, leaving the Republic of Ireland with two opening fixtures they shouldn’t just pick up maximum points in but should also win convincingly, with a golden opportunity presented to them to see out the first two qualifiers with maximum points as well as the possibility of topping the Group and thus sending out a message of intent to their main challengers for qualification.

The Ireland camp has been dealt several blows mind, none more so than Giovanni Trapattoni’s absence from the sidelines as he undergoes surgery. Assistant coach Marco Tardelli will take the reigns for Friday Group B opener with Armenia but will be without a number of important figures. A great deal of guile and creativity has been lost through Damien Duff’s withdrawal, while Keith Andrews combative nature will be missing as the Blackburn Rovers midfielder also misses the trip through injury. Preston’s Keith Treacy may add to Tardelli’s woes as he too is suffering with an injury is a doubt, with the Italian calling up former Celtic forward Cillian Sheridan as cover and to provide some much needed depth.

It is difficult to comprehend how the lack of Trapattoni’s presence will feel to the ROI players, a manager which has produced some magnificent displays from Ireland in recent campaigns and a man every single Irish players respects, especially when playing away from home in a country which is hardly going to welcome them with open arms. They’ll need some sort of forward spark to escape neutral gear and will sorely miss Duff’s ingenuity, but there is still enough quality in the final third to score the goals, or perhaps even just goal, to seal a vital opening victory through the likes of Kevin Doyle and Robbie Keane up front.

Match Verdict: Republic of Ireland to WIN – 1.70 StanJames

Even though playing away from Ireland does make matters more difficult than it should be, the Republic of Ireland should still register the win they will set out for on Friday against a team which produces shocks once in a blue moon. The absence of manager and Damien Duff is also a significant negative, but with two quality forwards up top in Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle, and with the likelihood of Armenian creating very little, Ireland should put in a clinical display to kick-start their EURO 2012 bid with a bang.

Soccer-Betting Value Tip: Robbie Keane First Goalscorer – 5.00 Bet365

Match Odds:

Armenia – 5.50 Boylesports
Draw – 3.60 StanJames
Republic of Ireland – 1.70 StanJames

Key EURO 2010 Qualifiers:

Armenia V Republic of Ireland – 16:00 GMT (Sky Sports)
Montenegro V Wales – 18:30
Lithuania V Scotland – 19:15 (BBC Scotland)
Slovenia V Northern Ireland – 19:45 (Sky Sports)
England V Bulgaria – 20:00 (ITV1)

Estonia V Italy – 19:30
Belgium V Germany – 19:15
France V Belarus – 20:00 (ESPN)

All kick-off times gathered from Oddschecker.com. We apologise if any of the information provided above is not correct.

The Republic of Ireland will kick-off their EURO campaign in unfavoured terrain, when the Irish make the trip to Armenia in the day’s earliest encounter. However, ROI manager, Giovanni Trapattoni, will be without three influential figures for his sides Group B opener, as Fulham’s Damien Duff, Blackburn’s Keith Andrews and Preston’s Keith Treacy all dropped out of Trapattoni’s squad with injuries. Fortunately, Ireland take on a nation ranked just 96th in the world but the away factor combined with important absentee could hurt Ireland’s chances of obtaining a perfect start in a tricky Group B containing Russia, Slovakia, Macedonia, Andorra and Armenia.

To BEAT Armenia: 1.70 StanJames
Recommended Bet: Robbie Keane First Goalscorer – 5.00 PaddyPower

Wales begin their EURO adventure with a difficult trip to Montenegro, where the Welsh will have to defy the odds if they’re to leave Podgorica, Montenegro, with something to show for their efforts. The task, though, has been made a great deal more difficult for John Toshack’s men with news of four drop-outs. Those no longer available for selection include defenders Danny Gabbidon and Darcy Blake of West Ham and Plymouth Argyle respectively, while midfield duo Brian Stock and Andrew Crofts have also dropped out, all with injury concerns.

We cannot underline the importance of Wales getting off to a flyer in a Group G which may well be too hot to handle for John Toshack’s team, with England overwhelming favourites to clinch the only available automatic qualifying position as the team which finishes second in the group, one which contains just five competing nations, will need to hope they’re one of eight best runners-up in order to make the play-off’s. Switzerland and Bulgaria make up the rest of Group G.

To BEAT Montenegro: 4.00 SportingBet
Recommended Bet: Montenegro Half-Time/Full-Time – 3.25 bWin

The Scots are another of the home nation to be involved in a five-team group meaning they’ll need to top Group I containing reigning European and World champions Spain if they’re to be assured of a place in Poland-Ukraine. Craig Levein’s men begin with a trip to Lithuania in a game they must win if they’re to remain competitive for the play-off’s, with top spot just about impossible with Spain in their group. However, Scotland are on a dreadful run outside of Scotland and will be seeking their first win away from their homeland in nearly two years, when goals from Kirk Broadfoot and James McFadden secured a 2-1 win in Iceland.

Scotland’s opponents in Group I are Spain, Czech Republic, who they beat in a recent friendly at Hampden Park, Lithuania and minnows Liechtenstein.

To BEAT Lithuania: 2.80 Ladbrokes
Recommended Bet: Scotland to Score EXACTLY 2 Goals – 4.50 SkyBet

Northern Ireland have been the bridesmaid in recent campaigns, narrowly missing out on both the 2008 EURO’s and 2010 FIFA World Cup after a couple of valiant qualifying displays only to miss the cut by a couple of points on both occasions. Nigel Worthington will need to inspire his country to yet more phenomenal displays if they are to bypass a highly competitive Group C which contains former EURO winners Italy, World Cup duo Serbia & Slovenia, while Estonia and the Faroe Islands make up the group.

They begin with a daunting trip to Slovenia, whom they beat in Belfast back in April last year during World Cup qualifying but were beaten 2-0 in Slovenia. Nigel Worthington should feel extremely proud of his players if they return from their first outing of the campaign unscathed and unbeaten.

To BEAT Slovenia: 5.50 BetFred
Recommended Bet: Slovenia to WIN to NIL – 2.50 BlueSquare

After a miserable World Cup campaign, England kick-off their EURO 2012 journey seeking vast improvement and far better results. The bookmakers have the English as strong favourites to top Group G, and an under-fire Fabio Capello will demand nothing less than a win as his side take on Bulgaria first of all. The Bulgarians performed poorly during World Cup qualification and aren’t expected to stand in the way of the Three Lions recording their first win of the campaign.

Despite the disappointment of South Africa, the English are expected to fill Wembley to its capacity on Friday, though fans will not be seeing glimpses of John Terry, Frank Lampard nor Rio Ferdinand as all three miss out through injury. It means Steven Gerrard will captain England against Bulgaria for the first time since he captained England in the 4-1 loss to Germany in South Africa.

To BEAT Bulgaria: 1.33 PaddyPower
Recommended Bet: Steven Gerrard Anytime Scorer – 2.75 SkyBet

The Premier League is just three weeks on and already the players are heading off for International duty, as the English top flight takes a two week break. As far as us English are concerned, Fabio Capello has already hand-picked the 23 players chosen to represent their country in the latest, the first in actual fact, qualifiers for the 2010 European Championships – A tournament England didn’t even make in the last round of qualifying under Steve McClaren, also-known-as; the Man with the Brolly.

Of those named in the 25, just 14 remain from the team which participated in a miserable 2010 World Cup campaign which peaked at a pathetic 1-0 win over Slovenia but took a serious nose-dive when enduring an emphatic and humiliating 4-1 loss at the hands of Germany in the Last-Sixteen stage of the tournament. Of course, two players who were’t picked but would have been are Chelsea duo John Terry and Frank Lampard, who conveniently picked up a knock before England’s very next competitive fixture following South Africa. After all, we are in a day and age where club football seemingly comes way before country, and after an abysmal spell in South Africa in the summer, perhaps it’s understandable why some wouldn’t want to turn out for their country – Of course, that is a load of rubbish and those 11 new Lions are rightly chomping at the bit to be involved against Bulgaria on September 3rd and Switzerland on September 7th.

The eleven new players entrusted with getting the Three Lions back on track and roaring are as follows: Scott Carson & Ben Foster; Gary Cahill, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka & Joloen Lescott; Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott & Ashley Young; Darren Bent & Carlton Cole.

Two players that stand out from that list; Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson. These are two of our prominent players of the future, but are also at that sort of age where a spell at the finals of a major tournament would have served them well in their prosperous careers ahead. They are also two players which posses the ability to produce something special in an instance, a moment of brilliance which can unlock a defence or break any deadlock, and yet Fabio Capello thought otherwise and instead opted to take Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Philips, two players which made little or no impact in proceedings in South Africa.

The form of Walcott in particular has been poignant, a player tossed by the wayside by Capello in a somewhat shock final squad omission, although, going on form at the time, he was probably right to have adjudged Walcott surplus to requirements. Then again, I would have taken Walcott over SWP any day of the week. However, instead of spending the summer drowning on his sorrows and wallowing in self-pity, Walcott has worked tiresomely on his game, and my how his hard-work shows. Since returning to domestic life, Walcott has been in scintillating for for his club Arsenal, scoring four goals in his opening three league games, including an impress hat-trick against newly promoted Blackpool – One which brought back memories of a famous night in Zagreb when the same Speedy Gonzalez achieved the same feat while playing for England in a game which ultimately sent England on their way to South Africa.

I’m not entirely sure what Scott Carson has done as to earn himself a call up, although, saying that, their isn’t a great deal to choose from from an English goalkeeping point of view. Ben Foster has made a string of good saves at his new club Birmingham City, and the former Man Utd keeper is clearly a player Capello rates highly as one for the future. However, the number one jersey should be Joe Hart’s for the foreseeable future now that David James is over the hill and far away, Paul Robinson no longer wants to represent his country – Good riddance there then, and Robert Green hasn’t yet to be forgiven for his howler in South Africa which cost England top-spot in their group, while the West Ham shot-stopper has done little stopping during the early stages of the season..

There wasn’t too many surprises in defence considering the circumstances. However, if you were to ask one-hundred fans who their strongest back four would be then of those available only Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson are likely to start both qualifiers, with Rio Ferdinand and John Terry both ruled out through injury while Jamie Carragher only came out of international retirement to help out in South Africa, although he proved more of a hinderence if truth be told. It does, though, provide an ample opportunity for two new centre-half’s to stamp their mark on proceedings in two significant games. If we were to second guess Capello, never the smartest move, then England’s opening centre-back partnership could contain Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott. Michael Dawson was suspect in a recent friendly with Hungary, so preference is for the aforementioned, although the performance of Lescott in particular is one to watch as had it not been for injuries hampering his first-team outings last season, the Man City defender would have definitely made the team and would have almost certainly partnered John Terry at centre-half in place of the one-legged Ledley King.

The usual suspects will make an appearance in midfield; captain Steven Gerrard playing somewhere, only Capello truly knows where, but with Frank Lampard missing both qualifiers this could be the chance for Capello to experiement a little or, in many eyes of the public, simply grow a pair and bin an old fashioned 4-4-2 formation which dogged us in South Africa.

We all know how effective Steven Gerrard can be playing just off the striker, while we all know how well Wayne Rooney has made the transition from being a forward/attacking midfielder to an out-an-out striker for United, and considering these two are England’s best players by a distance, it’s common sense to slap both in their familiar club roles. Fabio has the inventory to deploy such a formation, with James Milner outstanding in the central role for Villa, and new club Man City the other night against Liverpool when scoring from that position on his début, and he could form a sturdy and reliable partnership with Gareth Barry.

On the wings should be Ashley Young and Theo Walcott. The latter is just about a certainty to start against Bulgaria on Friday what with the form he’s currently in, but in putting Ashley Young out on the left you’re getting the best from a player which plays the majority of his club football out on the left, this instead of taking a natural right-midfielder out of his comfort zone and throwing him in at the deep end out on the left, like Fabio has done with Steven Gerrard on so many occasions, to the sheer dismay of fans.

Up front, well, if Capello opts for our formation and personnel, then it will be just Wayne Rooney, but the fact he’s called up five strikers could be the biggest indication yet that the stubborn Italian ISN’T ready to bin his gruesome 4-4-2 formation and try something more spicy and a damn sight more effective.

Darren Bent and Peter Crouch have both been in amongst the goals this season, with Bent scoring the winner over Man City at the weekend and Crouch bagging a hat-trick as Spurs qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history, but neither should start in our honest opinion against Bulgaria, with our clear preference being for Wayne Rooney in a lone striker role. It would appear as though Jermain Defoe has postponed his groin surgery as he’s also been called up, scorer of England’s winning goal against Slovenia – embarrassingly our solitary win at those finals – while Carlton Cole, despite being as wasteful and unproductive as Emile Heskey in front of goal recently, has also caught the eye of Capello, which is further evidence that Fabio is losing his mind!

Official England 23-man squad to play Bulgaria & Switzerland:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Ben Foster & Scott Carson
Defenders: Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Matthew Upson, Glen Johnson, Phil Jagielka & Kieran Gibbs
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard, James Milner, Ashley Young, Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips & Michael Carrick
Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Carlton Cole, Jermain Defoe & Wayne Rooney

Our Predicted Starting-11 against Bulgaria on September 3rd:

GK: Joe Hart
LB: Ashley Cole
CB: Joleon Lescott
CB: Phil Jagielka
RB: Glen Johnson
CM: Gareth Barry
CM: Steven Gerrard
LM: James Milner
RM: Theo Walcott
FW: Peter Crouch
FW: Wayne Rooney

Please bare in mind that this is our interpretation of how we expect Fabio Capello to set England up. Our strong preference is for a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Steven Gerrard playing off Wayne Rooney. However, after careful observation of Capello; taking into account his stubborness and 1930’s mindset, we feel there’s more chance of Titus Bramble earning an England call up than the Italian going with a formation favoured by the majority of the country and not just us!

Nevertheless, Good Luck England, who are a best priced 1.35 with bWIn to begin qualifying, thus putting their nightmare World Cup campaign behind them, with a win over the Bulgarians.

As the Premier League welcomes its first International break, it is Chelsea who lead the way and remain the only team in the topflight to boast a 100% record. Carlo Ancelotti’s men continued winning ways with a 2-0 win over Stoke City at Stamford Bridge, although their latest victory wasn’t as impressive as their previous which had seen them reach six goals in their opening two games of the season. Nevertheless, another vital set of three points have been banked and the Blues already find themselves baring the brunt of favouritism with bookmakers to back up their 2009/2010 Premiership triumph by clinching this seasons trophy and are closing in on an odds-on status, with Chelsea currently available at 2.25 with SkyBet and BlueSquare to win finish the 2010/2011 season as top dogs.

Didier Drogba will be hoping he is once again top Drog, although, despite opening with a bang, Drogba’s odds have stabilised after scoring just one in his last two starts, this after an opening day hat-trick against the Baggies. The Ivorian is, however, the overwhelming favourite to clinch back-to-back Premier League Golden Boot’s and is a best priced 3.25 with WilliamHill. Drogba is followed by Wayne Rooney (9.00 Ladbrokes) and Fernando Torres (10.00 VCBet) who both opened their account for the season at the weekend but trail the Chelsea powerhouse by three goals.

It is a familiar chasing pack which begins their relentless pursuit of Chelsea’s top spot, with Arsenal and Manchester United still going undefeatedbut the pair have both dropped points already this season, unlike a flawless Chelsea. The chasing duo both have seven points, after the pair both had a successful weekend with Arsenal battling their way to a hard-fought 2-1 win at Ewood Park over Blackburn Rovers courtesy of goals from Theo Walcott – His fourth of the season – and Andrey Arshavin. United cruised past West Ham United at Old Trafford; Wayne Rooney scoring his first goals since March as Nani and Berbatov completed a comfortable win over the hapless Hammers.

One of the shocks of the weekend came at the Stadium of Light on Sunday as mega-rich Man City made the trip to Wearside to take on Steve Bruce’s Sunderland, one of City’s bogey teams. And it was City who got a little sticky and found out up north as Darren Bent scored the only goal of the game in injury time when converting his spot-kick. Earlier, Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure had both spurned chances to put the visitors ahead, with the Argentine missing an open goal during the first half which would have changed the entire complex of the game.

On the same day, Liverpool struggled to overcome a resilient West Brom at Anfield and needed a moment of sheer brilliance from their Spaniard in order to seal their first league win of the season. Fernando Torres with a sublime volley to send the Liverpool fans into raptures and ensure the hosts were in celebratory mood that evening. The same, however, could not be said for Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals as Everton crashed to a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa, meaning the Toffee’s will spend the next two weeks inside the relegation zone. David Moyes‘ side were much the better side though, creating clearer openings and often dominating with possession, but they couldn’t convert their opportunities into goals, while the critics are now out for summer signing Jermaine Beckford, who has yet to score his first goal for the club despite being handed ample opportunities at this early stage, even keeping Louis Saha on the bench.

The game of the day, though, was at The Reebok, as Bolton came from two goals down and a man down to register a surprise point at home to Birmingham City. The travellers went ahead when Roger Johnson prodded home his first for the club early in the first half, a half which later produced a rare red card for Bolton keeper Jussi Jasskalainen, who now missed the next three league games for the Trotters, for slapping Johnson in the face. The Blues then doubled their lead when Craig Gardner slotted home his third for the season, but Bolton produced a stunning comeback through set-plays. Kevin Davies first slotting home a penalty, more like fired home to be honest, after being trampled to the ground by earlier goalscorer Roger Johnson, before Robbie Blake levelled with a well-placed free-kick to open his account for the Trotters – Honours even although Alex Mcleish will be livid with his Birmingham players.

The weekend’s opening fixture had seen Arsenal pitted against a feared foe of theirs in the form of Blackburn Rovers, but Arsenal displayed some rare resilience to oust Blackburn at Ewood Park. Theo Walcott continued his rich vein of form by scoring the game’s opening goal and his fourth for the campaign, although his well taken goal was cancelled out within minutes as the two Diouf’s combined for Blackburn’s first. However, it was Andrey Arshavin’s goal which sealed the win for the Gunners, as the Russian’s drilled effort was the last of the game as Rovers failed to find a equaliser.

Out of the 3 O’Clock games, Blackpools first ever home Premier League fixture was the highlight, although they couldn’t match the hype with a sought after win. The home fans were quickly stunned though as Bobby Zamora headed Fulham into a first half lead, his first of the season, but the Tangerines’ motto has always been ‘we’ll score more than the opponent’ and went about putting this into affect when first enticing John Pantsil to slice into his own net to level proceedings, before on loan Luke Varney thought he scored Pool’s winner 14 minutes from time. However, it was Fulham, generally poor travellers, who had the last laugh as the rangy Etuhu fired home with just minutes left to play as the two sides played out a thoroughly entertaining score draw in Bloomfield Road’s Premier League début.

Elsewhere, Newcastle had to defy some hard-fitting tackles to etch out a point at Wolves – Sylvain Ebanks-Blake scoring first for Wolves immediately before the break before the in form Andy Carroll, who missed out on a first England call from Fabio Capello, scored his fourth of the season with a thunderous header midway through the second period. The talking point, though, was of the treatment controversial Joey Barton received during the game, although, to Barton’s credit, he handled matters remarkably well and was one of the stars on show for his positive and professional attitude, something I never thought I would ever say about a person best described as a ‘thug’ outside of football.

However, we couldn’t disregard the days biggest turn up for the books when Wigan Athletic, a team which had conceded a staggering ten goals in their first two games, had little alternative but to make the trip down to London to face a team which slammed NINE past them last season. Spurs were overwhelming favourites coming into this game off the back of a 4-0 Champions League qualifier triumph when beating Young Boys to make the Champions League proper. But any anticipated celebrations were soon dashed as Tottenham’s players failed to make the party and instead it was the Latics which created all the decent openings, fluffing their lines on occasions where it was harder to miss. And as the game appeared as though it was dwelling out into a stalemate, in a game Wigan deserved to be leading in, Hugo Rodellega popped up in the 80th minute to drill home the game’s only goal, leaving Spurs fans both shocked and disgusted with the performance of their players; with the final whistle greeted by echoes of boos from the home fans, this despite the same bunch of players working their socks off to make the Champions League earlier in the week – That’s gratitude for ya’.

So a weekend which had a little bit of everything really, although it was Wigan’s humbling of Tottenham Hotspur which undoubtedly caught our eye and impressed us the most.

The Premier League will now enter an international break as the likes of England, Wales and Scotland all try to enhance their claims for a place in the 2012 European Championships by beginning qualifying with a positive result. We shall hopefully see you folk back in two weeks time when the Premiership resumes it business on September 11th.

Results:

Saturday, 28th August

Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Arsenal
Blackpool 2-2 Fulham
Chelsea 2-0 Stoke City
Manchester United 3-0 West Ham United
Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Wigan Athletic
Wolves 1-1 Newcastle United

Sunday, 29th August

Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Birmingham City
Liverpool 1-0 West Brom
Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City
Aston Villa 1-0 Everton

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Sunderland V Manchester City

Sunday, 29th August – 15:00 GMT

Sunderland

League Position: 15th
League Form: DL

Steve Bruce’s Sunderland are one of a number of teams still seeking their first win of the new Premier League following a 2-2 draw with Birmingham City in their opening fixture and a miserable 1-0 loss at West Brom last Saturday. In fairness, Sunderland would have beaten Birmingham in their only home league fixture to date but didn’t get any rub of the green as the Blues scored two fortuitous goals to snatch a perhaps undeserved point. And while the result wasn’t exactly pleasing, Sunderland’s performance at the Stadium of Light a few weeks ago should stand them in good stead nonetheless and they’ll be a tough nut to crack on home soil for any visiting opponent.

The Sunderland manager made a bold decision in midweek to field a strong team in the Carling Cup against Colchester. I suppose the fact it was at home led to Bruce handing the likes of Darren Bent, Titus Bramble, Lee Cattermole and Zenden and run-out before Sunday’s crunch encounter with the team everyone are expecting to be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, and by thereabouts we mean challenging for the league title. Bruce’s decision paid off as Sunderland won rather comfortably in the end by two goals to nil, while the clubs most prolific asset last season, Darren Bent, bagged a confident brace and thus should be hungry for more goalmouth action when he clashes with an opponent he scored just twice against when a Tottenham player. But if anything else Sunderland now have a taste for winning, something they didn’t have when heading into their first away fixture at West Brom, although there was no excuse for the lethargic manner in which they played last Saturday in a match they never even looked like winning.

Our sources claim that while Tuesday’s Carling Cup victory appeared comfortable by the scoreline, it was nothing of the sort on the pitch, and that a much improved performance is needed from Tyneside’s Black Cats if they’re to compete with Manchester City on Sunday. Moreover, Sunderland’s recent record against Man City at the Stadium is Light is the material nightmares are made of; not beating the blues of Manchester on home soil since 2000. Since then the two have clashed at the Stadium of Light on five occasions with City winning all but one, the last meeting when the pair played out a 1-1 draw.

The good news is Steve Bruce doesn’t have any fresh injury worries, no selection headaches, although it doesn’t bode well when the likelihood is, Bruce will name the same side that lost 1-0 at West Brom a week ago. Sunderland were never at the races at The Hawthorns last Saturday, severely struggling to break down West Brom’s passing moves and had no idea where the runs were being made. It was all a little too easy for the Baggies, a little too one paced and one dimensional from Sunderland, who’s main asset is Darren Bent but everyone now pinpoints the England international as the main threat, the man to mark, and Bent is now struggling to find space, with goal bound efforts few and far between. Even Bent’s opening goal of the season was from the spot, so the former Spurs flop will need to show he’s not a one-trick pony on Sunday if Sunderland are to get anything from a fixture which has produced very little in terms of points for them in previous campaigns.

Manchester City

League Position: 4th
League Form: DW

A lot is expected of Man City this season and while they failed to deliver in so many aspects on the opening day, they delivered with aplomb in their first home encounter of the season, when comprehensively beating an on the decline Liverpool at the City of Manchester stadium. They are, however, back on the road once again this weekend but the omens are promising as City close in on their fifth league win at the Stadium of Light in six attempts.

City were rampant on Monday night when completely and utterly dismantling a Liverpool side supposedly on the mend but are really close to their knees. Even so, Roberto Mancini’s side were terrific and another high-octane performance like that would see them difficult to stop on  Sunday at a venue which has served them well in recent campaigns. James Milner made his Man City début and was arguably the gem in a gold-plated City team that night, creating both of City’s opening two goals in one of the more impressive league debuts we’ve seen for time – Although only time will tell whether he’s worth the £25 million City shelled out for the former Aston Villa man. Overall it was a vastly improved displays from the team which looked toothless against Spurs in the seasons curtain raiser.

Mancini opted for more fire-power against Liverpool on Monday, starting with a team which boasted a great deal more creative options than he did against Tottenham Hotspur a fortnight ago. Milner and Adam Johnson were sensational all night long, turning the Liverpool defence one way and then the next, and yet their distribution of the ball isn’t half bad either. Carlos Tevez looked to have his old swagger back, that willingness to pick the ball up and run with it as he did for the most part last season when finishing as the clubs top goalscorer with 23 league goals, although it was the amount of depth and the vast amount of options and cover on their bench which will have have rivals spooked. It’s remarkable to even think that players such as Shay Given, David Silva, Shaun Wright-Philips and Adebayor, players which would walk right into any other team in the Premiership, were merely used as bench warmers against the Reds.

Match Prediction: Manchester City to WIN – 1.91 Boylesports

Steve Bruce is seeking improvement from his Sunderland players this weekend as the Black Cats entertain Manchester City at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland were very poor away from home last season and carried on where they left off with a miserable display away at West Brom last Saturday, losing 1-0 at the Hawthorns when creating very little and never really having a foothold in the game. It doesn’t get any easier though despite boasting home advantage, as Man City will be buoyed by both their 3-0 win over Liverpool last Monday and their progression in the Europa League on Thursday – Qualifying for the Europa League proper.

Roberto Mancini’s men have all the momentum and while their record on Tyneside against the Black Cats isn’t anywhere good enough, Sunday could be when City change all that with a big win over one of their bogey teams.

Match Odds:

Sunderland – 4.50 PaddyPower
Draw – 3.60 SportingBet
Manchester City – 1.91 Boylesports

Soccer-Betting Tip: Over 3.5 Goals – 4.00 Boylesports

Liverpool V West Brom

Sunday, 29th August – 15:00 GMT

Liverpool

League Position: 17th
League Form: DL

Despite resting the clubs two most prized assets in Thursday’s 2-1 Europa League win in Trabzonspor, Turkey, Liverpool were still put through their paces just a few days ago and won’t have had long to recover from their European exertions, although I’m sure Roy Hodgson will appreciate a cushy home fixture against West Brom rather than another lengthy spell on the road, say down to Blackpool. Moreover, this fixture has proved more than fruitful down the years for the Reds, with Liverpool having never dropped a single point against the Baggies at home, not even conceding a goal in fact, so it should all be rather comfortable, although it’s been nothing of the sort for new manager Roy Hodgson so far to suggest the former Fulham man will be in for a smooth ride for a change.

Liverpool took an age to get going on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League, but two second half strikes from Dirk Kuyt and the boot of a Trabzonspor player was enough for Liverpool to seal progression into the draw for the group stage, which means the fans at least have some form of European competition this season even if it is Europe’s second tier competition – While it also means more games for Roy Hodgson, more importantly a great deal more travelling. Both Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres sat out Thursday’s tie and didn’t even make the trip, so Hodgson will at least have his two most influential and destructive players fresher than most ahead of Sunday’s encounter with new boys West Brom.

It is important Liverpool pick up their first league win sooner rather than later following a disappointing start to the season; dropping two points at home to Arsenal thanks to a Pepe Reina mistake before being comprehensively beaten by Manchester City last Monday in a match where Liverpool haven’t been as poor and one-paced for quite some time. It really was men against boys at Eastlands, with City dominating large periods as Liverpool could barely get hold of possession let alone carve out an opening of note. Fernando Torres was handed his first start of the season but made little impact whatsoever, while N’Gog once again flattered to deceive after his sprightly start to the campaign which had seen him score three goals in as many games for the Reds.

Liverpool offered nothing in the final third against City and sorely missed a player of Joe Cole’s calibre and quality, and it was Cole who made the difference in Turkey during the week, with his energetic bursts down the flanks causing the Trabzonspor defence all sorts of problems. However, Roy Hodgson is still without the suspended Cole for another two league games, although, in fairness, he shouldn’t be too sorely missed on Sunday in a game where Liverpool should win at a cantor, especially if Torres bucks up his game as there is goals here for the Spaniard should he want them. Javier Mascherano is another who probably won’t feature for Liverpool on Sunday, or again for that matter, as he his move away from Anfield nears ever closer to completion.

West Brom

League Position: 13th
League Form: LW

Baggies fans were in celebratory mood over the weekend as their team collected their first three points of the season, bouncing straight back from their Chelsea capitulation to register a 1-0 win over Sunderland at The Hawthorns. New signing Peter Odemwingie, who completed his move from Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow just in time to feature at the weekend, scored West Brom’s winner in a game where they largely dominated from start to finish, but they are unlikely to have it all their own way this Sunday when they travel to Merseyside to take on a Liverpool side which only recently arrived back from their Europa League trip to Turkey.

Roberto Di Matteo will be hoping Liverpool’s European excursions enable his men to challenge Liverpool for some of the spoils, although the Baggies have never actually taken a single point off the Reds in the Premier League. In fact, they’ve never even found the net at Anfield, at least not Liverpool’s, but Sunday could be their best opportunity yet to pounce on the Reds and make them pay for their failure to qualify for the Champions League this season meaning all of their European ties will occur on a Thursday from now, which doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for recuperation ahead of weekend league fixtures.

It was just as well West Brom picked up all three points at the weekend against Sunderland as their upcoming fixtures are tough to say the very least, with trips to Arsenal and Manchester United immediately over the horizon. They were well worth their win mind, with some of the crisp passing moves which caused Championship opponents all sorts of problems last season catching Sunderland out at the Hawthorns as fans embraced their new Nigerian forward. Peter Odemwingie was almost playing up front as a long striker but wasn’t phased in the slightest at having to do most of the offensive work by himself, shrugging off any attempts of a firm tackle by the Sunderland, stoutly holding his own, while his nimble footwork and athletic agility means he can weave in and out of tight defensive situations. The Nigerian really did have an impressive début and fans will now be expecting further progression from the clubs current top goalscorer this season, which is only one goal but sounds impressive all the same.

Baggies manager Roberto Di Matteo is likely to start with the same eleven which beat Sunderland eight days ago, with Odemwingie starting as a lone forward with a five-man strong midfield. The main aim will be tor restrict the midfield distribution of Liverpool, to contain the likes of Lucas and Steven Gerrard and to stop Fernando Torres receiving the ball as much as possible, as the Spaniard would thrive against a defence which conceded six on their only away outing thus far. However, they do need to remain prominent in attack as well, something they haven’t done in previous visits to Anfield – Failing to find the back of Liverpool’s net in four visits to Merseyside – and in their sparkling new Nigerian forward, West Brom may just have found their diamond in the rough.

Match Prediction: Liverpool to WIN – 1.25 BetFred

West Brom have a terrible record at Anfield and we don’t enivsage their Anfield woes getting any better in their sixth visit, despite Liverpool’s European exertions just days before.

Both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were rested for the Europa League tie on Thursday and didn’t even make the trip, so providing they start at Anfield on Sunday should enjoy themselves against a Baggies defence which has always been vulnerable against quality opposition, as Chelsea shown on the opening day of the season when smashing West Brom for six at Stamford Bridge.

This game is one Liverpool can ill-afford to slip in, by far and away one of their easier home games of the campaign, and so anything less a win would be considered a massive shock and a huge disappointment. We don’t see them slipping up however and see nothing else other than a comfortable home win for the Reds.

Match Odds:

Liverpool – 1.25 BetFred
Draw – 6.00 SkyBet
West Brom – 16.00 PaddyPower

Soccer-Betting Tip: Liverpool to be Winning 2-0 at Half-Time – 6.00 Coral