Road To Euro 2020 Begins
Belgium v Russia - Belgium to Win and Both Teams to Score
Russian football fans were feeling anything but positive about their team heading into last summer’s World Cup. Billed as one of the worst teams to ever host the World Cup, Russia dug in and made it all the way to the quarter finals which was a huge achievement. Clearly, it was important not to be humiliated with the world watching but the Russian Football Federation is now expecting Stanislav Cherchesov to make the most of the momentum generated by the World Cup.
It’s debatable whether Russia managed that in the Nations League but Belgium fans were united in their disappointment with their team’s failure to make it through to the finals thanks to a 5-2 defeat against Switzerland in their last match. Roberto Martinez knows the pressure is on for Belgium to start their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign strongly and whilst they should beat Russia their defensive issues mean a bet on Belgium to win and both teams to score looks good value at best betting odds of 11/5.
Austria and Poland will be expecting to compete with each other for top spot in Group G of Euro 2020 qualifying. Israel and Slovenia can be handfuls on their day but our odds comparison shows that the bookies expect Austria and Poland to book their place in the finals by claiming the top two places between them.
Both teams know that things can change quickly in qualifying. The chance to land an early blow on their biggest Group G rival should ensure that neutrals are treated to a highly competitive match in the Ernst Happel Stadium. Poland are especially keen to secure a big win following their relegation from Nations League A. Austria have a decent side though so will be tough to beat at home. All of this makes the best football betting option the generous odds of 22/23 you can get on both teams to score.
When Sam Allardyce was sacked as England manager the FA had to work pretty hard to convince Gareth Southgate to take on the job even on a temporary basis. Southgate had done some very good work with the Under 21 side but there was a general feeling that he wasn’t quite ready for the step up to the senior side.
Perhaps because of the lack of expectation on his shoulders and the early successes he had, Southgate grew into the role quickly and the England team is now in a very different place compared to when he took over. On Friday night, Wembley Stadium will be full of happy and confident England fans looking forwards to challenging for silverware in the future and a big win over the Czech Republic. The Czechs are a decent side who should qualify from Group A but they are a step below England so the home side should win the match with a one goal handicap at a best price of 19/20.
Portugal and Ukraine both head into the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a decent head of steam. Portugal were the first team to secure their place in the Nations League finals and as such will host the inaugural finals. They are also the defending European champions so are very keen to start this new campaign with a big win that sends out a message to the rest of the competition. Ukraine’s confidence comes from winning promotion from Nations League B1 which means they are already assured of a place in the playoffs for Euro 2020 qualifying at least.
The worry is that Ukraine’s strong position going into qualifying will affect the players’ concentration levels, at least at this early stage. Portugal are a very organised side and given their strong form look a good bet to win this game to nil at solid odds of 21/20.
Spain v Norway - Spain/Spain in Half Time/Full Time
The Nations League proved itself to be a very worthy addition to the international football schedule. The three-team groups in League A mean that things can change incredibly quickly as Spain found out. Luis Enrique and his players may still be smarting for missing out on the finals in Portugal but Euro 2020 is the big prize and Spain will be ready to get their campaign off to a flyer.
Spain’s miserable performances in Russia make it all the more likely that they’ll go all guns blazing for a big win against Norway. Lars Lagerback and his players proved that they are no mugs by winning Group C3 but do they have the quality to realistically challenge Spain? Our odds comparison doesn’t suggest that’s likely so take the 8/13 you can get on the Spain/Spain selection in the half time/full time betting.
The Nations League was a chance for Italy to put the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup behind them. Roberto Mancini has a big job on his hands to try and bring the good times back to the Azzurri and he was relatively happy with the second place finish in Group A3. Second place would be enough for Italy in Group J in Euro 2020 qualifying but they’re very much aiming for top spot which should ensure Finland have a tough evening in Udine.
As winners of their group in the Nations League, Finland head into the qualifying campaign feeling pretty good about themselves. They understand that Saturday represents a big step up in quality though and may decide to try and keep things tight. Italy will have to work hard for the win but the football betting odds suggest they should be able to secure all three points, with a bet on Italy winning to nil representing good value at 20/23.