England and Scotland will be playing their final warm-up matches on Sunday for Euro 2020 and both will be looking to build some winning momentum to take into the finals.
The Three Lions will be taking on Romania at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium at 17:00 BST, while Scotland will be at the Stade Josy Barthel for their clash with Luxembourg at 19:45 BST.
England Must Overcome Romania Hoodoo
Many people are tipping England to go all the way at Euro 2020 and Gareth Southgate’s side certainly appear to be in good form heading into the tournament, as they are on a five-game winning streak and have only conceded one goal during that time.
Romania failed to qualify for the finals and they will head to the Riverside having lost three matches on the spin, most recently going down to a home defeat against Georgia in a friendly on Wednesday.
This certainly does not appear to be a vintage Romania team, although Mirel Radoi’s side do have an impressive record against England, as they are unbeaten in the last seven meetings between the two nations, winning each of the previous two.
However, it must be said that Sunday will be the first time the two sides have clashed in nearly 21 years and it is difficult to see beyond an England victory given the form of both teams.
England have won 14 of their last 15 matches on home soil, keeping clean sheets in 10 of those games, so backing the home victory to zero at 4/6 could be the way to go.
Calvert-Lewin to Stake his Claim
Southgate has injury concerns heading into Sunday’s match, with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire still aiming to prove their fitness ahead of the finals.
It would be no surprise to see the England boss rest some of his key players for the contest, including captain Harry Kane, which could open the door for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to start up front.
The Everton forward appears to be the man to fill any potential void left by Kane and he has certainly proven himself at international level this season, scoring four goals in eight appearances since making his debut in October.
Calvert-Lewin will also be full of confidence off the back of his best scoring season with Everton and he looks a good candidate to open the scoring on Sunday at 23/10.
No Problems Expected for Scotland
There appears to be a feel-good factor surrounding Scotland ahead of their first major men’s tournament in 23 years, with Steve Clarke’s side having only lost two of their last 15 games.
Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, a match where they twice led, shows Scotland are a team that must be respected and they will expect to gain another positive result against a Luxembourg side that sit 52 places below them in the world rankings.
Luxembourg should not be taken lightly though, as they beat Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifier back in March, while Norway needed a 90th-minute winner from Erling Haaland to claim a 1-0 victory in a friendly on Wednesday night.
Those results should make Scotland sit up and take notice and it could well be a tight game on Sunday, which is why backing Scotland to win by one goal could prove shrewd at 2/1.
Adams Could Prove to be Scotland’s Hero
What made Scotland’s midweek draw with the Netherlands particularly impressive was the result was achieved without seven members of the squad, as they were forced to self isolate after midfielder John Fleck tested positive for Covid-19.
Fleck will once again be missing on Sunday, but the other six players will be available, including Southampton forward Che Adams, who is likely to be Scotland’s main source for goals at the Euros.
The 24-year-old was only handed his international debut in March after declaring his allegiance to Scotland and he scored his first goal for the Tartan Army in their World Cup qualifying victory over the Faroe Islands that same month.
Adams will now be looking to cement his place in Clarke’s starting XI for the Euros and will be determined to get on the scoresheet against Luxembourg.
The former Birmingham City frontman did score in two of his final three appearances for Southampton this season and he is priced at 13/10 to notch at anytime on Sunday.
*All odds correct at time of writing
