Saturday looks set to be a bumper day of international football with Nations League action heating up.
Heavyweights England and Italy serve up a repeat of their Euro 2020 final at Molineux. Qatar-bound Wales host Europe’s highest ranked team, Belgium in Cardiff. And in Dublin, struggling Republic of Ireland go head-to-head with a resurgent Scotland.
England’s winless start to their Nations League campaign has left them bottom of the table in Group A3 and the match presents the opportunity for the Italians to open up a six-point gap on Gareth Southgate’s men.
The Italians of course missed out on World Cup qualification so Roberto Mancini is in a bit of a re-building phase with his squad but a well-earned draw with Germany followed by a win over Hungary suggests he’s already got them heading in the right direction again.
England have failed to hit the heights of last summer’s performances this time round and have posted two lacklustre performances during this round of fixtures. There doesn’t seem to be much between the elite teams at the top table and another draw could be on the cards in Wolverhampton tonight at 5/2.
Wales have already won the most important match of this international break but two defeats in the Nations League sees them propping up Group A4.
Belgium’s 6-1 dismantling of Poland on Sunday doesn’t bode well for the Welsh tonight but Rob Page’s side’s defeat to the Poles was with a much-changed side ahead of their crucial victory over Ukraine so we shouldn’t read too much in to that as a form guide.
That said, this Belgian side proved they’ve still got some serious quality in their ranks and 22 year old Loïs Openda, who impressed through the youth ranks, could be one to watch after netting on his debut on Wednesday. It’s hard to argue against a Belgium win at 4/5 and the 5/6 on them scoring two or more also appeals with the likes of De Bruyne, Lukaku, Mertens, Batshuyi and the aforementioned Openda in their ranks.
Defeat for the Irish this evening would more or less signal the end of their Nations League hopes. It could also mean curtains for boss Stephen Kenny who has presided over just five wins in his 24 in charge of the national team.
Those wins have come against Andorra, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Luxembourg and Lithuania so not much to write home about, but they also managed friendly draws with Belgium (friendly) and Portgual, as well as being undone by the Portuguese thanks to two very late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo so it’s not all doom and gloom.
In the other dugout Steve Clarke has Scotland in an optimistic position. Failure to qualify for the World Cup was a huge blow last week but there’s still a feel good factor around the squad with the promise of better times ahead for this group of players. If they’re to step up to the next level they need to win games like this one and look backable to do so at 17/10.
The man in the middle for this one if Italian Marco Di Bello who loves a card. He’s dished out 99 yellow cards and 7 reds in just 24 games this season (thanks to @PieandBov for that info). Over 3.5 Cards pays 1.850 on the Asian Card market at Bet365.
Player cards could be worth a look. The combative John McGinn leads the market at 15/8 but there could be better value further down the list. Celtic’s Callum McGregor picked up a booking against Armenia last time out and is booked more regulary for Scotland (a booking every 8.75 matches) than for Celtic (every 13 matches). He looks a certain starter and is 11/2 to pick up a card this evening.
Super Singles
- Belgium to score two or more 5/6 Bet365
- England v Italy – Draw 5/2 Bet365
- Republic of Ireland v Scotland O3.5 Asian Cards 1.850 Bet365
Upcoming Match Previews & Tips
- Saturday’s Goals Accumulator Tips: Today’s 9/2 Total Team Goals Acca
- SlipsTips Tips: Republic of Ireland vs Scotland Bet Builder
- Sat 17:00 Republic of Ireland v Scotland
- Sat 19:45 Wales v Belgium
- Sat 19:45 England v Italy
- Sat 19:45 Hungary v Germany
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Sat 19:45 Netherlands v Poland
- Sun 14:00 Northern Ireland v Cyprus
- Sun 17:00 Norway v Sweden
Racing Tips
Rizzel has two selections on a busy Saturday with the NAP coming early on in the Sandown card.
As always, let us know your tips and predictions for today in the comments section below and good luck with all your bets!
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