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Football betting tipsby Ben, last updated 2007-10-09 19:44:51Euro 2008 Betting - Previews of Games for Ireland & ScotlandScottish teams recently enjoyed one of their most successful weeks in European domestic football. Celtic beat Champions League holders AC Milan at Celtic Park, Rangers recorded a dramatic 3-0 away to Lyon, while Aberdeen progressed to the group stages of the UEFA Cup. Such results have led former Italian boss, Marcello Lippi, to comment that Scotland are Europe’s up-and-coming nation. Surely the Tartan Army’s recent win in Paris was the biggest hint that Scottish football is approaching a renaissance. The last major international tournament that Scotland qualified for was the 2000 World Cup in France won by the host nation. It could Les Bleus that loses out should Scotland qualify from Group B, but the problem with Scotland is that they can be tough opponents when given little or no chance – as in the recent game at the Parc des Princes – but often disappoint when expectation is raised. Make no mistake the whole of Scotland no expects on Saturday against the Ukraine. It is difficult therefore, to know what to expect of Alex McLeish’s heroes at Hampden. Though they currently top the section, they still have Italy to play at home, and Georgia away, so must get something out of this game. However, they are without Paul Hartley, a pivotal figure in recent performances. Oleg Blokhin’s side have only a slim chance of qualification, and he may look to blood youngster building to the 2012 event on home soil. Andriy Shevchenko and Andriy Voronin have however, been used sparingly by their clubs so may appreciate the opportunity to play, particularly as the game requires little travel. PinnacleSports.com price Scotland favourites on their Asian Handicap betting 1.775 (0/scratch & -0.5) with the Ukraine 2.190 (0/scratch & +0.5). Republic of Ireland manager, Steve ‘Stan’ Staunton, is running out of chances to prove his worth as the national team’s manager. After a poor qualification campaign, including one point from the two recent crucial fixtures in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, fate is out of Staunton’s hands. Though mathematically Ireland can still make it to the Euro 2008 finals – they must win their remaining fixtures, and hope the Czechs lose all theirs - Saturday’s game at Croke Park against Germany is really about pride, and building for the future. The venue is normally reserved for Gaelic games but is a temporary home for football, while Landsdowne Road is being renovated. It provides a very special atmosphere and Ireland are unbeaten in two fixtures without conceding. There is also a knock-on effect for World Cup qualification, where seeding relies on the number of wins from this campaign. Though Staunton’s contract runs until 2010, it seems unlikely that he’ll remain in charge unless Ireland start winning beginning with this game against the runaway leaders of Group D. Joachim Low’s side need only a draw in Dublin to guarantee passage to Austria and Switzerland next summer, where they are rated one of the favourites. The only real absentee for the Germans is Miroslav Klose - the Bundesliga’s joint-top goal-scorer – otherwise Low has named a strong squad recalling Werder Bremen trio Torsten Frings, Tim Borowski and Clemens Fritz, along with Stuttgart’s striker, Mario Gomez. PinnacleSports.com make Germany favourites 2.060 (-0.5) with Ireland 1.870 (+0.5). Euro 2008 Betting - England v Estonia PreviewEngland resume their Euro 2008 qualification campaign on Saturday with what should be a straight forward task at home to Estonia. Steve McClaren successfully negotiated two tricky home ties against Israel and Russia in September, beating both sides by an identical 3-0 score-line. The Three Lions should be capable of another comfortable victory against the tiny Baltic Republic, having already beaten them in Tallinn, by the same score-line. That defeat spelled the end for Estonia coach, Jelle Goes, replaced by 60 year old Dane, Viggo Jensen. Jensen has at least got four points on the board courtesy of a home victory over Andorra - the only team below them in Group E - and a draw in their last game, away to Macedonia. The Estonians will no doubt enjoy the experience of playing at the new Wembley; this fixture captured the public’s imagination ever since the schedule was announced. The Three Lions will be without several key players through injury such as David Beckham, Andy Johnson, Owen Hargreaves, Emile Heskey; while McClaren may rest those recently returned from the treatment room including Michael Owen and Frank Lampard, and those players who are one yellow card away from suspension i.e. Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry. It is however, almost impossible to build a case for anything other than a very one-sided encounter, in England’s favour. Estonia’s last away win was in October 2005 against Luxembourg, and they have no history of upsetting an established national away from home. Tim Carter, is Sunderland and Estonia’s goalkeeping coach, giving him a unique perspective on the game. “England could lose another 100 to injury and still have a squad bigger than ours”. The hardest task will probably fall to inexperienced goalkeeper, Sergei Pareiko - normally third choice or worse - who looks likely to play unless ex-Sunderland cat, Mart Poom, recovers from a back problem. The only possible mitigation against the argument for an England win would be founded on Macedonia’s success in frustrating Steve McLaren’s side at Old Trafford, around the same time last year. However, given England’s recent form a repeat result would be an even greater shock. Asian Handicap specialists, PinnacleSports.com, price England 1.800 (-2.5) with the visitors 2.150 (+2.5). ← Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 Next → |
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