Wednesday's Euro 2004 qualifiers

Btw,DH,any news for Denmark-Romania?Starting lineups?

Looks like Wieghorst and Tomasson so far for the two only positions not set in stone. Something like this, then...

Sorensen

Helveg, Henriksen, Laursen, Niclas Jensen

Gravesen, Wieghorst

Gronkjaer, Tomasson, Jorgensen

Sand


The Danish team is very confident, but I am not so convinced here. We are favs, of course, but I can easilly see our defense having trouble holding Ganea and Mutu and our performances in recent matches have been patchy at best - probably to some extent due to the lack of match practise for key players.

Due to our tendency to start well and our total lack of ability to sit back and defend (we have thrown a few leads towards the end in recent games), HT/FT 1/2 is IMO value at the 34 currently on offer at Will Hills. If we get the lead, knowing it will take us to Portugal, we will surely sit back in the 2nd half and that could be our doom.

Not very patriotic I know, but.....

D.Rommedahl?

Maybe 2/1,but 1/2 hardly! I don't see that Romania is on some high level at the moment.Ganea and Mutu are a very good players,but Romania like a team doesn't look so good.I saw Romania-Bosnia match and Romania hasn't been dominanted in any part of the game.OK,they won 2:0,but that doesn't show the real situation in that match.Somehow I feel that they could come in the lead,but to win,I'm not so sure.They don't play so good in these qualifications,and it's hard to expect that Romania can catch 1st or 2nd place.

but I can easilly see our defense having trouble holding Ganea and Mutu

Their defense will have some problems with Sand too.Come on man,be little more optimistic,like me.I expect our win against Italy. Who cares for Vieri and Inzaghi!?They are all human,and our players aren't some little kids.55000 fans will be with them.The same situation is with Denmark.Home advantage,motivation,5:2 win from the first match,quality,...Romania is a very good team,but they don't fly!

Our U21 team has beaten Italy yesterday.Even they lost 4:1 in the first match.Everything is possible.

[Ciderbottle]

N Ireland -v- Armenia

Normally I'm all for earning money by watching NI get thumped but since the Spain sting... and watching the Ukraine game this prediction will be a little different.

The whole mood has changed in the NI camp. Local papers have been following the team closely and I think tonight is the night for the luck to change.

I feel they will score tongiht but just the one. It'll probably come from Healy or Gillespie if hes playing. I predict 1-0 to NI. Armenis are almost as crap as them but the mood in the NI camp since the Spain game should be enough for them to reak the duck tionight.

Well I hope so anyway or I'll be skint to payday again

[edtkh]

Italy-Spain-England-Bulgaria-Bosnia-Israel yields 2.85 at Hills.

England, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Israel pretty much speak for themselves - much as their odds are low, there simply is no way(bar a miracle) Liechtenstein, Andorra, Luxembourg and Malta(who, along with San Marino, probably form the most pathetitc quintet in European football) can get anything from these matches. Before anyone makes referrences to the Northern Ireland-Spain encounter, it'd probably be wise to note that N.Ireland are still a notch above those minnows.

As for Spain, as some have already mentioned in this forum, they quite simply need to win this match - and they could certainly ill-afford to slip up at home against Ukraine(whether Shevchenko plays or not!). With Sanz's job(widely rumoured anyway) dependent on Spain's qualification for Euro 2004, there is simply no question that the Spain that would turn up tonight would bear greater resemblance to the side that tore apart Portugal 3-0(nevermind it being just a friendly) than those that turned up to go-through-the-mills against Greece and N.Ireland. While victory today would not secure Spain the group, anything less would leave them with just a playoff(at best) to play for in their final match against Armenia. A victory, on the other hand, would secure them at least a playoff place. Certainly a good bet IMO.

Italy, much as I hate their catennacio style, are good value for the day IMO. With Mihajlovic, Stankovic, Vukic and Kovacevic out, S&M are effectively without a third of their team - much as Milosevic and Kezman are decent strikers, I just can't envisage them breaching a defence marshalled by the ever-dependable Cannavaro-Nesta partnership. With Inzaghi, Vieri and Del Piero leading their attack(add to that, Italy's resurgent form of late), they're definitely well poised to nick the much sought-after 3 points. I certainly wouldn't subscribe to the hype of the hostile Serbian crowd posing too much trouble(not enough to deny a desperate Italy the win anyway) to the Italians - for a start, a barely-decent Italy grafted to a 2-0 win in Azerbaijan where S&M could only settle for a 2-1 loss. :p

Another bet that has caught my eye would be Holland - 2.50 for them to edge out the Czech should certainly be value. With a full team(bar Davids) to choose from, I just can't see Holland losing at such a vital stage of the qualifiers as avenging the memories of Japan-Korea would still be pretty vivid enough to ensure the Dutch remain focus to accomplish their mission. Quite simply, having gone 14 matches unbeaten(although admittedly, Czech have gone 16 unbeaten since Bruckner took charge) since Advocaat took charge should go some way to substantiate the improvement the Dutch have made since the van Gaal days - and who says the Dutch are still afflicted by internal squabbles?

Probable teams:

Czech Republic: Petr Cech; Martin Jiranek, Rene Bolf, Tomas Ujfalusi, Zdenek Grygera; Karel Poborsky, Tomas Rosicky, Tomas Galasek, Pavel Nedved; Vladimir Smicer, Jan Koller

Netherlands: Edwin van der Sar; Michael Reiziger, Frank de Boer, Jaap Stam, Boudewijn Zenden; Rafael van der Vaart, Mark van Bommel, Philip Cocu, Marc Overmars; Patrick Kluivert, Ruud van Nistelrooy.

With Nistelrooy back from suspension to bolster an already excellent squad, I just can't help but feel that the Dutch are quite simply in another league compared to the Czech - Nedved and Rosicky apart, there're hardly any world class players with sufficient experience at the highest level in the Czech side.

Rommedahl will probably be on the bench but come on at some point for Gronkjaer.

Sure we can win, Kojic, and I am fairly sure we will somehow get to Portugal as we always qualify for these events, but keep in mind that the players out there know that they have another chance later in Bosnia, whereas this is final call for Romania.

IMO, the chances in this game are around 50-20-30, and that means no value in Denmark and some value in the away win.

Thanks for your support, though and I agree our team is normally very good and very talented with many young players. The problem is that some of them have ended up in clubs just a little above their level (Milan, Dortmund) where they would be better off in teams like perhaps Parma and Hamburg SV. And Sand has totally lost his confidence, which does not help either.....

Thinks could be very different next summer, though, and on our day I truly believe we can beat any team out there - except, perhaps, Brazil

[Luddite71]

I would never oppose the Czechs on their own turf!!

Skybets 4/5 for England -3 tonight has gone. Is anybody aware of any bookies still offering offering England -3 ?

[kompressaur]

Interested in the Faroes also Scotpunt. Anyone know any team news ?

13/5 @ Hills

Good Luck,edtkh! But like I said Partizan's captain,Sasa Ilic,is in superb form and everybody will agree that he is much better player than Vukic.Milosevic will replace Kovacevic,but I don't see any problem here.They are the same type of player.And he is in good form too.Like I said,third attacker is Danijel Ljuboja(first attacker of Strasbourg).
Mihajlovic?Who the hell is Mihajlovic? :rolleyes Man,he totally lost his compas in the last few years.Krstajic,Stefanovic and Gavrancic(Dinamo Kiev) are a very confident guys and much better options.
Only problem is Stankovic,but Djordjevic(Olympiakos captain) is a very good player.He is not so strong like Dejan,but has much better tehnique.
Two wingers are Dragutinovic and Cirkovic.
Cirkovic is going to play on right side.He has a very good tehnique and he is our the fastest player.His form is superb too,was one of the best in Partizan's vitory against Newcastle.
Dragutinovic(Standard Liege captain) is in a very good period in the last two years and was excelent against Wales.
Dragan Mladenovic(Red Star),def. mid. is the biggest surprise.Nodbody didn't even hear for this guy,but he is fantastic this season.Great in defense,good like a midfielder,excelent pass,knows to score,...He has scored the only goal against Wales and some important goals for Red Star,and that's not his job.
And goalkeeper Jevric?Not in some great period in the last few months,but after very long time we have a goalie who can do the magic saves.

But the most interesting thing is the atmosphere before the match.Everybody makes a jokes,especialy our national coach Petkovic,Del Piero make the interviews without problems,...,everythng is like they play friendly match.Mijatovic,Mirkovic,Zambrota,Panucci,Del Piero drink a coffee together.OK,Mijatovic and Mirkovic won't play,but hey!Are they with us or with them?They should give a support to other players.The referee is from Luxemburg! :| Now there are some new calculations.If Wales blows up against Finland,then we need only one point from this match.I wouldn't be surprised in this:Italy and S&M are going to hear about situation in Cardiff.If Finland make a win,then Italy will give 3pts to S&M!Don't be surprised! Many of these guys are a big friends.Everybody knows for relation Boskov - Trapatonni and Savicevic - Silvio Berlusconi :rolleyes But if Wales win,than we can give all 3pts to Italy!Who knows?

To be honest,I wouldn't be so much disapointed if we lose here.Maybe the latest results doesn't show that Wales deserve EURO too,but they surely deserve more than S&M!This could be the last chance for Ryan Giggs to play a big tournament with his national team.

u sure about listening to me komp after last nights debacle

nah no team news as yet Il have a deck and if I get anything Ill post it - i suppose that lithuania have nadda to play for - from memory faroes aint the worst AT HOME ie: drawing with our shower and also nearly drawing with Germany, AHandicap could be the shout for this one ?

komp

this means not a lot as it was posted a couple of weeks back when the squad was announced but it all helps im sure

since then as youll have seen from my earlier ost re daily record that a fair few players aint interested.

re the faroes Im sure it will be same old same old fishermen, farmers etc but I fancy them here - with a small interest.

---------------------------------------- from uefa


Lithuania expect Faroes test
Friday, 29 August 2003

Lithuania will be without Brøndby IF defender Aurelius Skarbalijus for the UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying tie against the Faroe Islands on 10 September.

No easy game
Algimantas Liubinskas's side travel to Toftír expecting a tough examination from the bottom team in Group 5. "Everyone wants to win there but remember that Scotland only got a 2-2 draw, while the Germans needed a last-minute winner," the coach said.

Ins and outs
Liubinskas has recalled FC Spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz player Nerijus Barasa, but omitted another defender, Dunfermline Athletic FC's Andrius Skerla, from his 23-man squad. Lithuania are currently fourth in Group 5, five points behind leaders Iceland. After the Faroes, their remaining game will be away to Scotland on 11 October.

Lithuania squad
Stauce, Padimanskas, Dziaukstas, Alunderis, Barasa, Dedura, Zvirgzdauskas, Radzius, Samusiovas, Regelskis, Morinas, D. Cesnauskis, E. Cesnauskis, Kucys, Zutautas, Vencevicius, Petrenko, Razanauskas, Tamosauskas, Jankauskas, Poskus, Guscinas, Mikulenas.

Euro 2004 - Qualifying Matches - ENGLAND v LIECHTENSTEIN - Head To Head - ENGLAND Win 1.01
Friendlies - GERMANY v ENGLAND - Head To Head - GERMANY Win 1.10
Euro 2004 - - SPAIN v UKRAINE - Head To Head - SPAIN Win 1.25
Euro 2004 - - ISRAEL v MALTA - Head To Head - ISRAEL Win 1.12
- BRAZIL v ECUADOR - Head To Head - BRAZIL Win 1.15

145.00 259.37
1.79 Effective Price :o I don't no if I can post this here:o eny way good luck to everyone :b

Yesterdays price on Moldova 2.25 @ Hill :p
Todays price on Moldova 1.61 @ Hill

"If quitters never win, and winners never quit, then who is the fool who said, "Quit while you're ahead?"

[dino500177]

I just placed single bets at Gamebookers :

NIRE:ARM under 2.5 goals at 1.65,
SCG:ITA under 2.5 goals at 1.75,
POL:SWE (0:0 AH) tip 2 at 1.90,
SLO:FRA (-0.75 AH) tip 2 at 1.95

I placed 50 euro on each game so let's wait and see if there will be any cash flow tonight:hat

Israel - Malta 1:2

I just can't decide on a game for today, so I'll wait till the weekend. Every match that looks good has something to put me off, and I don't think its worth the risk of going big on Brazil at the 1/6 I've seen. This kinda shows how all the games I'm sure about for today are at really crap odds.

Anyway, good luck to all who are having a flutter today.

What the fuxx is Israel doing?>:

faroes to beat lithuania @ 3.75 betfair
Scotland to draw with Germany >D @5.00Betfair
France/Wales double 2.97 @Superodds

[Hodgey]

Spain is the only one which I fancy tonight, mainly because anything other than a win leaves them unable to play for the group in the final matches next month.

1.30 Ukbetting.