All articles by: Elliott Jackson

England vs Switzerland – Match Preview

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England vs Switzerland
Tuesday 11th September 2018
International Friendly, King Power Stadium

Live on Sky Sports Football, Kick-Off: 20:00 GMT

England vs Switzerland: England will be looking to bounce back from their defeat against Spain with a win over Switzerland at the King Power Stadium.

England were on the wrong side of a 2-1 scoreline when they faced Spain on Saturday night. Despite taking the lead through Marcus Rashford, they were immediately pegged back before Rodrigo scored the winner. Danny Welbeck controversially had a goal ruled out after tapping home David De Gea’s fumble, but overall it was a deserved win for Spain. Their midfield trio of Thiago, Sergio Busquets and Saul Niguez was the difference between the two sides. It underlined England’s lack of a ball-playing central midfielder. That could be the difference between England and the very best nations in the world. They’re crying out for a Paul Gascoigne type of player, who can dictate the tempo of a match.

Gareth Southgate made a bold statement in his selection progress on Saturday; leaving Kyle Walker out of his starting side. Joe Gomez reclaimed his role at RCB, whilst Kieran Trippier was given the nod at RWB. Dele Alli will miss this match after picking up a minor injury, but Demari Gray and Ben Chilwell could both feature on home soil after being called up from the under 21 squad.

Switzerland kicked off their UEFA Nations group in style with a thumping 6-0 win over Iceland. Xherdan Shaqiri scored the pick of the bunch with a curling free-kick that left the ‘keeper stranded. After a relatively underwhelming World Cup campaign, Switzerland will be desperate to remind the world what they are capable of. They have been in the top ten rankings for some time; which doesn’t come through luck. As a result, this will be a tricky test for Southgate’s side.

Clement Turpin is the referee for this game. The Frenchman plies his trade in Ligue 1, where he has officiated two game this season. He has averaged two cards per match which is the league’s second lowest. Therefore, I would advise a maximum total of 30+ booking points for this game.

England played well against Spain, despite being beaten. If they can replicate the same level of performance against Switzerland, I would expect them to win. Gareth Southgate may be slightly more tempted to experiment with his side in this game, but I would still expect a strong England team to win this game.

England vs Switzerland will be televised live in the UK from the King Power Stadium in Leicester on Sky Sports Football with kick off at 20:00 GMT.

Prediction: England 2-1 Switzerland.

Suggested Tips – England vs Switzerland – (SKYBET)

  • Correct score: 2-1 England – 17/2.
  • England to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 – 13/8.
  • Kane and Rashford to both score – 4/1.
  • Maguire to score first – 20/1.

Odds and markets last updated on 11th September 2018 @16:30 GMT.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews from the International break this week. We also have domestic fixtures returning at the end of the week so keep an eye on those previews in the tips and preview area.

Scotland vs Albania – Match Preview

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Scotland vs Albania
Monday 10th September 2018
UEFA Nations League – Group C 1, Hampden Park

Live on Sky Sports Football, Kick-Off: 19:45 GMT

Scotland vs Albania – Scotland take on Albania looking to get off to the perfect start in their UEFA Nations League group.

Scotland were royally thumped 4-0 on Thursday as they took on Belgium. Despite holding Roberto Martinez’s side at 1-0 for the first half, they conceded three quickfire goals in the second 45. That result just underlined the size of the task ahead for Alex McLeish. Don’t get me wrong; nobody expected them to beat Belgium, but the gap in quality was stark. Against Albania, they will be much more evenly matched. If Scotland want to qualify for EURO2020, building some momentum in the UEFA Nations League could be vital. A string of positive results could help inject some much-needed confidence into the players, but also their supporters.

Leigh Griffiths will be fit to play for Scotland, despite nursing an ankle injury picked up against Belgium. They are already without Oliver McBurnie, so the Celtic forward will be crucial in their search for goals. One major dilemma for Mcleish is how to get the best out of both Andrew Robertson and Kieran Tierney. The Scotland skipper started at LWB against Belgium, with his Celtic counterpart at LCB. There have been suggestions, however, that Robertson could start in a more advanced position, with Tierney behind him at LB.

Albania, like Scotland, will be hoping to use his competition as a springboard for EURO2020. For the first time ever, they qualified for a major tournament when they featured in France 2016 and will hope to do the same again, four years on. Their biggest threat is striker Sindrit Guri. The 24-year-old plays for KV Oostende in the Belgian Premier League. Last season he scored 21 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions, also registering six assists. If Scotland are to win, they will have to keep this man quiet.

Matej Jug is the referee for this match. The Swedish official has averaged 3.86 yellow and 0.15 red cards per game across 81 international matches. Therefore, I would advise a maximum booking points total of 40+ for this game,

This will be a tougher test for Scotland than some may think. On paper, Scotland’s side looks stronger, but Albania do have a few dangerous players, capable of causing problems. However, I still think Scotland will edge this one, roared on by their home crowd.

Scotland vs Albania will be televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Football with kick off at 19:45 GMT.

Prediction: Scotland 2-1 Albania

Suggested Tips – Scotland vs Albania – (SKYBET)

  • Correct score, Scotland 2-1 – 17/2.
  • Griffiths to score first – 7/2.
  • Naismith and Guri to both score – 10/1.
  • Scotland to win by exactly one goal – 5/2.

Odds and markets last updated on 10th September 2018 @15:40 GMT.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews from the International break this week. We also have domestic fixtures returning at the end of the week so keep an eye on those previews in the tips and preview area.

Denmark vs Wales – Match Preview

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Denmark vs Wales
Sunday 9th September 2018
UEFA Nations League – Group B 4, Ceres Park

Live on Sky Sports Football, Kick-Off: 17:00 GMT

Denmark vs Wales: Wales travel to face a full-strength Denmark side, looking to build on their midweek win over the Republic of Ireland.

Wales kicked off their UEFA Nations League Group with a resounding 4-1 win over the Republic of Ireland. Whilst Gareth Bale’s stunning effort will take the headlines, a lot of the post-match chatter was around Chelsea’s teenage-sensation Ethan Ampadu. The youngster impressed on his full debut in the centre of midfield, although is equally as assured in defence. Ryan Giggs is trying to blood the next line of Welsh talent, with David Brooks, Connor Roberts and Chris Mepham all starting the match. Alongside the more experienced heads such as Bale, Aaron Ramsey and James Chester, there is a belief amongst Wales that they can mount a strong push to qualify for EURO2020. Given the young talents they possess, it’s easy to see why.

Denmark were forced to name an under-strengthened squad for their match against Slovakia in midweek due to an ongoing dispute between the Danish FA and the players’ union. As a result, the majority of their World Cup squad were unavailable, meaning players from the third/fourth division of their domestic league and futsal players were called up. The disagreement between the two parties was regarding commercial rights, with negotiations drawn out for months. They were beaten 3-0 in that friendly on Wednesday, highlighting the lack of quality in their current squad. However, the dispute has now been put on hold, meaning Denmark have their original side back. That makes this a much tougher game then it may have seemed, with Christian Eriksen, Kasper Schmeichel and Yuusuf Poulsen all set to start.

Deniz Aytekin is the referee for this game. The German official plies his trade in the Bundesliga, although he only officiated one league game this season. In that game he showed two yellow cards; therefore, I would advise a maximum of 30+ total booking points for this match.

Wales’ fantastic showing in midweek will have their supporters filled with optimism ahead of this game. However, Denmark now have their big guns back and proved in the World Cup how dangerous they can be. As a result, I’m plumping for a draw in this one.

Denmark vs Wales will be televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Football with kick off at 17:00 GMT.

Prediction: Denmark 1-1 Wales

Suggested Tips – Denmark vs Wales – (SKYBET)

  • Correct score: 1-1 Draw – 11/2.
  • Price Boost – First Goalscorer Bale to score first – 6/1.
  • Both Players to Score – Ramsey and Eriksen to both score – 11/1.
  • BTTS and Denmark to win – 7/2.
  • RequestABet Specials 11/1 to 28/1 – Bale and Eriksen both to score outside the area – 28/1.
  • RequestABet Specials – 33/1 to 66/1 – Eriksen, Bale, & Ramsay all to score – 33/1.

Odds and markets last updated on 8th September 2018 @14:40 GMT.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews from the International break this week. We also have domestic fixtures returning at the end of the week so keep an eye on those previews in the tips and preview area.