The groups for the European Championships have taken shape now as many of the big boys have moved into enviably strong positions. Some sides, like England, are almost guaranteed their place in France while others have it all to do. That makes this weekend’s fixtures vitally important. We’ve gone through the games to find the best accas to give some entertainment to your weekend.
Easy Winner – 13/10 (Sky Bet)
- Norway to beat Azerbaijan (1/3) – Norway have beaten Azerbaijan in the last three fixtures between the two nations. They need the win to catch up with Italy and Croatia who currently occupy the qualification positions and should have enough to secure the three points in front of their own fans.
- Netherlands to beat Latvia (1/5) – The Dutch should be shoo-ins to beat Latvia after thrashing them 6-0 in Amsterdam. That was a rare highlight in their qualification campaign. They are five points away from Iceland in second so need another strong win to get their qualification back on track.
- Portugal to beat Armenia (4/9) – Portugal, top of Group I take on Armenia, bottom of the group on Saturday. The Portuguese have nine points from four games but need another win to separate themselves from the chasing pack. Armenia only have the one point to their names and will clearly struggle to get anything from this game.
Medium Risk – 9/2 (BetVictor)
- Wales and Belgium to draw (13/5) – If these two draw in Cardiff on Friday night it will do their chances of qualification no harm whatsoever. They are joint top of the group having drawn 0-0 in the reverse fixture. Get through this one without a loss and both sides will feel they are in a strong position to qualify.
- England to beat Slovenia (20/23) – Roy Hodgson’s team are favourites for Sunday’s game in which they can make it six wins from six qualification games. They are the stronger side and the players have what it takes to end their season on a high.
- Sweden to beat Montenegro (1/2) – With the poor form of Russia in Group G, Sweden know they must get a home win against Montenegro to keep themselves second and within shooting distance of Austria who are four points clear at the top. They will need to better the 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture but should have enough to take the full three points.
Long Shot – 86/1 (Bet365)
- Italy and Croatia to draw (21/10) – Croatia are top of Group H and they have a winning record over Italy but the away side have not lost since a poor World Cup and have gone 45 qualification games – for both the European Championships and World Cup – without being beaten. The draw at 21/10 looks a good bet between two well-matched teams.
- Faroe Islands to beat Greece (15/2) – Greece are having a shocking qualifying campaign. They are rock bottom of Group F having embarrassingly lost to the Faroe Islands at home. Those are the only points that the Islanders have gained so far but they could take advantage of Greece’s terrible confidence and form to secure a remarkable double.
- Scotland to beat the Republic of Ireland (23/10) – A Shaun Maloney goal gave Scotland a massive win against Ireland at Celtic Park. That added three points that moved their tally up to 10 which puts them level with Germany and just one off Poland who top Group D. Gordan Strachan’s men are playing well and could pull off another big result at the Aviva Stadium, giving them a great chance to qualify.