UEFA Nations League Predictions > Sep 3rd - 8th

[StevieDay1983]

The 2020/21 UEFA Nations League kicks off this week as international football makes its first tentative return to action since the covid-19 pandemic started. A lot of matches come our way. I'll be looking to cover every home nation's game (that's England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and Wales) so keen to hear your bets and tips. Particularly if you're based outside the UK and have better knowledge of certain nations. 

[duckmaster]

Iceland are apparently without five key players and are a shadow of the team that took them to the Euros and WC a few years ago. England were on fire last year, scored 38 and conceded 9 in 10 games (WLD: 7/1/2).

if there’s going to be a 5-0 pumping in this round then this game will be it. England -4.5 is 15.00 which is down from 19.00 on Tuesday afternoon, obviously adjust the handicap for the risk you want to take but if that’s not worth a fiver I don’t know what is.

 

And I’m Scottish so I don’t have any vested interest in that one. But as for Scotland I’d say under 2.5 goals, our striker options are limited (to say the least) and the last two games against them were close. No value in under 2.5 though.

Provided Clarke puts out the best team possible it should be a Scotland win as games are won in midfield and the defence should be pretty solid, wouldn’t bet on it being by more than a goal though.

Says it all that the shortest odds player to score for Scotland is Dykes (2.88 at anytime, insane), who will make his debut. He’s the only actual striker. Forrest, who is being called a striker for reasons past the comprehension of mere mortals like myself, is 4.20 at any time.

It will presumably be a 4-5-1 with Dykes up front, I can’t see any other option. McGinn to score first at 8.00 is my “I think this will happen but don’t have the balls to bet on it” prediction.

 

But the England game should be an annihilation.

 

[StevieDay1983]

Scottish man backs England to batter Iceland... I'm definitely getting on that one because there's no way a Scotsman would tout such a prediction unless he was adamant it could happen! 

[StevieDay1983]

Finland vs Wales

The 2020/21 UEFA Nations League kicks off tonight and I'll be watching avidly as my home nation of Wales begin their campaign in Group B4 against Finland in a 7:45pm BST start at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. Both of these sides have qualified for next summer's European Championship so this will be a good indicator of where these two nations are currently positioned with their preparations.

Finland come into this game having tasted defeat in just 1 of their last 14 home matches. It's 9 wins from their last 10 home matches and each one of those victories has been with a clean sheet. Head coach Markku Kanerva has done a tremendous job with the team since taking over back in 2016. It's easy to forget that this Finnish side has its fair share of talented individuals including Tim Sparv, Jere Uronen, Fredrik Jensen, and Teemu Pukki. The fact Finland have not only been keeping things tight at the back but have also scored in 9 straight matches shows that they are performing at both ends of the pitch.

Wales appear to be evolving in the right direction under head coach Ryan Giggs but the team is suffering from a number of key absentees for this game. The likes of Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, David Brooks, Ashley Williams, Chris Mepham, Joe Rodon, and Tom Lawrence are amongst those ruled out. That means Giggs will need to re-jig the majority of his midfield and defence. On a positive note, the former Manchester United winger can still call upon the talent of Gareth Bale, Harry Wilson, Daniel James, Ethan Ampadu, and Ben Davies with upcoming Liverpool youngster Neco Williams also given a call-up. The Dragons are in the middle of a decent run that helped secure their spot at next summer's finals having gone 6 games unbeaten having scored in each one of those games with the team also winning 4 of those games.

This is going to be a tricky game for Wales. Losing the trio of Ramsey, Allen, and Brooks is massive with all three players being our best performers in midfield over recent years. One thing Giggs has done well as Wales manager is adapt the squad to play without key players. Ramsey and Brooks in particular hardly played due to injuries over the past couple of years so the players will be prepared. Finland are no mugs though. They will feel they can win this game and even though I am concerned they might sneak a narrow clean sheet win I still have faith that we can grind out a draw. If I had to back an outcome then I'd probably favour a 0-0. Is my heart over-ruling my head? Possibly.

Draw @ 3.14 with VBet

BTTS No @ 1.80 with Bet365

[StevieDay1983]

Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland

The second game from Group B4 in the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League is the next preview in our coverage of these games with Bulgaria taking on Republic of Ireland in a 7:45pm BST kick-off at the Vasil Levski National Stadium. Both of these two teams missed out on qualifying for the 2020 European Championship so this offers them a chance to rebuild for the next major tournament qualification campaign.

Bulgaria have undoubtedly endured brighter times in their history. Head coach Georgi Dermendzhiev doesn't exactly have a golden generation of players to choose from and it's now just 1 win from their last 14 matches and 4 losses from their last 5 home games. Perhaps the most worrying issue for the Bulgarians at the moment is their lack of fire power. Gone are the days of Hristo Stoitchkov and Yordan Letchkov. The likes of Spas Delev, Bozhidar Kraev, Ismail Isa, and Dimitar Iliev have only scored 5 goals between them. It's also just 1 goal scored in their last 5 games.

Republic of Ireland start a new competitive era under head coach Stephen Kenny. The Mick McCarthy tenure was hardly a success but it wasn't overly detrimental. The Boys in Green have only lost 1 of their last 13 matches including having defeated Bulgaria in a friendly by a 3-1 result back in September 2019. Entertainment is hardly at the forefront of Ireland's matches right now with under 2.5 goals scored in 11 of their last 12 competitive games. It's also a bit of a wild card with the new man coming in to take charge. Especially when his experience is limited to managing the under-21s and a handful of clubs in the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

One thing is for sure is that this game is hardly likely to set the world alight. Neither side is scoring goals for fun right now. I think we could see a different set-up for Kenny's side. Will he adopt a similar approach that brought him so much success with Dundalk? Or will he look to build on the resilient work put in by McCarthy? I think this will be a close one but Republic of Ireland should have enough to get at least a draw against a Bulgaria team that is really struggling at the moment.

Republic of Ireland to Win @ 2.30 with Bet365

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.57 with Bet365

[StevieDay1983]

Romania vs Northern Ireland

The UEFA Nations League action continues on Friday night with Group B1 as Romania host Northern Ireland in 7:45pm BST kick-off in an intriguing clash at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest. Both of these nations begin life under a new head coach in this game so it'll be interesting to see how they are both set-up and which players shine in this opening group match.

Romania might not have reached the epic heights of their golden generation that was led by Gheorghe Hagi in the early to mid 90s but they have started to show themselves as competent opposition once again after years in the international wilderness. A disappointing 2020 European Championship qualification campaign saw former head coach Cosmin Contra replaced by current new man Mirel Radoi. The team must now focus on doing their best in this Nations League and preparing for their 2022 World Cup qualification campaign. It's only 1 win in their last 4 home matches and scoring goals has been a huge issue for the team with just 1 goal scored in each of three of their last four home matches.

Northern Ireland are entering a new era with the head coach Ian Baraclough who has replaced the outgoing and long-serving Michael O'Neill. O'Neill held the post for nearly 8 years and helped the nation to secure a spot at their first major international tournament since 1986 when they reached the 2016 European Championship. Baraclough gets promoted from the under-21s role but he largely keeps faith with the players used by O'Neill in previous games with only Arsenal's Daniel Ballard, Oxford's Joel Cooper, and Aberdeen's Matthew Kennedy the only potential debutants. This game is very much being seen as a warm-up for the Euro 2020 Play-Off versus Bosnia and Herzegovina in October and with the team having only lost 3 of their last 10 international matches there's a determination to keep that decent form going.

It's always tough to call matches where both sides have got new men at the helm. Romania and Northern Ireland have both enjoyed positive periods over recent years but this is an uncertain time as they enter new tenures under new head coaches and fresh ideas. The most sensible outcome to back is a draw and I don't think either side will be disappointed with that. The Nations League matches so far have showed players not 100% match fit, not keen to risk getting injured before their domestic campaigns start, and head coaches experimenting. It's a formula for dour and mind-numbing encounters. This is likely to be another.

Draw @ 3.25 with Unibet

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.57 with Bet365

[StevieDay1983]

Scotland vs Israel

The opening games of Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League kick-off on Friday night when Scotland begin their campaign at home against Israel at Hampden Park. This is a clash between two teams that have underwhelmed over recent years and will be seeing this tournament as a chance to ignite their form in time to start the 2022 World Cup qualification campaign.

Scotland fans are longing for the days gone by where qualifying for international tournaments was almost expected. It's now been 22 years since the team last qualified for a major tournament which was the 1998 World Cup. Head coach Steve Clarke will look to put the disappointment of the 2020 European Championship qualification campaign behind him and move in a more positive direction. Clarke has chosen a largely inexperienced squad with only David Marshall, Andrew Robertson, John McGinn, and James Forrest having earned more than 20 caps. Tightening the defence will be a priority for Clarke with Scotland having only kept 2 clean sheets in their last 14 matches. The team is currently on a run of three matches unbeaten which is encouraging even if those wins came against San Marino, Cyprus, and Kazakhstan. The challenge will be larger here.

Israel has flirted with the prospect of qualifying from major international tournaments ever since they joined the European section back in 1991 but have so far since failed to reach a major finals. Caretaker head coach Willibald Ruttensteiner is hardly a household name and doesn't really have the most talented squad at his disposal. Away form is a real problem for Israel having lost 9 of their last 11 away international matches. However, with both teams scoring in 7 of their last 10 games we might be forgiven for hoping for some goals in this one.

I've not had much confidence in Clarke's management so far to back Scotland to win games recently. It'll be interesting to see how much progress he has made with his preparations and approach over the past 10 months. I think you have to say this is a game they need to win if they're to avoid an inquiry. I'm not very hopeful of Scotland winning this game easily or in style but it'll be hugely disappointing if they fail to take the victory.

Scotland to Win @ 2.10 with Unibet

BTTS @ 2.00 with Bet365

[allyhibs]

Here's another Scotsman who thinks England should stroll it against Iceland, in normal times with fans etc and not in what is essentially pre season for the players, this could easily be a 5 - 0 job. It should still be a straightforward England win though, England -1 looks like printing money. 

Yesterday Scotland were odds on and that was a no bet for me but the odds have drifted out to even money now and I'm tempted. It'll be really strange in an empty Hampden Park but I think the last line in @StevieDay1983 post above sums it up, it'll be hugely disappointing if Scotland don't win, I think there's value in the odds.

Like @duckmaster, I've also had a little punt on SJM ( Super John McGinn) to score anytime @ 4.00, simply because I love the guy, the massive Hibs legend that he is. (McGinn not duckmaster, obvs).

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by allyhibs

[allyhibs]

Put your mortgage on Scotland to get beat on Monday, that was pathetic.

Edited September 4, 2020 by allyhibs

[StevieDay1983]

15 hours ago, allyhibs said:

Put your mortgage on Scotland to get beat on Monday, that was pathetic.

Even though the game has allegedly been postponed due to the Czech Republic team experiencing an outbreak of covid-19... shall I still back Scotland to lose?  I know it's only been a short time but is it already clear that Steve Clarke just isn't going to work?

[StevieDay1983]

Iceland vs England

OK, so it's another day and another UEFA Nations League match heading our way. This time it's Group A2 with Iceland hosting England for this 5pm BST clash on Saturday afternoon at the Laugardalsvollur in Reykjavik. Can the visitors get revenge on the home side for the humiliating 2016 European Championship last 16 result that was one of the biggest upsets in international football history?

Iceland have enjoyed a golden period in their history having qualified for the last two major international tournaments. Head coach Erik Hamren has also guided his team to the play-offs for the 2020 European Championship where they will face Romania in October in the semi-final before potentially facing the winner of Bulgaria and Hungary in the final. A number of big name players are missing from this latest Icelandic team including Gylfi Sigurdsson, Aron Gunnarsson, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, and Alfred Finnbogason. Will that have an impact on an Iceland side that has scored in 8 of their last 10 matches and have won 4 of their last 5 matches?

England come into this game as the clear favourites and, as mentioned above, are hotly tipped to batter their opponents tonight. It's already been confirmed that Gareth Southgate will unleash the in-form Phil Foden and with the likes of Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho, and Raheem Sterling also offering attacking options then it seems sensible to back this Three Lions squad to get goals today. England won 7 of their 8 qualification matches for the 2020 European Championship but they have only kept 5 clean sheets in their last 13 away games.

I have to support what others on this forum are saying that this is England's game to lose. Yes, we said that exact same thing back in 2016 but this is an English side that is becoming fast-paced, ruthless, and bold. They have to be considered as major candidates to win the European Championship next summer and they should be winning a game like this with relative comfort.

England -1 @ 1.96 with Novibet

England HT/FT @ 1.91 with SpreadEx

[nidzika]

Mighty England... What a joke...

[freddie01]

I thought they were poor yesterday. Always hard to break down a disciplined defensive side but I thought after 20 mins we ran out of ideas slowed the game down and had too many sideways and backward passes.

[StevieDay1983]

46 minutes ago, freddie01 said:

I thought they were poor yesterday. Always hard to break down a disciplined defensive side but I thought after 20 mins we ran out of ideas slowed the game down and had too many sideways and backward passes.

I'm disappointed their dominant display didn't happen. Not disrespecting Iceland but more praising England for how they should make use of their attacking power. Still, in international football a win away from home is a win no matter how. I said this after Wales beat Finland. Some of our fans were, unbelievably, criticising Ryan Giggs. International football isn't like it used to be. The vast majority of sides have the ability to catch a big team off their guard on their own turf. It'll be interesting to see how England play in their next game. You can forgive them one dodgy night but if it soon becomes consistent then that's when questions will be asked.

[StevieDay1983]

Wales vs Bulgaria

The second round of matches for the UEFA Nations League kick-off on Sunday afternoon with Wales hosting Bulgaria in a 2pm BST kick-off at the Cardiff City Stadium. The home side will be looking to make it two wins from their opening two games against a travelling side that will probably feel slightly aggrieved that they conceded so late in their opening game to drop 2 points.

Wales will no doubt be delighted with their 1-0 win over Finland on Thursday night. Head coach Ryan Giggs knew it was an uphill battle against a Finnish side that had won 9 of their last 10 home matches and were on cloud nine having qualified automatically for the 2020 European Championship. Matters weren't helped by key players Aaron Ramsey, David Brooks, and Joe Allen amongst others missing. The situation got even more desperate when the influential Gareth Bale was forced off at half-time. However, Giggs tinkered with his tactics as the game wore on and the break through came in the 80th minute from Kieffer Moore. The Dragons come into this game knowing they've won 5 of their last 6 matches on home turf and have kept 4 clean sheets in their last 6 home games. The return of Brooks to the squad is also a massive boost because when he's on it he can arguably be our most dangerous player.

Bulgaria had appeared to be on the brink of a perfect start to their campaign when they were heading into injury time with a 1-0 lead thanks to a 56th minute goal by Bozhidar Kraev. Unfortunately, new Celtic signing Shane Duffy nipped in to equalise in the 3rd minute of added-on time to snatch a 1-1 draw. Head coach Georgi Dermendzhiev must have been livid. That draw now makes it just 1 win from their last 15 matches. The Lions have also failed to score in 4 of their last 6 matches. Away form isn't great either with the team not managing a win on the road since 6th September, 2018 when they beat Slovenia by a 2-1 score. That's 7 away games without a win.

It's strange because this is the first time as a Welshman that I feel we are coming into more games as the favourites than the underdogs. Giggs has got us playing decent football and even though we weren't great on Thursday, that's understandable given our absentees and lack of match fitness. I feel we probably deserved the win against Finland but I can't say how big a boost Brooks coming back in is for the team. If we had Ramsey and Allen back I'd be backing us to ease to a 2-0 or 3-0 win here. We can't call on them unfortunately so it'll be tight. I can see us maybe sneaking a 1-0 or 2-1 win. I'd definitely take that.

Draw (Wales -1) @ 3.35 with Unibet

Anytime Scorer: Kieffer Moore @ 3.45 with 888Sport

[StevieDay1983]

Republic of Ireland vs Finland

The second preview for Sunday afternoon's games in the UEFA Nations League is this clash between Republic of Ireland and Finland in a 5pm BST kick-off at the Aviva Stadium. Neither side will have been overly pleased with their opening game results but with the home team snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat there is a sense that this is their chance to ignite their campaign against an away side that needs something to avoid a poor start.

Republic of Ireland started life under new head coach Stephen Kenny with a 1-1 draw away to Bulgaria. It was a last minute equaliser from Shane Duffy that helped the Boys in Green avoid a disappointing loss. It was a typical dour affair for the Irish who appear to be struggling to find a way to get on top in their matches. Kenny will feel this is a game his team will be looking to win having lost just 1 of their last 10 home matches. Unfortunately, you can certainly expect the dismal standard of football to continue with Republic of Ireland having scored one or less goals in 13 of their last 16 games.

Finland will be kicking themselves for switching off for a split second to suffer a 1-0 loss at home to Wales. It was a game that had 0-0 written all over it despite a bright start by Wales but the solitary goal by Kieffer Moore with 10 minutes left was the death blow. The Eagle-Owls are missing a number of key defensive players ahead of this game but their head coach Markku Kanerva will generally be satisfied with the defensive work of his side in their last game taking into account the absentees. There is no denying that Finland need to win this game to realistically keep their hopes of earning promotion to the top league alive. If they are to take something from this game they'll need to buck the trend of 6 losses from their last 10 away matches.

OK, so I'm not trying to dig Republic of Ireland out here but surely Kenny has to try to be a bit bolder with his tactics. This negative and laborious style of play hasn't really worked for the Republic over recent years so why not just put their faith in their players to adopt a more expansive style? Finland could well play for a 0-0 draw here and I would be surprised to see more than a single goal scored. I think due to Finland's absentees that Republic might sneak the win but it's not going to be pretty and neither team will feel good after this game!

Republic of Ireland to Win @ 1.86 with VBet

Total Goals Scored Under 1.5 @ 2.50 with Betfair

[StevieDay1983]

Czech Republic vs Scotland

OK, so yesterday was a mixed bag. Thanks Republic! Luckily, Wales didn't let me down! Cymru am byth! Anyway, it's onto Scotland to try and do us a favour here as their game with Czech Republic does actually go ahead at 7:45pm BST at the Andruv stadion in Olomouc. The game had appeared to be postponed after an outbreak of covid-19 amongst the hosts but they've been ordered to field a replacement squad and use replacement coaching staff.

Czech Republic come into this game on the back of complete disruption to their preparations. Their entire first team squad has had to be isolated after an outbreak of coronavirus so the team is being replaced by a second string selection. Only two players from the new 24-man squad chosen by interim head coach David Holoubek have been capped before. Striker Stanislav Tecl and Roman Hubnik only have 34 caps between them. It's a desperate situation for a Czech side that had been hoping to build on the 3-1 win they achieved away to Slovakia in their opening game.

Scotland have been under-achieving under head coach Steve Clarke so far. The 1-1 draw at home to Israel was hugely disappointing and the former Reading manager is under fire for his tactics. Still, a win here against a severely weakened Czech side would put the Scottish side on a positive footing heading into their 2020 European Championship play-off encounter with Israel in October. The Scots won their last match away in the Czech Republic by a 1-0 score back in March 2016. Victory here would extend Scotland's unbeaten run to 5 matches.

It's hard to see anything other than a Scotland win. Czech Republic have packed their side with domestic-based players. Six of the squad play their football for Sigma Olomouc so will be playing on familiar territory but, realistically, that won't be enough. They will no doubt be full of enthusiasm and effort but if Scotland fail to win this game, when even the Czech journalists can't see a home win happening, then it will be a very disconcerting situation.

Scotland to Win @ 2.30 with Betway

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.86 with VBet

[StevieDay1983]

Northern Ireland vs Norway

The Group B1 action continues on Monday night in the UEFA Nations League as Northern Ireland face Norway in a 7:45pm BST kick-off at Windsor Park. These two sides had slightly contrasting emotions after their opening matches with both teams keen to pick up their first victory of the campaign by getting a win here. Who will prevail victorious in this one?

Northern Ireland snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat in their 1-1 stalemate with Romania. A 25th minute opener from George Puscas broke the deadlock before Gavin Whyte bagged an 86th minute equaliser for the team with 10 men. It's a big game for the team captain Steven Davis who is set to equal Pat Jennings' record of 119 caps. It's just 3 defeats in their last 11 matches for Northern Ireland. Ian Baraclough's team has also only lost 1 of their last 5 international matches on home turf. The last time these two sides met at Windsor Park was on 26th March, 2017 in a 2018 World Cup qualifier when the home side prevailed in a 2-0 win.

Norway will be disappointed to have lost their opening game by a 2-1 score-line against Austria at home a few days ago. Head coach Lars Lagerback has an impressive track record at international level and he's done well up to this point but something didn't click the other night. There is enough exciting young talent in the squad with striker Erling Braut Haaland, midfielder Sander Berge, and defender Kristoffer Ajer but something was missing. The team has suffered a blow with creative midfielder Martin Odegaard being forced to withdraw. That defeat to Austria was a first loss in 9 matches for Norway.

I feel this is a game that Northern Ireland need to be wary of. Under a new head coach, they are trying new things. Norway will be like a wounded animal and know they need to avoid defeat if they want to realistically keep their hopes of topping the group alive. I'm swaying towards a draw but I do fear for the home side that the visitors could sucker punch them in this one.

Draw @ 3.05 with Unibet

BTTS @ 2.30 with William Hill

[StevieDay1983]

Here are the odds for the matches coming up over the next couple of days. 

[duckmaster]

Well that didn’t exactly go to plan.

An Albania/Austria double is all I’m willing to put my head over the parapet on for this one!

[allyhibs]

Scotland really should be beating a Czech b team but I won't be betting on it, Clark just hasn't got the team performing at all and this could be another embarrassing result in a long line of embarrassing results. No bet for me.

[StevieDay1983]

14 hours ago, allyhibs said:

Scotland really should be beating a Czech b team but I won't be betting on it, Clark just hasn't got the team performing at all and this could be another embarrassing result in a long line of embarrassing results. No bet for me.

Well, that was close but the win came through and you're now undefeated in 5 games. Don't know what all the pessimism is about, Ally! 

[StevieDay1983]

Denmark vs England

The final preview of our UEFA Nations League coverage for this window is the Group A2 clash between Denmark and England in a 7:45pm BST kick-off on Tuesday night from the Parken Stadium. These two nations experienced contrasting fortunes in their opening round of matches but they'll both be looking to come away with a win in this one for very differing reasons.

Denmark suffered a 2-0 loss at home to Belgium in their opening game and it was a match that they were never really looking like winning. Head coach Kasper Hjulmand replaced former gaffer Age Hareide despite the team qualifying for the 2020 European Championship. Hjulmand comes with a decent reputation from his time managing FC Nordsjaelland but their performance in his first game a few days ago will leave many Danish fans feeling underwhelmed. Denmark have scored in 9 of their last 11 matches so failing to score against Belgium was a disappointment and a concern.

England have once again had their own demons to deal with heading into this game. Harry Maguire was controversially arrested for attempting to bribe police officials in Greece and then the duo of Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood were caught sneaking local Icelandic girls into their team hotel over the weekend. Head coach Gareth Southgate will deal with that slack in team discipline as he sees fit but he knows his team will need to perform better than they did away against Iceland when they needed an injury time Raheem Sterling penalty to get the win... and a missed Iceland penalty! The Three Lions have now conceded in 8 of their last 14 away matches but they have won 6 of their last 7 competitive matches.

This is a tough one. Something doesn't feel right about England at the moment. I was expecting much better from them in the game a few days back and they let a lot of us down. This is an opportunity for the players to step up and silence the critics. Denmark are a team in transition under Hjulmand and I'm not sure we'll see a vintage performance from the hosts. If England can start well with a fast tempo then they should take the win comfortably but I have a feeling it could be another laborious job with England crawling over the line.

England to Win @ 2.17 with Novibet

BTTS @ 1.92 with VBet

[allyhibs]

8 hours ago, StevieDay1983 said:

Well, that was close but the win came through and you're now undefeated in 5 games. Don't know what all the pessimism is about, Ally! 

Scotland were very lucky to win that, a man of the match performance from our goalkeeper tells you everything, another poor performance with players played out of position and a couple of our best players on the bench (McGinn and Tierney, wtf!!!!). Clarke doesn't have a clue and the players look like they're not buying into his ideas, Czechs first team would have destroyed us.

[allyhibs]

4 hours ago, StevieDay1983 said:

Denmark vs England

The final preview of our UEFA Nations League coverage for this window is the Group A2 clash between Denmark and England in a 7:45pm BST kick-off on Tuesday night from the Parken Stadium. These two nations experienced contrasting fortunes in their opening round of matches but they'll both be looking to come away with a win in this one for very differing reasons.

Denmark suffered a 2-0 loss at home to Belgium in their opening game and it was a match that they were never really looking like winning. Head coach Kasper Hjulmand replaced former gaffer Age Hareide despite the team qualifying for the 2020 European Championship. Hjulmand comes with a decent reputation from his time managing FC Nordsjaelland but their performance in his first game a few days ago will leave many Danish fans feeling underwhelmed. Denmark have scored in 9 of their last 11 matches so failing to score against Belgium was a disappointment and a concern.

England have once again had their own demons to deal with heading into this game. Harry Maguire was controversially arrested for attempting to bribe police officials in Greece and then the duo of Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood were caught sneaking local Icelandic girls into their team hotel over the weekend. Head coach Gareth Southgate will deal with that slack in team discipline as he sees fit but he knows his team will need to perform better than they did away against Iceland when they needed an injury time Raheem Sterling penalty to get the win... and a missed Iceland penalty! The Three Lions have now conceded in 8 of their last 14 away matches but they have won 6 of their last 7 competitive matches.

This is a tough one. Something doesn't feel right about England at the moment. I was expecting much better from them in the game a few days back and they let a lot of us down. This is an opportunity for the players to step up and silence the critics. Denmark are a team in transition under Hjulmand and I'm not sure we'll see a vintage performance from the hosts. If England can start well with a fast tempo then they should take the win comfortably but I have a feeling it could be another laborious job with England crawling over the line.

England to Win @ 2.17 with Novibet

BTTS @ 1.92 with VBet

I think tonights game will suit England better than the one at the weekend, Iceland sit in and make it very difficult to break them down, Denmark will be more open I think, that suits England and I think they're a nice price for the win.

[StevieDay1983]

19 hours ago, allyhibs said:

I think tonights game will suit England better than the one at the weekend, Iceland sit in and make it very difficult to break them down, Denmark will be more open I think, that suits England and I think they're a nice price for the win.

We don't learn do we?!