Euro 2016 Qualifier preview: San Marino v England
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Group E - Saturday, September 5
18.00pm - Serravalle
England will travel to San Marino on Saturday needing a win to secure their place at next year’s European championships in France.
Cruise control
England’s record in this year’s qualifying campaign cannot be faulted and this weekend they have a great chance to secure qualification with games to spare. Once qualification is confirmed they will then face the challenge of taking their form into a tournament situation.
Always seemingly capable of brushing aside qualifying opponents, England still seem to suffer from stage fright once they reach the big stage. And while Roy Hodgson has successfully managed to reduce expectations during his time in charge, he will now be expected to deliver a tournament performance worthy of his pay grade.
“That goal”
England have only ever conceded one goal to San Marino, and it is a goal that still lingers in the memory of both team’s supporters. It was scored in 1993 by Davide Gualtier just 8.3 seconds into a World Cup qualifying match between the two teams and remains the fastest ever goal in World Cup history. England went on to win the game 7-1 but failed to qualify for USA 94.
Team news
Roy Hodgson may use the match as an opportunity to give game time to some of the fringe players in the England squad.
Several players have been recalled for the duo of games coming up including Jonjo Shelvey, Jamie Vardy, Jack Butland, Luke Shaw, Michael Carrick and Harry Kane. Meanwhile, the Three Lions will have to do without Jordan Henderson, Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Phil Jones, who are all injured.
San Marino should be able to field their strongest team for this clash but they do have six players who are just one card away from a suspension.
Betting tips and form guide
England have not lost a Euro qualifier since November 2007 when they went down 2-3 at home to Croatia. Since then they have won 11 and drawn three. If you include World Cup qualifiers, England have played 25 games since their last qualifying defeat to Ukraine in 2009.
San Marino are a team that transcends the common perception of form; nevertheless, they did achieve their first ever qualifying point when they drew 0-0 with Estonia back in November. Therefore, it could be said that they are currently in the middle of their best ever run of form. Unfortunately, they have failed to score a single goal in the entire campaign.
With England priced at 1/41, there is little point in betting on the match winner. But if you are planning to watch the game, you can always add some interest by finding some value in alternative markets.
In the goal scorer market, Harry Kane can be backed at 11/4 with bet365 to be first goal scorer. Alternatively, you could back the Spurs striker at the same odds to score the last goal of the game.
England have scored an average of six goals per game in their five previous meetings with San Marino, and if you fancy a 6-0 scoreline in favour of Hodgson’s men, Stan James will give you a decent price of 13/2.
Any odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of publishing (05/09/2015) but are subject to change.
05/09/2015 © Frixo 2024