Football Betting
World Cup 2010 - Qualifying Play-Offs
Ireland need to turn around a one goal deficit against France if they are to reach only their second major finals since 1994. A second-half Nicolas Anelka strike was enough to give the French victory in Dublin on Saturday and it means Giovanni Trapattoni’s men must score in the Stade de France.
Six of the last 10 Ireland matches have ended all square and they only managed to score more than once in one World Cup qualifier (a 2-1 win in the opening group game against Georgia).
Robbie Keane leads the Irish scoring charts in qualifying with five goals to his name - one more than French duo Andre-Pierre Gignac and Thierry Henry who have four a piece. You can get9/1 on Keane to open the scoring in Paris although and 11/1 on a 1-0 win to the Irish which would take the game to extra-time.
The French do seem to have a hoodoo over Ireland though. Trapattoni’s men have lost just two qualifying games since 2005, and both were 1-0 defeats to Raymond Domenech’s France side. Franceare 4/1 to make it three in a row and snatch a 1-0 win.
ElsewhereRussia take a slender 2-1 lead to Sloveniathanks to a brace from Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. Guus Hiddink’s men have scored in all but one of their last 13 games and you would expect a goal to be enough to see them book their spot in next summer’s World Cup.
Russia’s captain and star man, Andrei Arshavin has shown the Premier League he has the ability to turn a game and I would take the 13/2 on him to be the first goalscorer. Slovenia scored 12 goals at home during qualifying so the 1-1 draw at 9/2 might be worth taking.
In another close encounter Portugalhold a 1-0 lead over Bosnia-Herzegovina after a Brune Alves goal in Lisbon. Bosnia racked up 16 goals at home in the qualifyicationswith Wolfsburg strikerEdin Dkezo leading the way with nine goals. You can get 6/1 on Dkezo to open the scoring in Zenica.
Portugal suffered just one defeat in qualifying (a 3-2 defeat at home to Denmark) but played out three 0-0 draws and managed just 17 goals from their 10 matches. I fancy Bosnia to take the game to their more illustrious hosts and a2-0 home win is my fancy at 14/1.
The final play-off qualifier sees Euro 2004 winners Greece travel to Ukraine. Since their dramatic and unexpected victory in Portugal the Greeks have failed to build upon this triumph and their hopes of reaching South Africa hang by a thread following a 0-0 draw in Athens on Saturday.
Ukraine finished runners-up to England in group six and are unbeaten at home in qualifying including a 0-0 draw with Croatia and a 1-0 win over Fabio Capello’s side.
I expect thehosts to come through this test with a 3-1 win priced at 16/1 and Andrei Shevchenko to open the scoring at 5/1.
