The international break is bringing us some exciting EURO 2024 qualifiers this weekend! Have a look at the games we`re keeping our eye on!
France vs Netherlands
The World Cup runner-ups open Group B with a testing encounter. Considered one of the tournament favourites, the French have solid form, Deschamps` men are one of the most prolific international sides, having scored 16 goals throughout their World Cup run, and we have the confidence to assume that will continue and they will cause plenty of problems for the Dutch defence.
Netherlands also kick-off the campaign in impressive form – having lost just 1 of their last 20 games, and that loss came from the World Cup winners, Argentina. Koeman will also be excited about the qualifying games, the Dutchman won 6 of his last 8 EURO qualifier games. Although the Netherlands won their previous meeting with France in 2018, it was their first win in 6 games, with the previous 5 going France`s way. Considering France`s attacking threat, we expect France to edge past the Dutch and over 2.5 goals in the game.
Spain vs Norway
Luis de la Fuente will try to mark his debut with a win in what’s a challenging game in Group A. The Spaniards are under pressure to deliver a “redemption” performance, after losing 3 consecutive World Cup games, including an exit game against Morocco. Still, it is difficult to see Spain not qualifying here, considering the talent they have at their disposal. To further boost their odds, they have beaten Norway in 3 of their last 4 meetings.
Having failed to qualify for the World Cup, pressure will be on Norway to secure a qualifying spot here – a competition they have not participated in since 1998. Norway`s form currently consists of 2 consecutive games without a loss, but unfortunately, they`ve been dealt the hard card in the opening game. Solbakken would`ve relied on the prolific Haaland to lead the line, however, he`s been ruled out due to injury, dealing a huge blow to Norway`s aspirations. Overall, Spain has been given a huge boost with the absence of Haaland, but we still think it might be a tricky game for them. We expect Spain to win and under 2.5 goals.
England vs Ukraine
England secured all 3 points in their opening game against Italy, with a performance worthy of praise. They will now face a ‘weaker’ opposition and certainly have the confidence to pull another 3 points on Sunday. The Lions have been confident in front of goal, scoring at least once in 5 of their last 6 games and are likely to bag a few more against Ukraine. Furthermore, the Lions have been unbeaten in their last 16 games in the capital, which is unlikely to change on Sunday.
Ukraine will go into the game with a solid run of form – having lost just 1 of their last 6 games. Rotan also has quite an exciting side, including EPL players, Mykolenko, Zinchenko, and Mudryk. However, their most recent clash with England ended in a 4-0 win for the Lions back in 2021, and little has changed in the sides in recent times. Considering that the Englishmen already proved themselves against the Italian giants, we expect England to win, and over 2.5 goals in the game.
We hope you have a great weekend!