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Galatasaray vs PSV Eindhoven UEFA Champions League Qualifications, Date: Wednesday, 28 July 2021 Kick-off 19:00 UK/ 20:00 CET Venue: Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu.

PSV have all but closed the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie against Galatasaray with a demolishing 5-1 victory in the first leg on the Dutch soil. This return fixture is thus only a formality.

Inspired by Eran Zahavi and Mario Gotze, PSV stormed past Turkish runners-up Galatasaray to a comprehensive 5-1 victory seven days ago in Eindhoven.

Zahavi was particularly the dominant figure on the pitch. He completed a hat-trick and also set up one of Gotze’s two goals to make a huge difference between the two outfits.

PSV thus look super serious despite missing their best player from the last season as Donyell Malen is set to complete his transfer these days.

Also, PSV’s superb display came as a surprise if we know their season will not begin before August 14th when they take on Heracles on the opening day of Eredivisie.

Galatasary will start their new Super Lig campaign on the same weekend (on August 15th), but their Champions League adventure will likely come to an end here.

Fatih Terim will obviously have a lot of work to do in terms of finding adequate defensive solutions.

Claiming that his team’s back line looks poor at this stage of the pre-season is an understatement.

Galatasaray shipped three goals in two friendlies against Dinamo Bucharest and Kasimpasa and they allowed five more in the maiden official match of the new season.

Galatasaray vs PSV Eindhoven Head-to-head

PSV have been the dominant force in the history of this match-up, winning five of six clashes against Galatasaray.

PSV will go into this on the back of four consecutive victories over Galatasaray. They’ve bagged two or more goals in each of these wins.

The “Over 2.5 goals FT & Both Teams To Score” option landed in three of the last four head to head encounters between the two outfits.

Galatasaray vs PSV Eindhoven Prediction

PSV look lethal on the pitch under Roger Schmidt. The German manager does not have a reason to rest his players at this stage of the season and we expect to see PSV’s strongest XI at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu.

The hosts do not have anything to lose (they’ve already lost the tie and the pride by allowing five goals last week in Eindhoven) and we can see them attempting an early pressure on PSV’s half on Wednesday. This just has to be an open match packed with goals due to the circumstances. Tradition also speaks in the favor of the Over 2.5 goals FT & Both Teams To Score pick (paid at the 1.83 odds).

Sonderjyske vs Vejle Denmark Superliga Date: Monday, 26 July 2021 Kick-off at 18:00 UK/ 19:00 CEST Venue: Sydbank Park (Haderslev).

Sonderjyske are slight favourites when they welcome Vejle to wrap up the matchday 2 of the Danish Superliga 2021/22 season.

Both teams finished in the bottom half of the table last season, and they started the new campaign with negative results.

Sonderjyske were held to a goal-less draw by the newly promoted Silkeborg last week and they were second best throughout that game. Their pre-season has been particularly horrendous having lost every game by 2 or more goal margin.

Vejle on the other hand, started with a 0-2 loss to Randers, the two goals falling towards the middle of first half. Second half was even worse as they failed to register a shot on goal. Early signs suggest that they are in for another difficult season.

Sonderjyske vs Vejle Head-to-head

There are no stalemates in their last 8 Superliga duels, Vejle slightly better with 5 wins against 3 wins for Sonderjyske.

Latest h2h meeting at this ground was a 1-0 win for Sonderjyske.

There have been over 4.5 goals scored in 4 of their last 6 meetings across all competitions.

As home team, Sonderjyske bagged 3 wins from the last 4 meetings with Vejle while the other resulted in defeat.

Sonderjyske vs Vejle Prediction

Both teams have plenty of play for on matchday 2 and they will be aiming at a morale boosting victory to bring some momentum for season ambition.

Though we do not see a clear favorite for this match, Sonderjyske are the better team by slimmest of the margin and they could profit from home advantage against a team like Vejle who managed just 4 away wins in the previous campaign.

This is expected to be a high scoring contest as well, with a majority of their previous duels producing 4 or more goals.

Sonderjyske vs Vejle Betting Tips

Home win @ 2.20

Over 2.5 goals @ 2.10

Correct Score: Sonderjyske 3-1 @ 20.00 odd.

Suriname vs Costa Rica Concacaf Gold Cup, Date: Saturday, 17 July 2021 Kick-off 01:30 UK/ 02:30 CET Venue: Exploria Stadium.

Suriname are hoping to avoid another defeat and likely a group stage elimination on Friday evening when they battle Costa Rica in the second round of the Concacaf Gold Cup.

On matchday 1, Suriname could not do more than a 0-2 defeat to Jamaica in their Concacaf Gold Cup debut. The Jamaicans were too strong on the occasion, netting a couple of goals within the opening 26 minutes of the game.

Suriname have failed to do much to claw their way back into the contest since and they are now in a very tough position ahead of the second round fixture against Costa Rica.

Costa Rica are one of the main favorites (alongside Mexico and the United States) to go all the way in this tournament, despite their well aged team. They picked up an easy and comfortable victory in their opener against Guadeloupe.

Early goal and assist from Joel Campbell put the team led by Colombian manager Luis Suarez in full control. Deportivo La Coruna’s Celso Borges only conformed the victory with a goal midway through the second half.

The Costa Ricans want to avoid any complications with the clash against a talented Jamaica side upcoming in the third round. The quality is on their side here and we would be surprised to see anything other than a comprehensive victory for Costa Rica here.

Suriname vs Costa Rica Head-to-head

Costa Rica have been the dominant force in the history of this match-up.

They have won each of seven clashes against Suriname so far.

It’s been 13 years since these two likes last locked horns and back then they were battling it out in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifications.

Costa Rica earned a double header in some style, scoring as many as 11 goals in two clashes against Suriname back then.

Suriname vs Costa Rica Prediction

The difference in quality between the two teams is huge. Suriname have never been to Gold Cup before (under this name). Moving forward, they did not go beyond the opening stage of the Concacaf World Cup Qualifications after a 4-0 defeat to Canada.

Costa Rica should be in full control from the first whistle and we will back them to have the lead at the half time and win the match at the end as a banker pick at the 1.72 odds.

Haiti vs Canada CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B Date: Friday, 16 July 2021 Kick-off at 0:30 UK/ 1:30 CET, Venue: Children’s Mercy Park (Kansas City).

Haiti will need to win their next game if they have to stay in contention for the playoffs this season. The host will lock horns with Canada currently leading the table in Group B in CONCACAF Gold Cup. Another three points from the clash on Friday will give a decent lead for the traveling side.

The Grenadiers had their opening match in the group with USA in their last outing. The 1-0 loss on the road against USA last time out wasn’t the best start to the Gold Cup this term. The host has lost three of their recent five fixtures across all major competitions in the schedule.

On the contrary, Canada has won nine of their last ten clashes in their form as of late. The away team is on a seven-game winning streak in their schedule. They are leading the table with three points from their opening 4-1 win at home against Martinique in the group.

Haiti vs Canada Head-to-head (h2h)

The visitor has recorded four of the last five overall wins.

None of their last seven matches have ended in a draw.

Their previous encounter gave a 3-0 home win for Canada.

Both teams have scored in one of their recent seven fixtures.

Haiti vs Canada Prediction

Haiti has won four of their last five home matches in the schedule and their recent two such attempts alone produced 12 goals in total.

In the meantime, Canada is on a five-game winning streak in their outings recently. They have averaged 5.3 goals in the same period with three clean sheets in it.

Based on their current form in the tournament, there is no doubt that the match is sizing to be a high-scoring affair in ninety minutes with the host closer to taking the bragging rights in the game.

Qatar vs Panama CONCACAF Gold Cup 2021, Group D Date: Wednesday, 14 July 2021 Kick-off at 00:00 UK/ 01:00 CET Venue: BBVA Compass Stadium.

Reigning Asian champions Qatar come into this tournament with great expectations. They are in great form, and will hope to become the first team to hold two continental titles at the same time.

They open their campaign against Panama, who have struggled to show consistency lately. Likely, the Asian team will hope to start with a win.

On basis of FIFA ranking, they are the best team in Group D, and their obvious objective would to finish in the first position here.

The other two teams in the group are Honduras, and Grenada – and no one really expects any miracle from the 160th ranked Grenada.

In the other fixture Honduras will take on Grenada, and are expected to secure a win. This puts the Qataris under pressure – and they will be forced to go after a win as well, in order not to fall behind.

They have had championship experience in the 2019 Asian Cup, which they won in authoritative fashion. In fact, they had conceded a single goal all through the tournament, and it had come in the final against Japan.

Panama had finished second in their group in the previous edition of the Gold Cup, and secured an entry into the Round of 16. However, their journey was cut short there by USA with a solitary goal.

By the looks of things, expect Qatar to open their campaign with a win this Tuesday.

Qatar vs Panama: Head-to-head (h2h)

These two teams are about to lock horns with each other for the first time.

Qatar vs Panama Prediction

Qatar are on an eight-game unbeaten streak, and they had also won seven of these fixtures. They are also on prime position to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, as they are at the top of Group E in Second Stage of Asian Qualification Tournament.

On the other hand, their counterparts are on a two-match winless run, and they had conceded three goals in their latest fixture alone. Note that they had also failed to score in their past two games.

They have also won just twice away from home in the past nine-month period, and both wins had come against minnows.

Taking these observations into account, expect a win for Qatar this Tuesday at the BBVA Compass Stadium. Count on their in-form offense to find the back of the net at least twice.

Sao Paulo vs Racing Club Copa Libertadores Date: Wednesday, 14 July 2021 Kick-off at 1:30 UK/ 2:30 CET, Venue: Estadio do Morumbi (Sao Paulo).

Estadio do Morumbi will witness the first leg clash of Sao Paulo against Racing Club in Copa Libertadores on Wednesday. The host is currently in 14th place in Brazil’s Serie A table this season and meanwhile, the traveling side is in the fourth position in Argentina’s Primera Division.

The Sovereign has lost only one of their last five matches in the campaign. The host will come into the game on the back of a double win in their schedule. Their previous encounter was at home and they defeated Bahia with a 1-0 scoreline in Serie A fixture.

In the meantime, Racing Club is one of the top five clubs in Argentina that can challenge the host in the clash. The visitor broke their seven-game unbeaten run across all major competitions in the last game. They will visit on the back of a 3-0 loss on the road against Colon in Primera Division.

Sao Paulo vs Racing Club Head-to-head (h2h)

The teams have met only twice in recent years.

Their previous encounter gave a 0-1 away win for the Academy.

Sao Paulo vs Racing Club Prediction

A wrong start to Brazil Serie A has turned Sao Paulo rusty in the league this term. This will reflect in their fixtures in Copa Libertadores.

Despite just one defeat in the last five league home matches, the Sovereign has just one win in the same period. So, the shaky defense might open doors for the visitor.

Racing Club is on a returning phase in Primera Division but the loss in Copa de la Liga Professional final last time out will reduce the sharpness in their attacks.

Hence, the away team will probably have a slight edge over the host in the fixture.

Honduras vs Grenada CONCACAF Gold Cup 2021, Group D Date: Wednesday, 14 July 2021 Kick-off at 2:00 UK/ 3:00 CET Venue: BBVA Compass Stadium.

Grenada are the worst-ranked team in the group, and are expected to be the whipping boys for the other three. Honduras are surely going after a win this Wednesday, and will hope to compete with Qatar for the top-most spot.

As of now, Honduras are placed 67th in the FIFA list, while Grenada are placed 93 spots down at the 160th spot. This alone should give an idea about how the fixture should turn out to be.

The latter also have a rather embarrassing record in the Gold Cup. They have qualified just twice to this competition, and they have a 100% losing record in games here.

They also have scored a total of just one goal from their two campaigns, and in return they have let in 25 goals. In fact, in the all-time table, they are placed dead last.

On the other hand, only three teams have better record than Honduras in the Gold Cup. Barring Mexico, United States, and Costa Rica, Honduras have been the best team in the history of the Gold Cup. Note that they have also lifted the title once.

Going on, they are also on a good run lately, and are scoring goals consistently. They have also been putting forth good defensive performances in the meantime.

Meanwhile, Grenada are struggling to perform. They are currently on a losing run, and they are also conceding goals in huge numbers. Especially away from home, the team has been on a poor streak for the last several years.

Moreover, they also have a poor h2h record against this foe over the years.

As such, expect a win for Honduras this Wednesday.

ENG vs PAK 3rd ODI: 5 changes Pakistan could make to avoid whitewash against England – Pakistan will be aiming to achieve some respectability when they take on England in the third and final ODI on Tuesday. The visitors have been thoroughly outplayed in the first two games and have already conceded the series, but Babar Azam and Co. will be keen to avoid a whitewash and repeat of their performances. Pakistan will avoid making wholesale changes to their XI, but the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Agha Salman, Mohammad Hasnain and Abdullah Shafique are all staking their claim for a place in the side.

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Khan has earned his place in the set-up with a string of impressive performances in the domestic circuit and PSL. While Mohammad Rizwan has done little to suggest that his place in the side is in danger, Khan could come into the side as a proper batsman and shore up the batting order which has struggled to score runs. In both the outings, Pakistan were reduced to 26/4 and 53/4, and the former captain’s experience could come in handy to weather the storm.

Also Read: Eng vs PAK: What Stokes, England have achieved against Pakistan is incredible says Morgan

ENG vs PAK 3rd ODI: Mohammed Hasnain to complement pace trio

Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali should retain their places in the side, but the fourth pacer in Mohammad Hasnain could be added to complement their attack. The visitors bowled well in the second ODI but struggled to get the most of Faheem Ashraf’s spell which proved to be the difference in the end. While that would weaken the batting order, Ashraf has been in poor form himself and a return of Hasain would further help Pakistan pile the pressure on an inexperienced England batting order.

ENG vs PAK 3rd ODI: Agha Salman, Abdullah Shafique to get a nod?

The likes of Agha Salman and Abdullah Shafique could also get a nod in, especially with the batting order struggling to get runs at the top of the order. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam are likely to retain their places, but the likes of Imam ul-Haq and Soahaib Maqsoob have their places under threat following poor performances in the first two games. Salman’s medium pace could also come in handy especially with Faheem Ashraf’s poor form, while a 21-year-old Shafique has impressed one and all in his short career so far.

Toggle between the tabs above to switch between quick scorecard, full scorecard and ball-by-ball commentaryToss report: South Africa won the toss in the first ODI against Ireland and opted to bowl first. News from Proteas camp is that they have rested two of their star players in Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje and they have been replaced by Janneman Malan and Kyle Verreynne. Africans are going into this game with two left-arm spinners in form of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi."We have a young, inexperienced side. It's about testing ourselves in these conditions and playing our best cricket," said captain Temba Bavuma at the toss. South Africa will be led by Temba Bavuma. Image courtesy: Twitter/@OfficialCSAAndrew Bilbirnie, Ireland captain, informs at the toss that William Porterfield is fit to play and will open the batting. He added, "Would have been nice to win the toss. But it means our batsmen can get out there and get amongst runs against a really good seam attack. We are really looking forward to playing our first home game in a couple of years."Pitch report: Niall O'Brien feels the pitch is very flat but not overly hard and it may not give too much assistance to the spinners. First 20 balls can be tricky. Plenty of fours and sixes on offer on this track.Teams:Ireland (Playing XI): Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie(c), Harry Tector, Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Lorcan Tucker(w), Andy McBrine, Simi Singh, Joshua Little, Craig YoungSouth Africa (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Janneman Malan, Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne(w), David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi

Updated Date: July 11, 2021 22:23:11 IS

England are aiming to win their first major tournament in 55 years when they face Italy at home in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley on Sunday night. Now in their first European Championship final, England battled a powerful Italian team that has a lot of their own pace after a very impressive campaign for this point. Roberto Mancini's players had their nerves in the semi-final penalty shootout fight with Spain, while world number one Belgium were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Leonardo Spinezola.

Only in the extra-final win against Austria did they hold Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in a group stage. Roberto Mancini's players had their nerves in the semi-final penalty shootout fight with Spain, while world number one Belgium were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Leonardo Spinezola. Only in the extra-final win against Austria did they hold Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in a group stage.

Head to head history and results

England have won just one of the last eight meetings between the two nations.

That came back in August 2012, when Dariel de Rossi sacked Phil Jazelka's header and Jermaine Defoe scored a brilliant late goal in a 2-1 friendly win over Switzerland.

Two months ago, Italy drew 0-2 in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 and won the first meeting of a decade 4-2 on penalties in Kiev.

In the 2014 World Cup Group D opener, Azizuri also took the least 2-1 in the Amazon Tato of Manaus, Brazil.

England VS Italy Forecast

After the pain of so many tournaments, it still seems strange to think of England's chances in a big final - but here we are! Both of these teams have oceans behind them and it is very difficult to choose a winner. Both of these teams have oceans behind them and it is very difficult to choose a winner. It will definitely be a tense, gripping and tough relationship between two great, confident teams, probably decided by just one goal. Sunday's competition can and does go in any way, but I'm supporting England.

Argentina vs Colombia Copa America 2021, Semi Final Date: Wednesday, 7 July 2021 Kick-off at 2:00 UK/ 3:00 CET Venue: Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasília.

Argentina made it to the semifinal of Copa America for a 5th time in six editions and Colombia stand in between them and fifth final appearance.

In the last edition, they were beaten in the Semifinal by Brazil, but eventually went on to clinch the third place at the expense of Chile.

This time, things are looking good for Messi and co as the team grew into a solid unit as the tournament grew. The 3-0 convincing win the quarter final against Ecuador was nothing less than expected, though they have scored a few more if not for some unlucky blocks and woodwork.

Lionel Messi scored a brace from freekick for Argentina’s third against Ecuador has now taken his tally in the tournament to 4 goals, 3 of them came in the latest two games.

Argentina are one of the two unbeaten teams in the competition alongside Brazil, having conceded just 2 goals from the competition.

Colombia needed penalties to defeat Uruguay, it was a drab 90-minutes, yet the Cafeteros had better chances with Duvan Zapata and Luis Díaz coming close to score.

David Ospina became the hero in penalty shootout on the day he made a record 111th appearance maker for the Los Cafeteros, saving twice while his team-mates made a 100% conversion from the spot.

It has been a hot and cold tournament for the Colombians so far, often blunt in attack though they have two world class strikers in Zapata and Muriel, so far ineffective and the team managed to score just 2 goals from the 5 matches played so far.

Argentina Team News

Lionel Scaloni has a fully fit squad at his disposal, but it will be interesting to see if he sticks with Laturo Martinez or bring the goal-less Sergio Aguero back into the starting line-up for this match.

Nicolas Gonzalez is preferred on the wings, which means Angel Di Maria may start from the bench.

Argentina Predicted Starting Line-up (4-3-3)

Martinez – Acuna, Otamendi, Pezzalla, Molina – De Paul, Paredes, Lo Celso – Gonzalez, Messi, Martinez.

Colombia Team News

Reinaldo Rueda has been inconsistent with his selections similar to his team’s results that failed to win a game inside 90 minutes since starting off with a 1-0 win against Ecuador.

Changes are expected to the one that started in the goal-less draw against Uruguay, mainly in defense and attacking front.

Colombia Predicted Starting Line-up (4-4-2)

Ospina – Tessilo, Sanchez, Mina, Munoz – Diaz, Uribe, Barrios, Cuadrado – Zapata, Muriel.

Argentina vs Colombia Head-to-head

The teams recently met in the World Cup qualifiers in June and Colombia came back from 2 goals behind to drew 2-2.

This stretched their unbeaten streak against Argentina to 3 games, having bagged the solitary win in the series back in the Copa America 2019 group stage (2-0).

The teams met in 2015 edition as well, a quarterfinal tie settled in favour of the Albiceleste in penalties after 90 goal-less minutes.

Six of their last 7 meetings across all competitions recorded under 2.5 goals. The most common score line during the period was 0-0.

Both teams scored in only 1 of those, which happened to be their most recent duel in June.

Argentina vs Colombia Prediction

As mentioned earlier, Argentina had grown in stature, and they are looking like a solid cohesive unit. Lionel Messi is enjoying his football as a result, and this can be seen in the goals he scored so far.

Colombia struggled for results so far, though I consider them as a team that could surprise anyone on their day. They did give a good fight against Brazil earlier in the competition, only to be beaten by a late goal (1-2).

Taking several key points into consideration, including their h2h history at the Copa America, Argentina may edge this tie by a narrow margin, though penalties are possible.

England vs Denmark Euro 2020, Semi Final Date: Wednesday, 7 July 2021 Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET Venue: Wembley Stadium (London).

England welcome Denmark for the second semifinal of the Euro 2020, the hosts heavy favourites to make it to the finals.

Despite this pre-match assessment, punters must approach this game with caution since the team managed by Southgate’s men suffered defeat to a similar kind of team in the 2018 World Cup. That time, it was Croatia that eliminated them in the semifinal with added extra time goal coming to play, but can Denmark repeat that with the support of their fans and neutrals from around the world.

Nevertheless, England had an easy route in this edition’s Euro, a German team in decline probably the best opponent they faced so far but take nothing away from this young team that kept clean sheet for a 5th consecutive match in the competition after thumping Ukraine 4-0 in the quarter final.

The Three Lions have been goal shy in the tournament this far, but the dividends are paid at Rome on the weekend with Harry Kane striking twice along with Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson to complete the scoreline.

It is no surprise that they are favourites here after winning 5 games on the trot to nil, but Denmark must be respected.

The Danes made a slow start to the tournament after losing star player Christian Eriksen and only made it to the knockouts on the back of a solitary win against Russia. Since then, there performances have been nothing less than spectacular to see off Wales 4-0 and a resilient Czech Republic 2-1 in the quarter finals.

Seven different players have contributed to Denmark’s 11 goals in the tournament, which means they are a threat from every part of the pitch and essentially not reliant on particular players.

Barring the group stage defeats to Finland and Belgium, their form leading up to the tournament was solid as well. The only team to have beaten them in the last 28 games before Euro 2020 across various competitions is Belgium, that happened twice during the UNL round of fixtures.

England Team News

Southgate has no injury concerns and could stick with the same eleven that thrashed Ukraine.

Jadon Sancho, who made his first appearance at the tournament was instrumental in England’s win and it will be harsh on him if Southgate decide to revert with Saka. Though the Arsenal winger offer better defensive stability, especially in neutralizing the threat of Joakim Maehle.

England Predicted Starting Line-up (4-2-3-1)

Pickford – Shaw, Maguire, Stones, Walker – James, Phillips – Sancho, Mount, Sterling – Kane.

Denmark Team News

Both Yussuf Poulsen and Daniel Wass played some minutes in the win against Czech Republic, though the later may settle for the bench. Meantime, Poulsen is expected to start instead of Dolberg.

Andreas Christensen was substituted with 10 minutes left on the clock on Saturday, but he is deemed fit enough to start in the semifinal clash.

Denmark Predicted Starting Line-up (3-4-2-1)

Schmeichel – Vestergaard, Kjaer, Christensen – Maehle, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Larsen – Braithwaite, Damsgaard – Poulsen.

England vs Denmark Head-to-head

A Christian Eriksen penalty gave Denmark a 1-0 win when the teams last met, happened to be at the same venue for Wednesday match, also saw Harry Maguire sending off early in the first half.

There is little to separate as the teams share 3 wins and a draw from their last 7 head-to-head meetings across all competitions.

However, it will be worth to note that Denmark defeated England in 3 of their last 4 visits to the country, losing the other.

England vs Denmark Prediction

No other team can boast of the wealth of talented footballers all around the park like this English team, yet they tend to fall at the last hurdle. Around three years ago, Croatia stole a World Cup final appearance at the last gasp.

Denmark is a well-balanced side, the kind England have not come across this far in the tournament and this will be a real test of their metal.

Kasper Hjulmand’s have done the impossible in packed stadium in Wembley before and a few other times under other managers in English soil. So other European side have troubled the Three Lions at their own backyard like the Danes and this is something that they could use on Wednesday.

England to win may be the popular choice, but big upsets are part of major tournaments, and this is where it happens in this edition of the European Championships.

Uruguay vs Colombia Copa America 2021 Date: Saturday, 3 July 2021 Kick-off at 23:00 UK/ 24:00 CET Venue: Estádio Nacional de Brasília.

Uruguay managed to finish second in Group B with wins in their final two games. Their start to the campaign was on a sour note, as they were defeated by Argentina by a sole unanswered goal, which was followed by a draw against Chile.

Since then, they have grown in confidence – especially so their defense. However, one matter that might be bothering fans is the performance of their offense.

Despite having two of the world’s best strikers in Edinson Cavani, and Luis Suarez, the team has been struggling to find the back of the net. Gaffer Oscar Tabarez will have to figure out to unlock these two beasts soon.

Meanwhile, Colombia have been trying their best to get back to their 2014 form, when they made a deep run in the World Cup. but they have been unable to get into track so far.

They were lucky to have qualified for the knockouts, after losing their last two group-stage fixtures. They also have a poor h2h record against this rival, and especially so recently.

By the looks of things, expect Uruguay to progress to the semis of the Copa with a win this Saturday.

Uruguay vs Colombia: Head-to-head (h2h)

The latest encounter had ended in a 0-3 win for Uruguay.

They were unbeaten in ten of their past twelve meetings, and had also recorded eight of the past ten overall wins.

They have scored two or more goals in every single match-up since 2015.

The team had kept clean sheets in three of the preceding five clashes.

Form Analysis

Uruguay might have struggled to consistently post wins lately, but it needs to be noted that they have seldom lost during the while. In fact, in the past three-year period, they have lost just against three teams.

Once each against Argentina, and Brazil, and the third loss had come against Ecuador, in Ecuador, in their high-altitude grounds. The third loss could not be really counted against them. The best teams in the world struggle to perform in such conditions.

Meanwhile, Colombia have rarely won in the past year. They have also been finding it hard to keep clean sheets, and in the current campaign, their only win had come against the weak Ecuador. The team had remained winless in their last three group stage matches.

Uruguay vs Colombia: Prediction

Uruguay have conceded a total of just two goals from their last six games, and these two goals were from Argentina, and Chile – two of the best teams in Latin America. Note that Tabarez’s men are also on a two-fixture winning run and have built quite some momentum.

They also have a great h2h record against this foe, and in fact had defeated them 3-0 just seven months back. On the other hand, Colombia have conceded two or more goals in their past two matchups, and they are also winless in their latest three games.

Note that they have also won against just three teams in the past two-year period; Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela – who could be counted amongst the weak teams in Latin America.

Likely, expect Uruguay to secure a win this weekend, against the struggling Colombians.

Czech Republic vs Denmark Euro 2020 – Quarter Final Date: Saturday, 3 July 2021 Kick-off at 17:00 UK/ 18:00 CET Venue: Baku Olympic Stadium.

Both these teams were not crowd-pullers or tournament favorites a month back, and people did not expect much from them. But now, one of these two will be in the semis of the Euros.

Czech Republic got a lucky break the last match-day, as Mathijs De Ligt was sent off for Netherlands in the Round of 16. Scores were tied at 0-0 till then, but after that the Dutch conceded two unanswered goals.

Meanwhile, the Danes are determined to make this campaign memorable for their injured talisman Christian Eriksen. Though it was feared the offense of the squad would be in jeopardy after the exit of the playmaker, nothing of that sorts happened.

In fact, of the teams remaining in the competition, they are the only ones to have posted 6+ shots on target in every game they played so far.

Czech Republic: Team News

The 25-year old Patrick Schick have slotted in four goals till now, and he genuinely has a shot at winning the Euro Golden Boot. Only the eliminated Cristiano Ronaldo stand in front of him with five goals.

Gaffer Jaroslav Silhavy will definitely place his hopes on this young striker up front, and will expect midfielders Tomas Soucek, and Tomas Holes to adequately complement him.

Czech Republic: Predicted Line-up (4-2-3-1)

Vaclik – Coufal, Celustka, Kalas, Kaderabek – Holes, Soucek – Masopust, Barak, Sevcik – Schick.

Denmark: Team News

Captain Simon Kajer was substituted in the Round of 16 due to an injury, and though it looked a bit concerning, gaffer Kasper Hjulmand has assured that the player will be back in action this weekend.

The duo of in-form Kasper Dolberg, and Martin Braithwaite will be once again trusted at the front to slot in goals.

Denmark: Predicted Line-up (3-4-3)

Schmeichel – Christensen, Kjaer, Vestergaard – Stryger Larsen, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Maehle – Damsgaard, Dolberg, Braithwaite.

Czech Republic vs Denmark: Head-to-head (h2h)

The Danes are unbeaten since 2004.

The latest official encounter had ended in a 0-3 win for them.

They have kept clean sheets in three of the former four meetings.

The last time these two locked horns in the Euros, Czech Republic won 3-0.

Czech Republic vs Denmark Prediction

Czech Republic had scored two or more goals in three of their last five overall fixtures, and their sole defeat in the tournament had come against the talent-overloaded England. They also have a Golden Boot contender in Patrick Schick, who has been nigh unstoppable lately.

Meanwhile, Hjuland’s men had scored four or more goals in their last two games, and since 2018, they have lost just against Belgium, and Finland. The defeat against the Finns had come in the fixture in which Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch.

They too have a consistent goal-scoring threat in Kasper Dolberg, and the team also have the better h2h record over the years.

By the looks of things, it’s understood that nothing much separates these two, and with a spot in the semis at stake this Saturday, expect a nail-biter.

The expectation is that goals will come in huge numbers this weekend at the Baku Olympic Stadium.

Belgium vs Italy Euro 2020, Quarter-final Date: Friday, 2 July 2021 Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET Venue: Allianz Arena (Munich).

An exciting match is on the prospect when Belgium takes on Italy in the Euro 2020 quarterfinal

Both teams had to toil hard to win in the round of 16, but the Belgians had the toughest of opponents in the form of Portugal.

A wonder strike from Thorgan Hazard close to half time whistle made the difference, though they had several other chances to extend the lead.

Roberto Martinez lost both Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard through injuries in the second half, but the Belgian backline gave very little to the Ronaldo and co in either half. The full-time scoreline was fully justified though full-back Raphael Guerreiro came close to scoring in the final minutes, but his shot from a difficult angle hit the post.

Belgium’s unbeaten run across all competitions stand at 13 games with wins in 11. Denmark is the only team to score against them in the competition, but Portugal was their first real test at Euro and Italy is nothing short of a world class team at this point of time.

Italy went into their round of 16 fixture as heavy favourites, and we were expecting a solid win on a convincing margin. But Austria had other plans and they surprised the Italians with their attitude and fighting spirit.

Franco Foda’s men were solid in defense, and they had the better chance and even scored only to deny by offside call. Chances were far and few in the first 90 minutes, but the quality in the Italian side came to play in the extra time and substitutes Chiesa and Pessina find the back of the net in the first half of extra time. Austria continued to threaten but Kalajdzic’s late goal provided some consolation in a highly spirited performance.

With the win, Italy have now stretched their unbeaten run across all competitions to 31 games, their last defeat dating back to September 2018 in the Nations League fixture against Portugal. Kalajdzic’s goal is the first Italy conceded after winning the previous 11 with clean sheets.

Belgium Team News

Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard are big doubts for this crucial quarter final clash against Italy after limping off with injuries against Portugal. There is little time for either player to return to full fitness, Dries Mertens and Yannick Carrasco are obvious replacements.

Thomas Vermaelen is also struggling with a minor knock; however, he is expected to be fit for Friday’s match.

Belgium Predicted Starting Line-up (3-4-2-1)

Courtois – Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Vertonghen – Meunier, Tielemans, Witsel, Thorgan Hazard – Mertens, Carrasco – Lukaku.

Italy Team News

Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only player out with injury for Italy and Mancini is handed a boost with the return of Giorgio Chiellini and Alessandro Florenzi to full-fitness, though Giovanni Di Lorenzo is expected to continue at right back.

Federico Chiesa made the difference against Austria and he was the best player against Wales and could replace Domenico Berardi to partner Immobile and Insigne.

Italy Predicted Starting Line-up (4-2-3-1)

Donnarumma – Spinazzola, Chiellini, Bonucci, Di Lorenzo – Jorginho, Veratti, Barella – Chiesa, Insigne, Immobile.

Belgium vs Italy Head-to-head stats

Their last meeting was at Euro 2016, opening group game and the Italians bagged a 2-0 win. Around 16 years ago, in 2000, Italy won against at the Euros with the exact similar scoreline.

The teams were grouped together in 1980 as well and that time they played out a goal-less draw. So Italy remain unbeaten with 2 wins from latest three meetings at Euro with clean sheets in all.

There have been only 3 other meetings between 1980 and today, all friendlies, strange enough to say that all three games saw the same 3-1 scoreline, Belgians won twice and Italy the other.

Belgium vs Italy Prediction

There will be no shortage of entertainment when these two attacking oriented teams lock horns at Munich. Therefore, my first pick is over 2.5 goals, and this is a bet that offer good value for money with the likes of Immobile and Lukaku in play.

Italy is the team with better chance to win here, and their chances are further boosted by Belgium losing their two key players Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne. Meantime, Roberto Mancini is not short of options, thanks to a well-balanced squad with plenty of like-to-like-replacements.

Sweden lock horns with Ukraine at Hampden Park in the final round of 16 fixture of the Euro 2020.

Nothing less than deserved, Sweden finished their group with a thrilling win against Poland to go top of the group tipping Spain to second having beaten Slovakia 1-0 earlier.

Their best run in the competition happened when they hosted the tournament in 1992. That was their first appearance at the Euros and lost to Germany in the semifinal. After failing to qualify for 1996, this is their 6th consecutive appearance at the competition and third time to the knockout phase but fell at the first hurdle in previous two.

Ukraine qualified for the knockouts for the first time at Euro, having failed to do so in the previous two attempts. However, they had some luck and only made it as one of the best third placed teams, thanks to a 2-1 win over North Macedonia on matchday 2. While they lost their games against stronger teams like Netherlands 3-2 and Austria 1-0.

This is their third consecutive as well as overall appearance as an independent nation at the Euros and they made only one appearance at the World Cup so far.

Sweden Team News

Head-coach Janne Andersson has no players missing through injuries however he is still looking for an optimal partner for Alexander Isak upfront. Robin Quaison started against Poland, but considering the importance of this fixture, the veteran Marcus Berg could be slotted back to the front two.

Sweden Predicted Starting Line-up (4-4-2)

Olsen – Augustinsson, Danielson, Lindelöf, Lustig – Forsberg, Ekdal, Olsson, Larsson – Berg, Isak.

Ukraine Team News

Denys Popov and Oleksandr Zubkov are players in the injury list for Ukraine.

Serhiy Sydorchuk failed to impress in the starts against Austria and Netherlands and Andriy Shevchenko could opt for a midfield three bringing Taras Stepanenko to partner Mykola Shaparenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Ruslan Malinovskiy was taken off at half-time in the defeat against Austria, but he must slot right back into the front three here.

Ukraine Predicted Starting Line-up (4-3-3)

Bushchan – Mykolenko, Matviyenko, Zabarnyi, Karavayev – Stepanenko, Shaparenko, Zinchenko – Malinovskiy, Yarmolenko, Yaremchuk.

Head-to-head

The last meeting between the sides happened at the Euro 2012 group stage and Ukraine bagged a 2-1 win. Andriy Shevchenko scored both goals for Ukraine’s goal after Zlatan send the Sweden up front. A young Yarmolenko was part of that squad and he set up the first goal for the current head-coach.

All other four meetings between the teams are friendlies, Ukraine have 3 wins, 2 of them in penalty shootouts, while the Swedes won the other 1.

Analysis

This Swedish team has a habit of overloading their defense, but they need to rethink their strategy after Poland almost tear them to pieces in the final group game. Scoreline do tell some part of it with Robin Olsen had to pull-out some stunning saves between the goals.

Despite Emil Forsberg coming alive in the final group game, none of the strikers looked to have the lethal touch to punish the teams on the break and it remains to be seen if someone like Dejan Kulusevski can fill the void.

Ukraine is a young team, good on the counter and set pieces, though their defending is dubious having conceded 5 goals in the group games. They are over dependent on Yarmolenko and Yaremchuk for goals, while Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovsky failed to lift the spirits.

Sweden vs Ukraine Prediction

Sweden topping the group is not a fluke, they were on excellent form leading up to the tournament and lost just once in last 10 and the teams that denied them win are France (2-4) and Spain. They are not an ultra defensive side by any means, scored 2 or more goals in six of those games while keeping clean sheets in six.

Meantime, Ukraine have really struggled for wins, 5 in their last 17 since the last quarter of 2020. The remaining games are split across 8 defeats and 4 draws. There is a 2-1 win against Switzerland and 1-0 win against Spain to show towards the end of 2020. But the recent wins happened against lower ranked teams like Cyprus, Northern Ireland and Macedonia.

Sweden are bookies favourites as well and I do back them to win here, however the game is expected to be tougher than many would expect.

Croatia vs Spain Euro 2020, Round of 16 Date: Monday, 28 June 2021 Kick-off at 17:00 UK/ 18:00 CET Venue: Parken Stadium.

Both teams started their campaigns on a dull note, but got back into track towards the end of the group stage. La Roja had finished second in Group E, while the Croatians had secured the second spot in Group D.

Either of these teams have dominated the football scene at one point or another in the past decade or so. The Spaniards were back-to-back continental champions in 2008, and 2012. On top of that they had also won the 2012 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Zlatko Dalic’s men were finalists in the 2018 World Cup Final, where they fell against France.

For the Croatians, their golden generation of players have all entered the wrong side of thirties, and if they need something great to be made of this team, the time is now. There’s no saying how the 2022 World Cup might turn out to be in Qatar, which is still 18 months away.

On the other hand, La Roja have had no problem in doling out impressive talents year after year, and for the Euros, they even had the luxury to not pick a single Real Madrid player. Such was their squad depth.

Judging the talent on either side, the h2h history, and the ability of Luis Enrique’s men to rise to the occasion – expect a Spanish victory this Monday.

Croatia: Team News

The Croatians have a tendency to overwork their players, which has often resulted in fatigue in tournaments – especially towards the end. Just imagine – Luka Modric, who will turn 36 in two months’ time, is still the engine of this squad.

As has been always – it’s anticipated that the team will try the same line-up that got them so far. Moreover, it’s really not wise to experiment with your squad against La Roja.

Croatia: Predicted Line-up (4-2-3-1)

Livakovic – Juranovic, Lovren, Vida, Gvardiol – Kovacic, Brozovic – Perisic, Modric, Vlasic – Petkovic.

Spain: Team News

It’s doubtful if Enrique would still trust the wasteful Alvaro Morata in front of the goal – especially in the knockouts. There’s only so many chances a player can get in the Spanish squad.

Likely, the gaffer should be starting with Ferran Torres, who immediately repaid the faith placed on him the last match-day. The forward slotted in a goal a minute after coming on the pitch.

The rest of the line-up would probably stay same as the one in the Slovakia fixture, which the 2010 World Champions won 5-0.

Spain: Predicted Line-up (4-3-3)

Simon – Azpilicueta, Garcia, Laporte, Alba – Koke, Busquets, Pedri – Sarabia, Torres, Moreno.

Croatia vs Spain Head-to-head (h2h)

Enrique’s men had won three of the past five meetings.

In the 2018 edition of the Nations League, they had defeated this opponent with a 6-0 scorecard.

Four of the last five encounters had three or more goals.

The latest clash had ended in a 3-2 win for Croatia.

Croatia vs Spain Prediction

Before their victory over Scotland, the Croatians were on a four-game winless run, and it also deserves to be mentioned that they have a total of three wins from their preceding twelve fixtures.

And note that none of these three wins had come against a world-class team. On the other hand, their counterparts have lost just one of their preceding 27 games and have conceded a single goal from the former five match-ups.

Do also take into account the fact that they have a great h2h record against this rival over the years.

On top of that, fitness will play a good role in determining the outcome of this clash. While Enrique has a young, well-rested squad with good depth at his disposal, Dalic have to make do with an aging and tired crop of players, who overly relies on Modric.

By the looks of things, expect a Spanish win this Monday.

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