International predictions – England to keep 100% record and can anyone stop Holland?

There are some big World Cup qualifying games tonight and here we go with a preview of a few selected matches. I shouldn’t point this out really but I’m going to! On Saturday I got four of my five predictions right and three of those, I got the exact score. Considering I don’t think I’ve ever got more than three out of ten in the Premier League, I might just concentrate on internationals from now on. 🙂

Fabio Capello’s men put their 100% qualifying record on the line tonight against unbeaten Ukraine. England warmed up for the game with a comfortable 4-0 win over Slovakia on Saturday but tonight’s game is likely to provide a far sterner test.

Ukraine will be looking to the woefully short of match practice Andrei Shevchenko to provide the goals. Thirty-nine goals in eighty-five internationals speaks for itself as a record, but the fact is, Shevchenko has scored just ten goals in three years at club level.

England will be hoping that the Rooney and Gerrard partnership can continue where it left off on Saturday. Anything other than a win will be viewed as something of a disaster.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

France desperately needed a win in Lithuania on Saturday and thanks to a 68th minute goal from Ribery, they got one. Now, playing in front of their own fans, who have been very critical of late, they need to produce another result and a performance.

Lithuania won’t have seen too much to worry them for this game and if they can keep things tight early on and frustrate the French, things could get interesting as the crowd will undoubtedly turn against their team. They also know that a point would be enough to keep them ahead of the hosts in the table.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

As each game passes, Holland look more and more like potential winners of the 2010 World Cup. It is Macedonia’s turn to face the music tonight and they won’t be looking forward to it.

Huntelaar, Van Persie, Robben, Kuyt, etc. I don’t think any team would fancy facing them at the moment, let alone a team sitting second from bottom in the group. The only positive for Macedonia is that Van Persie has withdrawn from the squad through injury.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

Italy won reasonably comfortably in Montenegro on Saturday whilst Ireland could only manage a draw at home to Bulgaria. Italy will probably there or thereabouts in 2010 as they nearly always are, whilst Ireland are unlikely to feature in the very latter stages of the tournament.

Having said that, Ireland’s victory over Italy at World Cup 1994 is still celebrated in Ireland and remembered none too fondly in Italy.

These two are well clear in first and second place but Italy will be determined to increase the two point lead they have over their opponents.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-1

After Saturday’s footballing lesson at the hands of the Dutch, this is a ‘must win’ game for Scotland. Iceland actually sit above the Scots on goal difference at the moment but are probably the weakest side in the group.

The fact is that Scotland need to win to have any chance of making the play-offs and if they can’t win at home to Iceland, they don’t deserve to qualify.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-0

The European Champions were successful in the return fixture between these two last Saturday. Spain could only manage a 1-0 win and Turkey held out for an hour until Pique got the all important goal.

Turkey will fancy their chances of causing an upset here, but I can’t see Spain leaving with less than a point.

Spain are well clear at the top but Turkey need something so that they do not fall too far behind Bosnia.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-0

There is much doom and gloom around Welsh football at the moment and their performance in the 2-0 defeat at home to Finland on Saturday was totally toothless.

With only 20,000 tickets sold for the game at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, former Welsh international Robbie Savage has spoken out about the problems Wales have. “Does the crowd really want to see lower division players playing for their country? I’m expecting Wales, low on confidence to get hammered.”

Thanks for the support Robbie!

Germany had a simple 4-0 win over Liechtenstein and the only way they won’t pick up another three points is if they are over confident and complacent. In fact, even if they are, they’ll probably still win.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-2