England’s 3-0 victory over Israel in Saturday’s Euro 08 qualifier was a welcome result for the country’s fans, who had endured a series of disappointments since the encouraging start to the campign under Steve McLaren.
Tonight’s match is probably the most important in the whole group, as it will go a long way to deciding who qualifies alongside Croatia. England, with home advantage, are rightfully favourites but it would be absolutely wrong to write off a well-organised Russian team that is coached by Guus Hiddink, a well-regarded manager who has been renowned for getting big results in his recent spells with South Korea, Australia and PSV. Russia will pose England’s defence far more questions than Israel did and it will be interesting to see if Ashley Cole and John Terry, both struggling for form, and Micah Richards, relatively young and inexperienced, can match them.
What we’re saying is simple. England have a good squad and should win tonight. But we were astonished to discover that Russia’s odds on Betfair are as wide at 7/1! For a well-drilled team with a good coach and a goalscoring threat, the odds offer value, even if a draw is far more likely than a Russia victory. We’re strongly advocating a small bet on Russia to take advantage of the odds – it’s a value bet.
Above all, tonight’s match should be tight and we would be amazed if you didn’t have an opportunity to lay back some of your stake at some point during the game.
Recommended bet
Small-ish value bet on Russia to beat England (7/1)
