World Cup Round-Up: Wins For Germany, Portugal & England

World Cup Round-Up: Wins For Germany, Portugal & England

A review of the action in the European qualification rounds of the 2018 FIFA World Cup including victories for the favourites Germany; European Champions Portugal, and a winning start for Gareth Southgate at Wembley.

Germany is still the +500 favourite to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup after brushing the Czech Republic aside on Saturday. The Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos squeezing a goal between a brace from Thomas Muller to lead Group C with two wins out of two, after a 3-0 home win.

World Cup Round-Up: Wins For Germany, Portugal & EnglandIt’s early days, but Azerbaijan has become the unlikeliest of Group C challengers after also winning their first two games. The side ranked 133rd in the world followed up their opening day victory away in San Marino with a 1-0 win at home to Norway. The Norwegians have now lost both of their opening games, as have the microstate.

Northern Ireland is the only other unbeaten side in Group C. Michael O’Neill’s green army drew against the Czech Republic in their opening game and beat San Marino 4-0 on the weekend to take third in the group with four points. Northern Ireland travels to Hannover on Tuesday to face the reigning champions. Germany beat Northern Ireland 1-0 at the Euro 2016 finals.

Spain Lead Group G

The 2010 FIFA World Cup champions, Spain, sit on top of Group G with three games played after taking four points from their double header.

The Spaniards were out for revenge against an Italian side that sent them packing from Euro 2016, and they very nearly got it. They opened the scoring after a rare blunder from Gianluigi Buffon allowed Vitolo to pass the ball into an empty net. Daniele de Rossi salvaged a point from the penalty spot with eight minutes remaining after a rash tackle from Sergio Ramos. The Italians haven’t lost a European or World Cup qualifier on home soil since September 2006.

Albania was next to stray into the crosshairs. The surprise qualifiers for Euro 2016 had begun the campaign with a 100% record, but it fell against the classier Spaniards thanks to second half goals from the Premiership pairing of Diego Costa and Nolito in a 2-0 away win.

Spain is +800 second favourites to lift the trophy.

The Italians take the second spot after a last minute Ciro Immobile goal sealed a 3-2 away win at the minnows of Macedonia. Andrea Belotti had put the Italians ahead in the 24th minute only for the Macedonians to take a 2-1 lead with 30-minutes remaining. Immobile equalised in the 75th minute, before securing all three points with that last gasp strike.

Italy is +1400 to win the World Cup, and with only the group winners going through, one suspects the Azzurri will have to make do with a Playoff berth.

France & Portugal Rebound; Wales Falter

Joining Spain, Argentina and Brazil at odds of +800 to win the World Cup is France, and they recovered from their opening game setback – a goalless draw in Belarus – by hammering the Bulgarians by 4-1. Atletico Madrid forward, Kevin Gameiro scoring twice; Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann got the other two.

France is currently second in the group. The lead belongs to the Dutch after a 4-1 win over Belarus. Spartak Moscow winger, Quincy Promes scored twice, and Spurs fans will be excited to hear that Vincent Janssen can put the ball in the back of the net with a screamer. Davy Klaassen scored the other goal in the rout.

France plays Holland on Monday night in a top of the table clash.

The Dutch, who failed to qualify for Euro 2016, is +2000 to win the World Cup outright, meaning the bookies think they have more of a chance than the European Champions, Portugal.

Portugal is +2500 to add a World Cup to their European Championships, mainly due to their opening game horror show of a 2-0 defeat in Switzerland, but they reacted in fine style with a 6-0 demolition of Andorra.

Cristiano Ronaldo started his first international game since limping off in the final and he marked it with four goals. It is the 42nd time Ronaldo has scored three or more goals in a match, and the Real Madrid star has now netted 65 times in 134 international appearances.

The Portuguese remain third in the group, behind Switzerland and the Faroe Islands. The Swiss beat Hungary 3-2, and the Faroe Islands beat Latvia 2-0. Both sides remain unbeaten in their opening two matches.

Portugal pushed aside the Welsh on their way to that Euro 2016 triumph, and the Dragons saw their flames doused on three occasions during their last two games. Chris Coleman’s side lost the lead on three occasions in their matches against Austria and Georgia earning only two points from a possible six.

Stoke star Joe Allen scored a stunning opening goal to take the lead in Austria before his club teammate Marko Arnautovic equalised five minutes later. Wales took the lead for a second time thanks to an own goal, but Arnautovic equalised to secure a point for both sides in a 2-2 draw.

Georgia then held the Welsh to a shoddy 1-1 draw at the Cardiff City Stadium. Gareth Bale scoring his 25th international goal – three behind Ian Rush’s record – but Tornike Okriashvili headed the equaliser in the 57th minute for the side ranked 137th in the world.

Despite that stutter, Wales is still the bookies favourite to qualify for their first World Cup since 1958.

England Start Life Under Gareth Southgate With a Win

Gareth Southgate has three matches left to prove himself worthy of the England managerial position after a 2-0 win against Malta in a packed Wembley Stadium.

Daniel Sturridge and Dele Alli scored in the 29th & 38th minute in a strong first half performance that failed to extend itself beyond the orange slices and cups of hot Bovril.

Southgate will be happy with the performance. Jordan Henderson played well in midfield, as did Jesse Lingard, but question marks remain over his decision to name Wayne Rooney in a central midfield role. The decision to play Theo Walcott ahead of Marcus Rashford was also a strange one. Walcott was, as usual, completely ineffective.

England faces Slovenia on Tuesday before their crunch game against Scotland on 11 November. Scotland was fortunate to take a point at home to Lithuania in a 1-1 draw. Slovenia beat Slovakia by a goal to nil.

England is the most fancied of the British Isles teams with odds of +1800 to win the World Cup.