Euro 2012
2012-06-11 - France vs England
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: Euro 2012 Group D
Monday 11 June 2012 - Kick Off 5pm
This game is live on TV
Preview
The European Championships continue rolling out the big games and the match between France and England is the biggest on paper in group D which will open up on Monday afternoon. Both teams will know they will likely have one foot in the Quarter Finals if they can pull out the win and I would be surprised if that is not the goal for both.
France have recovered from a shocking World Cup in South Africa when refusals to attend training sessions and player unrest led to a group stage exit. Since then, they lost to Belarus in the Euro 2012 qualifying section, but Laurent Blanc's arrival as manager has spurred them on to greater success since. They are unbeaten in 21 games since the loss to Belarus and they are considered one of the dark horses to win this tournament outside of Germany and Spain.
They have won some big international friendlies in that run of games, including against Germany and England, and the French have plenty of talent throughout their squad to suggest they can have a deep run here. There are some concerns that the French don't seem to have a lot behind Karim Benzema so they need to keep the Real Madrid striker fit for the duration of the tournament.
France also seem to have a vulnerable looking defence and it will be up to the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Alou Diarra and Yann M'Vila to offer the defence the protection they need and to ensure the ball quickly moves to their creative players further up the field.
England did not have a great preparation to the tournament with a manager and captain only named last month and it is the first time that expectation will be very low coming into a major tournament. Roy Hodgson looks a good appointment, but he is likely going to set his team out to be hard to beat and hope they can get through to the knock-out stages of the event.
The absence of Wayne Rooney until the final game in the group stage leaves England looking a little short of options in the final third and that is going to lead to pressure on their midfielders to chip in with the goals in the first two games in the group.
They qualified from a section that wasn't the toughest, although England did their best to make it look more difficult, and they haven't exactly inspired anyone with their friendly performances coming into this tournament. With injuries taking their toll on the squad as a whole, Hodgson knows getting out of this group will not be easy and he has already made it clear that the results and performances are likely to improve by the time the next World Cup rolls around in Brazil.
Head to Head
This will be the first competitive meeting between the two nations since France beat England 2-1 in Euro 2004 thanks to two late Zinedine Zidane goals.
They have met twice since then in friendly games, including in November 2011, and France have won both of those games.
Prediction
I really wish I had invested in this match when the odds were first introduced as the French had been set as the underdogs in this match, but the injuries and other issues England have faced has now made France the favourites in the match.
A lot will depend on how France take their chances as England are likely to play two banks of four and hope to stifle the French attack and perhaps nick a goal on the break. England are likely to want to limit the chances they give France, but I don't think the team is so solid that they won't offer some glimpses of their goal and that is where France need to take advantage.
France have enough craft and creativity to think they will be able to unlock England, but they have to be careful not to be caught on the break with their vulnerable defence. However, I don't think the English team has the same penetration without Wayne Rooney in the side and the best they may be able to do in this game is to grab a point.
I just think the France team has enough about them to open this group with a win as they have been playing much more like a team under Laurent Blanc and I just feel England have one too many injuries to overcome. England will be solid and look to hold out for as long as possible, but I think they could be in a spot of bother if they fall behind as they don't have the attacking options that can change a game in my opinion.
I am still a little surprised that France can be taken at 2.50 to win this game and that is where my hard earned will be going.
The Pick :
France 2-0 England
