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We’ve seen Victor Osimhen deliver for Napoli, now it’s time to see him do it for Nigeria. We preview the game against Guinea-Bissau as well as the meetings between France and the Netherlands as well as a rematch of the 2020 EURO final between Italy and England. Before that, you can head to our Cross Sport Specials page to check out some of the special offers we have.

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Italy v England

The upcoming match between the two finalists of the last EUROs seems almost poetic as they start their journey towards qualifying for the next tournament by competing against each other. Much has changed since Italy’s victory over England on penalties at Wembley two years ago, particularly the decline in Italy’s performance which caused them to miss the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, they have partly compensated for this by reaching the semi-finals of the Nations League against Spain in June. In contrast, although England has not made significant progress as a team, some individuals, including Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, have made remarkable strides in their careers while Reece James and Luke Shaw are among the best fullbacks in the world at present. Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, two of the three players who missed penalties against Italy, are playing the best football of their lives and leading their respective clubs to domestic titles. Unfortunately, Marcus Rashford will not be able to participate in this match due to an injury sustained against Fulham on Sunday.

Italy also boasts several exciting players, such as Marco Verratti (currently leading Ligue in yellow cards), who is expected to team up with Jorginho in midfield, and Vincenzo Grifo (14 goals and 6 assists), the Freiburg winger who is anticipated to start.

Games between Italy and England are as tight as can possibly be. 4 of the last 5 games between them have been draws (after 90 mins) with each of those 5 games featuring 2 goals or fewer. Italy won the very last meeting between them in September (1-0) but before then, their last victory over England came in the 2014 FIFA World Cup (2-1) in Brazil, while you’ll have to go back to a friendly in 2012 for England’s victory over Italy.

It is evident that these two teams are closely matched, but Italy will heavily rely on their home advantage to secure a win. The match will be held at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, which is currently the epicenter of football excitement in Italy. With Napoli on the brink of winning their first league title in 33 years, the football scene in Naples is livelier than it has been in three decades, and the Italian national team hopes to capitalize on this energy. Italy has won 14 consecutive games in qualification matches and has not lost a EURO qualifier at home since a 3-2 defeat to Denmark in 1999, an impressive 24-year unbeaten run. Despite Italy’s ups and downs during this period, they have remained unbeaten at home, and they are the slight favorites to win this match in front of their home crowd.

Italy Form: L-W-W-W-L

England Form: W-D-W-W-L

Gareth Southgate will be aiming to become only the third England manager to win 50 games with the national team after Sir Alf Ramsey and Walter Winterbottom. Their record of 17 wins in 18 EURO qualifying matches is right up there with the very best, but as previously talked about, their run of 6 games without a win against the Italians puts them at a slight disadvantage heading into this game.

Prediction:

Double Chance: Italy or Draw @1.45
Under 2.5 goals @1.61
King’s Combo: Harry Kane to score & Marco Verratti to be carded @11.40

Portugal v Liechtenstein

Portugal will kick off a new era without former manager Fernando Santos with a home game against Liechtenstein at Estádio José Alvalade, the home ground of Sporting CP. Santos had been at the helm of the Portuguese team from 2014 to the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, leading them to win the 2016 EURO Championship and the inaugural Nations League tournament in 2019. However, the team’s performance had declined in the latter years of his tenure, prompting the Portuguese FA to seek a change in leadership. Roberto Martinez was a surprise choice to replace him, having previously managed the Belgian team, which began with a lot of promise but culminated in two disappointing showings at the 2020 EUROs and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Based on his first squad selection, Martinez has chosen to maintain the status quo and selected the same team that his predecessor used in previous tournaments. The squad includes veteran defender Pepe, but the most significant news is Cristiano Ronaldo’s inclusion. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was dropped from the starting lineup during the World Cup due to a series of poor performances, and his place was taken by Benfica’s Gonçalo Ramos, who scored a hat-trick. Ronaldo’s future with the team was the subject of much media speculation, particularly following his move to Saudi Arabia, which many believed marked the end of his reign as a top player. However, following discussions, it was announced that Ronaldo would remain in the team and continue as captain. It will be interesting to see if he regains his starting position, given the excellent form of Gonçalo Ramos this season for Benfica (24 goals & 10 assists).

Portugal Form: W-W-L-W-L

Liechtenstein Form: L-L-L-L-L

Liechtenstein have lost 13 games in a row and 22 of their last 25 games. This horrible run includes losses to Gibraltar, Moldova, Faroe Islands, a 9-0 loss to Germany and a surprise 6-0 loss to Cabo Verde. Their last win came in a friendly against Luxembourg in 2020 and a heavy defeat is expected here.

Ronaldo to Score Anytime
Portugal to Win
Over 1.5 Goals in the Match

France v Netherlands

These two European giants have a few things in common as they head into what should be an entertaining qualifier. For starters, the last time we saw these two sides, they were losing to Argentina on penalties at the World Cup (Netherlands in the quarter-finals and France in the finals). They are also both starting new eras following key departures from their national teams.

Ronald Koeman was named Head Coach of the Dutch for the second time, having managed them from 2018 to 2020. Koeman helped them qualify for EURO 2020, their first international tournament after missing out on EURO 2016 and the 2018 World Cup under previous managers. He then left to take on what he felt was a more appealing job at Barcelona in 2020. Following his reappointment as Dutch manager, he has named 5 uncapped players ahead of the qualifiers: Lutsharel Geertruida and Mats Wieffer from Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord, Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, Newcastle United defender Sven Botman, and Ajax striker Brian Brobbey, who have been called up in the past, and could earn their first cap.

In France, Didier Deschamps remained Head Coach after the FA flirted long and hard with Zinedine Zidane. The main change for them, however, comes in the playing department. Following the retirements of 2018 World Cup-winning duo Hugo Lloris and Raphaël Varane, as well as Karim Benzema, there was a leadership vacuum that needed filling. Kylian Mbappé was named the new French captain, with Antoine Griezmann named Vice-Captain. There are reports that Antoine Griezmann is a little bit upset that he wasn’t named captain, as he believes he was more deserving of the role ahead of Mbappé. It’ll be interesting to see how yet another French national team controversy is handled by Deschamps.

Les Bleus will be without William Saliba and Wesley Fofana, who are both injured, while the Netherlands will be without Frankie De Jong, who picked up a knock in Barcelona’s El Clásico win. Besides that, both sides will be fully healthy, and an entertaining game filled with goals is expected. Each of these two sides has seen over 2.5 goals in 5 of their last 7 games. For the French, they’ve seen less than 10.5 corners in 6 of 7 games, while for the Dutch, that figure is higher: 9 of 10.

France Form: L-W-W-W-L

Netherlands Form: W-D-W-W-L

The last draw in this fixture came in 1996 (0-0) and since then, both sides have alternated victories. However, the French have dominated the Dutch in recent times with 5 wins in their last 6 meetings, though the Dutch did win the very last game they played – a 2 -0 Nations League victory in the 2018.

Prediction:

Over 2.5 goals @2.00
France to win @1.87
Under 10.5 Corners @1.28

Nigeria v Guinea-Bissau

Abuja will be the host of the Super Eagles’ first of two games against Guinea-Bissua before a reverse fixture on Monday at the Estádio 24 de Setembro in Bissau. Thanks to a 2-1 win over Sierra Leone and a commanding 10-0 win over São Tomé and Príncipe, Nigeria not only tops Group A but have a healthy +11 goal difference. Victor Osimhen, who scored four goals in the 10-0 triumph, along with Terem Moffi, who hit a brace, and Ademola Lookman, who also got on the scoresheet, are in excellent form this season and are expected to play in the upcoming match. Ademola Lookman is tied for third place in the Serie A scoring chart with 12 goals, while Terem Moffi, with 15 Ligue 1 goals, poses an equal threat in front of goal, having earned a mid-season move from FC Lorient to OGC Nice. Victor Osimhen, on the other hand, is on a whole different level of form. The Napoli striker is the leading scorer in Serie A with 21 goals and is just a few weeks away from helping to secure the first league title for the City of Naples in 33 years. His four goals in the Champions League have helped Napoli qualify for their first-ever quarter-final in club history, and many believe they could reach the final, given their relatively manageable path to the trophy. He is expected to lead the line in the forthcoming match and score a goal.

While Nigeria is expected to win this game, it’ll be silly to underestimate the threat posed by Guinea-Bissau. They’re second in the group with 4 points, and their 7 goals in 2 games shows they’re equally capable of scoring just like the Nigerians. Troyes attacker, Mama Baldé, the Troyes attacker, is a player to keep an eye on as he has ten goals and four assists in Ligue 1. Guinea-Bissau’s slight advantage lies in their midfield, where they have more options than the Super Eagles. While Nigeria has a strong attacking force, their midfield is quite thin, with only four players called up, including Alex Iwobi, who is primarily an attacker..

Nigeria Form: L-L-L-L-L

Guinea-Bissau Form: W-L-L-L-D

These two sides last met in the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon with the Super Eagles winning 2-0, thanks to two second half goals from William Troost-Ekong and Umar Sadiq. Osimhen missed out on the tournament due to a Positive Covid Test as well as disagreements between the NFF and Napoli over the player’s fitness.

Prediction:

Nigeria to win @1.34
Over 2.5 goals @1.87
Both teams to score @2.25

Spain v Norway

The absence of Erling Haaland, who had been on a hot streak with 8 goals in 2 games for Man City and a season total of 42 goals, due to a reported groin injury in the previous game has somewhat diminished the excitement surrounding this game. In his absence, the squad will be led by Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard. The attacking midfielder is having the best season of his career so far with his 10 goals and 7 assists in 27 league games a key part of Arsenal’s title charge.

For Spain, they begin a new era with new Head Coach, Luis de la Fuente. Only 11 members of the squad at the World Cup Squad in Qatar are in his 26-man selection for the upcoming games against Norway and Scotland, with three uncapped players included — Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, Osasuna’s David Garcia and Espanyol’s Joselu Mato. Manchester United goalkeeper, David De Gea remains out of the squad but Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga has been recalled. 35-year-old Celta Vigo forward, Iago Aspas also returns to the national team for the first time since June 2019. He has scored 11 goals in 25 league appearances this season, just 4 behind leading scorer Robert Lewandowski (15). Real Madrid defender, Nacho Fernandez was another player to be recalled by Luis de la Fuente. Nacho has not featured for Spain since 2018 and will be looking to impress.

Spain Form: W-W-D-L-L

Norway Form: W-L-L-W-D

These two sides have met just 5 times in the last 23 years. Norway were 1–0 victors in 2000 but since then, Spain have dominated this fixture with 3 wins and a draw.

Prediction:

Spain to win @1.34
Both teams to score @2.18
Over 2.5 goals @1.83

Algeria v Niger

Algeria’s flawless start to the AFCON Qualifiers, with victories against Uganda and Tanzania in their first two matches, has placed them topping Group F and they’ll be aiming to continue their unbeaten run when they face Niger at Stade Nelson Mandela in Algiers. Their formidable home record, having lost only once in their last 20 home games, poses a significant obstacle for Niger to overcome. Also, The Desert Warriors are yet to concede so far and have a healthy goal difference of +4 heading into this game. .

Having not qualified for the AFCON in a decade, Niger is eager to end their lengthy absence. With two draws in their first two matches, they currently sit in second place in the group, but they are aware that this could shift following their upcoming match on Thursday. Additionally, they have not won an away game since 2021 and their recent record against Algeria is discouraging, having suffered eight defeats in their last nine meetings. As a result, their confidence is low heading into this fixture.

Algeria Form: W-W-W-W-L

Niger Form: D-W-W-L-L

It’s hard to read too much meaning in the form guide of African teams since they reserve their biggest players for the bigger qualifiers (like the AFCON and World Cup qualifiers) while name lesser known players to CAF African Nations Championship. However, Algeria remains heavy favorites for this game with players like Riyad Mahrez and Ismaël Bennacer expected to lead the team.

Prediction: