World Cup Qualification - Round 2 Preview

All of the Home Nations as well as the Republic of Ireland are in action over the incoming days in crucial qualification matches for the 2018 World Cup set to be staged in Russia. Wales and Republic Of Ireland are in action tonight, with the former travelling to Austria and the latter hosting Georgia. Northern Ireland and Scotland host San Marino and Lithuania respectively, while England welcome minnows, Malta to Wembley Arena on Saturday.

Austria v Wales

The Austrians were largely tipped as potential dark horses in Euro 2016, but failed to live up to the hype as they crashed out in the group stages, recording losses against Iceland and Hungary. Both sides have not met since 2013, when Wales recorded a 2-1 home win in a friendly match. The last five matches have been tight, Austria recording 3 victories to Wales' 2. With Wales defeating Georgia 4-0 in the previous match, Chris Coleman's men sit ahead of their opponents on goal difference, compared to Austria's 2-1 win over Georgia.

A difficult challenge lies in wait for the Red Dragons, particularly as Aaron Ramsey is still injured with Jonny Williams, Danny Ward and Simon Church joining the Arsenal midfielder on the injury list. Still feeding off the momentum of a superb Euros, Wales have the confidence to return home with a good result.

Prediction: Draw

Republic of Ireland v Georgia

Keeping with the Group D theme, Ireland face a side whom they defeated twice in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. An Aidan McGeady wonder strike stole the points for the Irish when the sides met in Tbilisi while Jonathon Walters netted at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. A 2-2 draw with Serbia in round 1 leaves Ireland behind Wales and Austria while Georgia's 2-1 loss against Austria leaves them pointless. The Georgians have never won a point against the home side, Ireland winning 7 from 7 games, scoring 15 goals in the process.

Despite a lengthy injury list for Martin O'Neill, the team will be given a boost after James McCarthy was declared fit to play. RoI are always a different side to face at home - just ask Germany - and it should be a mandatory 3 points for the home side.

Prediction: Republic of Ireland by 2 goals.

Northern Ireland v San Marino

Ahead of a tough game against Germany on Tuesday, Michael O'Neill will be looking to come through the clash with San Marino unscathed. The visitors have only scored 1 goal in their last 5 games, against Lithuania shipping 22 in the process, including a 10-0 romp against Croatia. NI faced San Marino in the 2010 World Cup qualification, winning with an aggregate scoreline of 7-0. David Healy, Grant McCann, Kyle Lafferty and Steven Davis netted in the home leg, while Gareth McAuley and Chris Brunt added to another McCann goal in the away leg.

Despite the withdrawals of Liam Boyce and Craig Cathcart, Northern Ireland will be expected to win this convincingly. With a crunch match against Germany coming into view, Northern Ireland cannot risk any more injuries.

Prediction: Northern Ireland by 3 goals.

Scotland v Lithuania

A disappointing Euro 2016 qualifying campaign left Scotland the only British side not at the tournament. With an easier group this year, Gordon Strachan will be hoping to finally end his wait  for an outing to a major competition. These sides have met on 4 previous occasions in Euro 2008 and 2012 qualifiers with Scotland winning 3 matches. Their opponents earned a respectable draw against Slovenia in the opening game week, despite a late Bostjan Cesar header denying them all three points. The Lithuanians have never qualified for a major tournament since they split from the Soviet Union.

The withdrawal of Alan Hutton is the only injury concern for Strachan, due to a calf injury picked up in training on Monday. Regardless, Scotland will be expected to add to their 3 points picked up in game week one with a win at home.

Prediction: Scotland by 2.

England v Malta.

After recovering from the embarrassment surrounding the case of Sam Allardyce, England have no greater opportunity to put in a confident performance against group minnows, Malta. Both sides have only met on three other occasions, but haven't met since a friendly in the build up to Euro 2000 and before that faced off in 1971. A 5-1 defeat against Scotland was not the way they wanted to open their campaign and the Maltese side are expected to be propping up the rear of the table come the end of the qualifying phase.

New boss Gareth Southgate has had to deal with the injuries to Glen Johnson and Raheem Sterling with Michael Keane and Andros Townsend being drafted in as replacements. No matter what team England put out they will be expected and should beat Malta with ease.

Prediction: England by 5.

Ireland Join Le RendezVous

The Republic of Ireland complete the qualifying for the home nations with 2 goals from Jon Walters to guide them to a 3-1 aggregate lead over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

You could tell that there was a lot on the line for both sides with neither looking to break the defensive line in search of a goal. Ireland were getting joy down the left hand side, with Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick regularly linking up to great affect. From set pieces and wide positions, the deliveries were often poor and many chances were squandered.

Ireland were awarded a penalty in the 24th minute when the Senad Lulic was penalised for a handball. Jon Walters stepped up and converted for his 9th goal in Irish colours. It looked as if the penalty was awarded in controversial circumstances particularly as Lulic's arm was tucked tight to his chest. But hey, it's not the first time Ireland have been embroiled in hand ball controversy.

Asmir Begovic was nearly punished for being slow on the ball with Wes Hoolahan charging the keeper down. The ball however, spun safely into Begovic's grasp and the ref blew up for handball shortly after. The game settled down after the goal and Bosnia began to get on the ball more. This was a risky game by Ireland to concede possession as easier as they are, particularly with Miralem Pjanic, Edin Dzeko and Senad Lulic up front for the visitors.

At the break, Bosnia never looked like scoring, but no doubt they would be given the hair dryer treatment at half time. For Bosnia, Pjanic looked solid and did pose some questions for the Irish defence. Ireland probably deserved the goal lead, but must not switch off, instead try and push on and get another goal. Concentration is key for the second half.

Ireland struggled to get out of their half in the first 5 minutes of the second half and when they did get the ball it was often hoofed long and easily dealt with by the Bosnian defence. 15 minutes in, Ireland were still defending stoutly. One of Bosnia's front three just needs one clear cut chance and then they are level, Ireland need to push up and retain the possession better than they have been doing.

Ireland doubled their lead on 70 minutes. Emir Spahic took his free kick tally into the tens with a high boot into Jon Walters and was probably lucky to not receive his marching orders. The delivery from the free kick was superb - the first decent one tonight and and volley from the Stoke man sent the Aviva crowd into a frenzy. 

Shane Long had another great opportunity to add a third, when he dispossessed the Bosnian defender, but the defender caught up with him and did enough to put the striker off. With a bit more match sharpness I would have backed the Irishman to find the back of the net.

Ireland now had the control of the game and with 10 minutes left, looked as if they were joining England, Wales and Northern Ireland in France next June. There were a few nervy moments, with a goal mouth scramble and Bosnia piling players forward. It was too little to late despite Vedad Ibisevic rattling the cross bar from point blank range. 2-0 to the hosts.

Ireland roll out 3-1 winners on aggregate to secure their third appearance at the European Championships and the first time both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have qualified for the same competition.

Dutch Crash Out In Qualifiers

After a dismal Euro qualifying campaign, the Netherlands quest has finally died a death. Throughout this match they looked clueless and devoid of confidence, epitomising their campaign to date.

Right from the off, the Dutch showed their intent. A shot from Anwar El Ghazi was straight at Cech and the keeper saved comfortably. El Ghazi turned provider when his low cross found Wesley Sneijder on the edge of the box but he lacked the composure and sent the ball into Row Z. That's two chances the Dutch have had within the first 10 minutes and were made to rue them once 90 minutes were up.

However it was the Czech Republic that struck first. A flick from Tomas Necid split the defence and allowed Pavel Kaderabek to run in on Jasper Cillessen's net. A shot across the goal left the keeper helpless and gave the Dutch a mountain to climb. There was a notable change in the mood once the goal went in as the Dutch crowd created a raucous atmosphere up until that point. 

At the half hour mark, The Netherlands were having the majority of possession  but they evidently did not know what to do with the possession. No penetration and apart from those chances in the first minutes they didn't look like they were able to score against the Czechs.

The second goal came much to the dismay of the Dutch faithful. A Theodor Gebre Selassie throw in found the right winger before he chipped into Josef Sural who poked the ball past Cillessen in nets. It was poor defending from Van Dijk to allow the Czech wriggle away and double their lead.  Danny Blind had seen enough and introduced Robin Van Persie, substituting Ridejwald. 

This substitution seemed to give the Dutch a lift, creating several opportunities shortly after. Wesley Sneijder released Memphis Depay in behind the defence. He was through on goal but a desperate lunge from Marek Suchy brought the United man down and was dismissed for a professional foul. At half time, the Netherlands looked down and out, however the momentum from the red card had completely swung in favour of the home side.

The second half started and The Netherlands were keen to press. They had several attempts but were unable to latch onto and control the final ball. Time was not on the side of the Dutch and they were beginning to feel the pressure. Despite having the possession, the Czechs were relatively untroubled and Cech had minimal saves to make.

As the game progressed, the Netherlands resorted to long balls. 20 minutes into the second half and the Dutch were yet to make any advantage of the man extra. It was the away side that were going to hit the final nail into the coffin of the Netherlands. A free kick was swung in, and in an attempt to clear it, Robin Van Persie headed into his own net. 

Just short of the 70 minute mark, Klaas Jan Huntelaar headed a consolation for the home side and it would take a miracle to reach the next round. Huntelaar had another attempt but he shot straight at the Czech keeper. Like the red card, the goal seemed to give the Netherlands a lift, but it seriously looked as if they didn't know how to use it. It's not too often we see a Dutch side lump so many long, meaningless balls into the box.

The Netherlands got a second goal back after Van Persie redeemed himself after nudging the ball past Cech after a flick on from Wolfsburg man Bas Dost. Minutes later, Van Persie went down inside the box, but the referee deemed it to be a dive and booked the Dutchman.

The Dutch are out and truthfully, they didn't deserve anything from the game, never mind the qualifying campaign. It's back to the drawing board for Danny Blind and his Dutch side as they prepare to embark on a World Cup qualifying campaign that they cannot afford to mess up.

Uninspiring Belgium Defeat Cyprus in Nicosia

Belgium get the vital three points in a muggy Nicosia night, courtesy of an Eden Hazard goal. In what was a drab match, Belgium were uninspiring and have work to be done if they are to challenge next summer.

The visitors made the brighter start of the two sides, controlling the possession and creating opportunities. Kevin De Bruyne did put the ball in the Cypriots’ net but was ruled offside after receiving the ball of a ricocheted Chrisitian Benteke shot. Defensively, Belgium looked nervy, but managed to survive a few potential scares from the hosts.

In the few positive passages Belgium made tonight, a well worked move from Radja Nainggolan and Kevin De Bruyne resulted in a shot that was comfortably saved by the Cyprus keeper. The Cyprus midfield was nowhere to be seen, allowing the Roma man to make headway through the middle. The move really deserved a better finish than the one supplied by Nainggolan.

As the first half progressed, Cyprus grew into the game and were fashioning chances. Belgium were sloppy on the ball, gifting possession to the minnows, and made poor decisions in the final third. Despite all of their technical players, Wilmots’ side seemed content with swinging the ball into their target man, Christian Benteke.

Kevin De Bruyne was in the thick of the action in the first half and possibly the best chance of the half fell to the Manchester City man. Lovely one touch football between Benteke and the aforementioned allowed De Bruyne a one-on-one opportunity against the keeper, but he saved with his feet. At the interval, Belgium showed glimpses of why they’re ranked second in the world, but it was largely inconclusive as to which nation reached the World Cup Quarter Finals last year.

After a presumed rollicking from Marc Wilmots at half time, Belgium signalled their intent through a surging run from Eden Hazard, but his effort was tamely hit. As the second period grew older, it was obvious that Belgium didn’t really improve on the shortcomings in the first half. They were still lax in possession and naïve in attack.

The Cypriots grew in confidence and had a penalty appeal against Divock Origi turned down. Cyprus’ build up play was generally very good in the second half, but quite often they lacked the cutting edge or else picked the wrong option. Thibaut Courtois barely had his goal troubled by Cyprus. Against tougher opposition, the Belgians would be lucky to be only two or three goals down.

With only five minutes of normal time left, the deadlock was broken. A swift attack from the away side saw the ball end up out wide with Dries Mertens. Committing the defender he managed to work enough space in order to get a drag back. On the end of it was Eden Hazard who dispatched it and postponed Wales’ party for at least another month.

For the second time in a matter of days, Cyprus were denied a point by a late goal. In a fairly mediocre match, Cyprus can be proud of the performance they delivered and their fans sounded their appreciation at the final whistle. Widely touted as a favourite for the competition, Belgium will need to increase their intensity if they harbour any intentions of matching the title.

FC Midtjylland Surprise Lacklustre Southampton

The European dream is over for Southampton as Danish outfit FC Midtjylland overcome the odds to send the seaside team crashing out of the competition.

In the opening exchanges, Southampton did have chances. Jose Fonte had a diving header cleared off the line within 5 minutes. It was excellent defending from the Danish side but the Saints really should have broken the deadlock.

Southampton had the majority of the possession, but were unable to capitalise as their passing was often too slow and laborious. Midtjylland were able to get organised behind the ball which made it difficult for Southampton to break down. Steve Davis had an excellent chance after a chest down by Pelle around the 20 minute mark but his shot was straight at the keeper.

It was FC Midtjylland who broke the deadlock after a sloppy pass from Jay Rodriguez found Bach-Bak. The right back centred the ball for Duncan to nip in front of the Southampton defender and finish the ball past Maartin Stekelenberg in nets. The first half performance was pretty poor from Southampton. They lacked conviction in any move they tried and eventually paid due to some slack defending.

The Saints started the second half brightly and, unlike the first, they moved the ball about quicker. Both full backs were able to get beyond their man however the final ball often disappointed. Southampton didn't have many clear cut chances during the match and I cannot recall any in the second half. Starting the season more sluggish, it's back to the drawing board for Ronald Koeman.

As the game drew to a close, Southampton were leaving gaps at the back in order to pursue the goal to send them into extra time. To be expected, Midtjylland countered but were unable to extend their lead. Jose Fonte had a nightmare, making countless mistakes and allowing Duncan to steal in front of him for the goal. Southampton did have a handle ball appeal dismissed by the referee and replays show that it really should have been a penalty.

Southampton are in need of a decent result at the weekend against Norwich in order to build confidence up and break the bad rut of results. With Koeman rumoured to be in the market for Virgil Van Dijk, he is a solid player, winning Celtic's player of the season in his first year. A disappointing performance from Ronald Koeman's men that will need plenty of work if they are to reach the heights of last season again and have another attempt at reaching a European group stage.