England go in to the fixture as favourites with the international football betting odds and it is perhaps a fair reflection on how the two teams have performed.  Stuart Pearce’s side powered through the group stages and then took a 3-0 lead into the break in their semi-final against hosts Sweden.  The Swedish youngsters fought back to a 3-3 draw though but the English managed to get thr0ugh on penalties - a very rare feat indeed for the nation who have had their hearts broken in numerous shoot-outs over the last two decades or so.

Germany came second in the same group as England and the two sides have already played out a fairly tame 1-1 draw.  The final will be a very different affair, in the group game both sides had already qualified and played under-strength sides.  The Germans beat Italy in the semi-final but in truth they were less than convincing.  The Italians dominated the game but were undone when a speculative shot from range managed to beat the keeper.  Despite their pressure they couldn’t break down the German unit and the Germans hung on for a 1-0 win.

England will be without the ever impressive Joe Hart in goal after he picked up a suspension.  He will be replaced by either Joe Lewis or Scott Loach, who will have big gloves to fill after the City stopper’s impressive performances through the course of the competition.  There is probably more talent in the England side, or at least more experience, as they have a wealth of players already playing Premier League football.  Arsenal starlet Theo Walcott is also a regular with the senior side while Mark Noble (West Ham), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton - pictured), Micah Richards (Man City), James Milner (Aston Villa) and Lee Cattermole (Wigan) regularly feature in the Premier League.

It is easy to see why England are the betting favourites but the Germans should not be discounted as they are also a talented bunch of youngsters.  Indeed they wouldn’t have got to the final if they didn’t have a very real chance of winning the competition.  A boost for Germany could be the return of captain Sami Khedira, who looks to have shrugged off an injury.  Right-back Andreas Beck, the goal scorer against the Italians, also looks a qulaity player and will cause problems for the England defence.

The match should be a great encounter and full of passion.  England haven’t lifted the trophy since way back in 1984 and they’ll know how important it is to win when they take on Germany in Malmo tonight.  Whatever the outcome it should be an excellent tie and well worth tuning in for at 19.45 (GMT) today.

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The moment of the tournament so far has to be the USA’s victory over Egypt.  The Americans needed to win and overturn a six goal deficit after losing their opening games to Brazil and Italy.  Their 3-0 victory over Egypt coupled with Brazil’s 3-0 defeat of Italy meant the USA went through to the semi-final at the expense of the Italians.  The deciding goal came courtesy of Clint Dempsey, of Premier League side Fulham, who rose to meet an inch-perfect cross from Jonathan Spector in the 71st minute with a powerful header.

Spain are the favourites to win with the Confederations Cup betting odds and they’re yet to concede a goal.  They’ve also picked up the record for most consecutive international victories, their record-breaking and fifteenth consecutive win came against South Africa with the score 2-0 to the Spanish.  Assuming they don’t lose their semi-final against the USA they will have also beaten Brazil’s record for the longest unbeaten run, Brazil and Spain are currently tied on 35.

South Africa managed to progress to the semi-final thanks to a victory over New Zealand and a goal less draw with Iraq.  From what I’ve seen of the teams so far they’re the weakest left in the competition and I doubt many will be betting on them getting past Brazil.  The Brazilians are starting to get into their stride now and they made Italy look distinctly average in their 3-0 victory.

With everything taken into consideration we should have a final contested by Brazil and Spain, unless there is a major upset, and that should be an exceptional tie.  For me (and probably most people) these sides are the best teams in international football and it could be a pulsating encounter.  The Brazilians have perhaps looked the better team so far and have played some decent flowing football.  Spain on the other hand are so well organised and hard to break down and it will be tricky for Brazil to get through.  I think Spain might just edge it personally, they may be missing the ever influential Andres Iniesta but they still have plenty of quality.  Before all that can happen though, the Spanish will have to get past the USA on June 24 and Brazil will have to defeat host-nation South Africa on June 25.

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The summer is always a difficult time for the ‘football addict’ such as myself. Saturday afternoons that used to be solely focused on the beautiful game now feature such activities as shopping with my girlfriend and general household chores etc – very boring indeed. Hurrah then for the European Under 21 Championships which at least gives me two weeks of football to enjoy while I wait for the new season to begin.

There are just two groups in the under-21 tournament, Group A has sees Belarus, Italy, Serbia and the hosts Sweden battle it out while Group B is a bit of a ‘group of death’ with England, Finland, Germany and Spain all drawn together. The top two go through to a semi final stage with the final taking place on June 29.

Sweden also looks to be a good place for the competition to take place. The cooler climate will keep the games flowing, rather than players being dead on their feet at the end, and the organisers seem to have done a good job. The Finnish took a lot of support as it is a bit of a success for their youngsters to make it to the competition at all, with current holders Holland missing out on qualification altogether. The Swedish team will obviously also be well supported and the stadiums, though small, should be packed for most fixtures.

To be honest the opening game on Monday June 15 was hardly a game for the purists. England defeated Finland 2-1 but were reduced to 10 men when Chelsea’s Michael Mancienne hauled down Finland’s Berat Sadik to give the Finnish a penalty. England’s squad features some already proven Premier League players such as Mark Noble (West Ham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton wanderers) and Gabby Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) so it is worth watching them and they’re quite rightly among the favourites to win the competition.

However, I quite enjoy picking out players who you may have heard less about. Some great players have competed in the tournament in the past such as Andrea Pirlo and Davor Suker and there will certainly be a few stars of the future on display. In the Finnish team I noticed Sadik, a 22-year-old striker currently with German side Arminia Bielefeld and Tim Sparv, a midfielder who was at one time with Southampton. Both of these players performed admirably against players who regularly play Premier League football and at times they seemed to be running the show. The Serbian team also has a lot of promising talent in their team and it will be interesting to see what the next generation of Spanish footballers is like.

So for the next two weeks I’ve got the under-21s to keep my habit going, and the Confederations Cup in South Africa, but come June 25 it will be back to scrambling through the websites for transfer rumours and trips to shopping centres until the new season kicks off.

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Play-off finals are always great occasions, for the winner and the neutral at least, and this one should be no different. Lancashire side Burnley have been a great side in the cup competitions this year and even upset the League Cup odds by knocking out Premiership heavyweights Chelsea, before suffering last minute heart-ache at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final. Burnley boss Owen Coyle knows all about play-off finals, he was on the winning Bolton Wanderers side way back in 1994 when they came back from 2-0 down to defeat Reading in a truly great play-off final and I for one am hoping for similar exploits when Burnley and Sheffield United meet on Sunday.

Sheffield United did well to get past an in-form Preston side in their semi-final and should go into the game brimming with confidence. On paper they are perhaps the better side but when it gets to this stage that counts for very little. The Blades are still smarting from their Premier League relegation two years ago and have plans in place to ‘become a top ten Premier League side’ according to chairman Kevin McCabe anyway.

United boss Kevin Blackwell was in charge of Leeds United when they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Watford in the 2006 play-off final and he won’t want to suffer the same heartache again. He will have all his players seriously buoyed up for this encounter, as will Coyle, and this will be a game well worth watching if you have the chance on Monday at 15.00 (GMT).

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On Friday May 8 Preston face Sheffield United at Deepdale in what should prove to be a mouth watering affair. The Blades are unquestionably the better side in terms of quality and have plenty of players who have played at the top-level before but Preston are in a rich vein of form. The Lancashire side won their last three games in a row to nick the last play-off spot on the last day of the season. Preston also have the best home record in the league, winning 16 of their 23 fixtures at Deepdale this season. However, Sheffield United are no pushovers away from Bramall Lane and both sides will fancy their chances.

The second-leg between these two takes place on May 11 and should be just as exciting, if not more so. Preston don’t travel well and have only won five games on the road this season. However, they won two of those five in their last four games and even picked up a result at second-placed Birmingham City so they’re definitely the form side going into the play-offs. As I said earlier, I believe the Blades to be the better side but because of Preston’s current form I think they might just edge the tie and upset the football odds in the process.

The other two sides involved are Burnley and Reading, with the first leg taking place at Burnley’s Turf Moor stadium on May 9. For me Reading have the best squad in the Championship and looked a safe football bet for automatic promotion for the majority of the season. However, their form dipped and they missed out on a place in the top two and now have to contend with the lottery of the play-offs.

Under manager Owen Coyle Burnley have become a decent side and have played some slick attacking football this season. They went on impressive FA Cup and League Cup runs this season and knocked Chelsea out of the latter competition this season. As a player Coyle enjoyed play-off success with Bolton Wanderers and will know exactly what it takes to be successful in the play-offs. This tie is a little harder for me to call, but due to Reading’s form I’m going to side with Burnley and suggest we’ll see a North-West derby for the play-off final itself.

Whatever happens one thing is for certain, the play-offs always produce some thrilling ties and are well worth tuning in for. With the stakes so high we are bound to see some enthralling encounters as the players play for the right to ply their trade in the Premier League.

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European football in 2008-09 has been as exciting and incident-packed as ever. The top-flight European leagues continue to thrive, despite the dominance of a small number of sides. In terms of popularity, the English Premiership is undoubtedly top of the rankings, followed by the Spanish La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A. Coupled with the “glorious uncertainty” of the FA Cup and the international competition in the Champions League and UEFA Cup it is little wonder that football betting ranks below only horse racing in terms of turnover.

BETTING TIPS, TRICKS AND ADVICE

Predictions

Determining even the basic statistical chance of a home win, away win and draw in any football match is a difficult, complex process, before any other influencing factors are taken into consideration. Every punter has their own methods, but the following is a general guide.

In a Premiership match at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal have seasonal form of 9-5-2 (Win-Draw-Loss), while visitors Middlesbrough have away form of 2-2-12. Cross-referencing the respective home and away form gives an approximate guide to the chance of each result.

Home win = 9 + 12 = 21 out of 32 games = 66%
Away win = 2 +2 = 4 out of 32 games = 13%
Draw = 5 + 2 = 7 out of 32 games = 21%

In this case, fair prices for each outcome would be, in decimal odds 1.52, 7.69 and 4.76 respectively. Obviously, this a very superficial approach as numerous other factors influence the result of a match.

Other Factors

Tactical Resting of Players

Clubs threatened by relegation, involved in European competition or with every chance of winning a divisional championship may rest key players for games considered less important. This will inevitably have a detrimental effect on the team`s performance and needs to be factored in to any analysis of the game.

Recent Form

Teams with recent winning form tend to be high in confidence, while those on a losing run can be demoralized. It is also worth bearing in mind that teams in the lower half of a division are, almost by definition, inconsistent and can often pull a good (or indeed dire) performance out of the bag.

Injuries and Recoveries

Injuries to key players can have an adverse effect on a team`s performance. In contrast, one or more players returning from injury can be as effective as new signings.

Odds and Value Betting

A “value” betting opportunity occurs when the odds on offer are such that the potential reward outweighs the risk involved. In order to determine in a particular price represents value:

1. Determine the statistical chance of a particular outcome.
2. Determine the best decimal price available for that outcome.
3. Multiply them together and a result of 1 or more represents a value bet.

In the Arsenal v Middlesbrough example above, the actual best prices offered were:

Home: 1.53 x 0.66 = 1 (a value bet, just!)
Away: 7.5 x 0.13 = 0.98 (no value)
Draw: 4.33 x 0.21 = 0.91 (no value)

These principles apply to betting on all European Football, whether it be the Premiership, Football League, European leagues, UEFA Cup or a bet on the Champions League.

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For Newcastle this tie represents their first real chance to utilise the impact of stand-in boss Alan Shearer. Big Al has no previous experience of management and in my opinion his appointment was in part to increase the crowd and noise at St James’ Park. In his first game Newcastle faced Chelsea in a game they were never going to get anything out of, the next two were away from home and this is the first tie where Newcastle have faced an opponent at home they are expected to beat. The Newcastle crowd will be right behind their team and there should be a fantastic atmosphere at St James’ Park on Monday night.

From a Portsmouth point of view they haven’t been in the best form lately but they’ve still managed to scramble a few points clear of danger. They saw off Bolton 1-0 at Fratton Park last weekend but probably should have won by a greater margin as Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen made a string of fine saves in the first half. For Pompey to get anything out of this game they’re going to have to silence the home crowd and as we all know the best way to do this is to score an early goal, which could set up a pulsating encounter.

In terms of the quality on display the game hardly promises to be a classic but it’s a safe football bet that it will certainly be a passionate and hard fought affair. Portsmouth have struggled all season, probably due to the departure of manager Harry Redknapp who opted to join Spurs at the beginning of the campaign. For all the talent the Newcastle team possess they have very rarely displayed it this season and that is why they are where they are. However, relegation battles tend to produce some great matches and I’m hoping for that on Monday night.

The London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea is perhaps the most evenly matched of the ties and football betting on this one is likely to be split down the middle. The Gunners have put together a decent run lately to cement a place in next season’s Champions League and the FA Cup represents a great chance for them to end their four-year drought in the quest for silverware. Arsenal’s injury list has at times this season been ridiculously long but now everyone is returning to the team they’re starting to look more like the Arsenal of old.

I don’t think too many people would argue that, on paper at least, Chelsea have the stronger squad. Players like Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien are among the best in the world but Arsenal have beaten Chelsea before this season and on their day they’re also a very hard side to deal with. Chelsea may have a slight advantage in the fact that they played on Tuesday night while Arsenal played a day later on Wednesday. However, Chelsea’s tie with Liverpool was a very high tempo game and the players looked absolutely shattered after surviving the Liverpool onslaught. In contrast, Arsenal saw off Villareal fairly routinely and I doubt their squad were as drained after their own Champions League quarter-final.

The semi-final on Sunday is another derby, this time a North West one, and Everton will need to be on the top of their game to get anything out of Manchester United. United haven’t looked amazing of late but they’re still winning games and in players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney they have individuals capable of winning games all on their own. Everton have a couple of stars themselves such as Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini who both have the ability to find the net. The Merseysiders have impressed me this season with the way they seem so organised and if anyone outside the ‘top four’ stand a chance against United it is Everton.

The smart money would go on Chelsea and Manchester United progressing to the final but it isn’t a done deal yet. Arsenal may be way off the pace in the hunt for the title but they have beaten Chelsea already this season and they’re more than capable of doing it again. Everton are a well-organised and disciplined side with plenty of quality and they might be quietly confident of beating a Manchester United side who don’t seem to be playing to the best of their abilities.

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You now have access to Setanta Sports for a monthly fee of $12.99. For more information about the deals, please contact the Fairfax or Fredericksburg offices for Cox Cable.

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The change was made by DirecTV to better organize its channels.

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