IT’S easy to make a case for a home win in Skopje.
The Macedonians haven’t lost at home for 14 months, Serbia and Poland only left with a draw from friendlies this year, and coach Srecko Katanec has managed to keep together the bulk of the squad who earned a draw with England and defeated Croatia in the Euro 2008 qualifiers.
A total of six players have pulled out of George Burley’s squad, with the Scots already without two key men in the shape of skipper Barry Ferguson and Alan Hutton.
Scotland’s recent form is patchy, too, a 3-1 defeat in the Czech Republic in May followed by a drab goalless draw against Northern Ireland.
The draw looks likeliest again, but in temperatures expected to top 30 degrees, the home win is worth a small wager with golden boy Goran Pandev the tip for first goal.
Home: 2/7 Draw: 7/2 Away: 8/1
WALES assistant manager Dean Saunders believes his country’s squad of raw rookies are ready for the World Cup.
Perhaps.
But they’re certainly not ready to justify odds of 2/7.
Wales have been hit by a shocking list of injuries which has cost them experienced men Craig Bellamy, Danny Gabbidon, James Collins, Lewin Nyatanga and Freddy Eastwood, while Jason Koumas is a major doubt with an ankle problem.
Saunders joked: “Don’t worry, I’ve got my boots, Tosh has got his boots too, well be ready!”
It will be the significantly younger Chris Gunter, Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Wayne Hennessey who the Welsh will turn to, though – youngsters who have helped Wales to a run of just five defeats in the last 19.
Home: 5/6 Draw: 23/10 Away: 11/4
KEITH GILLESPIE has shaken off an ankle injury and is ready to launch into a remarkable 15th season wearing the colours of Northern Ireland.
The Sheffield United winger looks set to win his 82nd cap against Slovakia, and his experience will be needed.
Northern Ireland are aiming to kick on after finishing a creditable third in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.
Gillespie said: “What we have to do is to produce the football we did in the majority of those Euro qualifiers and eradicate the mistakes.
“If we can do that then we will have every chance of qualifying for a major championship for the first time (since 1986).”
Manchester United defender Jonny Evans could come into contention after being troubled by a hip problem.
Home: 7/2 Draw: 12/5 Away: 4/6
THE ‘home’ advantage doesn’t really work here, with Mainz in Germany chosen as the venue following concerns over the ongoing political situation in Georgia.
A game in Tbilisi might have represented a tricky test had it gone ahead, but Reading’s Stephen Hunt knows the Georgians will need no extra motivation after losing their home advantage.
He said: “Make no mistake about it, their manager will use that, I would imagine, as a plus point for them - ‘They (the Republic) wanted the game changed out of our country, who do they think they are?’ ”
Boss Giovanni Trapattoni, however, was less than inspirational when he declared: “In football, I play normally for two results - draw and win. These are our first two games and it is important that when the team comes back to Ireland, we haven’t lost.”
Back the draw.
Home: 80/1 Draw: 14/1 Away: 1/50
NO matter how bad we think England are, Andorra are infinitely worse.
They have won one competitive match, ever, beating Macedonia in October 2004.
That was in the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign, a campaign in which they received more red and yellow cards than any other team.
So if you’re looking for value, it has to be in Andorra to collect the first yellow. An England clean sheet, almost guaranteed, is 2/13, against a team currently ranked 171 places behind England in FIFA’s world rankings in 186th position.
But Andorrans shouldn’t worry, and it sounds like they don’t.
The principality, located in the eastern Pyrenees, has the highest life expectancy in the world at 83.51 years.
Home: 2/5 Draw: 4/1 Away: 8/1
PARAGUAY striker Roque Santa Cruz is still unsure about his chances of playing in this World Cup qualifier with Argentina.
The Blackburn star was taken off early in last weekend’s Premier League defeat to West Ham with an Achilles problem and although the injury is responding well, he is still doubtful.
But there is still plenty of Premier League interest in this clash. Manchester United’s Carlos Tevez has been named in the Argentina squad for this game and the midweek clash against Peru – which is good news ahead of United’s impending visit to Anfield.
Not so good is the news that Javier Mascherano is also in the squad with him, along with Newcastle’s Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez and Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta.
Argentina lie second in the World Cup South American Qualifying Zone on 11 points, two below leaders Paraguay.
Home: 1/14 Draw: 13/2 Away: 20/1
GROUP leaders Kazakhstan . . . now there’s a phrase you don’t hear very often, take their unbeaten record to Zagreb tonight.
A 3-0 victory over Andorra, however, does not mean England can suddenly hope for a Kazakhstani favour.
Slaven Bilic has stressed that his 22-man squad has been weakened by the absence of Portsmouth midfielder Niko Kranjcar, who underwent surgery on a ruptured ankle ligament earlier Wednesday, after being hurt in a friendly against Slovenia last week.
But while that could prove telling against England in midweek, it won’t tonight.
Croatia will win comfortably to set up a high octane atmosphere for Wednesday night’s showdown.
Home: 1/7 Draw: 5/1 Away: 14/1
SPAIN kick-off their World Cup campaign with a new coach, Vicente del Bosque, and only one possible way they can go.
The European champions are top of the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings, with a comfortable cushion of more than 200 points.
Their nearest challengers are once again world champions Italy (2nd), who have swopped places with Germany (3rd), although Holland (4th) are also within touching distance of the Italians and the Germans.
Brazil, by the way, are the highest ranked South Americans in sixth.
Spain will surely stay top, even without the injured Fernando Torres, after beating Bosnia-Herzegovina tonight and Armenia four days later.
