England vs Ukraine betting preview

England’s final group game matches them up against the co-hosts Ukraine on the Tuesday evening kick off. The game between Sweden and France also gets under way at the same time, so England won’t know their final position until after the game. These two sides met last in 2009 when Ukraine won 1-0 and Robert Green saw red in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier. That result looks unlikely this time around, and the England team from that night looks rather different today.

England vs Ukraine odds

England

Wayne Rooney has come back into contention following his 2 match ban, but will Fabio Capello put him back in the team, or will he stick with what he already has? He could well do that, as his annoyance at Rooney’s sending off all that time ago was clear from the beginning, as he chose to leave him out even when he wasn’t banned. Even if he doesn’t start, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him come on and make a difference. Backing him to score at any time during the game, could well be a good move then, but get in early whilst there is still some value and uncertainty around whether he will play. England are favourites for this tie, but there is some good value to be had in backing the home win. If Fabio Capello’s men are to progress to the knockout stages of the competition then 3 points here is a must and you would think England would have too much for Ukraine. Players such as Lampard, Young and Walcott have the pace and quality to hurt Ukraine and so betting on an England win should be a pretty safe bet.

Ukraine

The co-hosts tough group comes to an end this week when they face another difficult game against England. Their home advantage will give them a boost as it has in their other matches, but they will face a struggle to beat England. Striker Andriy Shevchenko probably won’t be able to play all 3 games, so it looks as though he will miss out, and this lack of quality up front will really affect their chances. Although they did manage to beat England 1-0 the last time the two teams met, and this might give Oleh Blokhin’s men motivation to make it difficult for the three lions. If Wayne Rooney’s absence continues, this may only fuel their motivation further and so there is some real value to be had in backing the 1-0 Ukraine win.