Following on from the flattering Malta vs England 0-4 result, in which they took an age to get out of the traps, England once again get a chance to impress on Monday in an important World Cup qualifier.
A win for England will continue their reign at the top of the table, but a loss will result on Slovakia leading the group, which will be a blow for England should they wish to appear to be able to challenge at the highest level rather than just against a pretty run of the mill European qualifier group.
At 2/5 to win, many will be expecting a walk over for England and of course the game is being held at Wembley Stadium which is a plus. On top of that, despite the odd uninspiring performance England still haven’t lost a game (five wins, two draws) and will be looking for that trend to continue.
The Slovakian team are no pushover, but they haven’t exactly breezed through the group, with some close results. A 6-0 Friendly hammering to Sweden at the start of the year demonstrates what can result when things really go wrong for them. Kane or Vardy could help emulate that in this match in a best case scenario. However, it must be said that Slovakia’s unluckiest result to date in this group was actually a narrow 0-1 loss at home to England, where they hung on with ten men for well over 30 minutes only to concede to a Lallana strike at 90+5.
On that basis, I’m not sure that I could bring myself to bet at 2/5 for the England win, when these lean odds are likely partially down to the patriotic pound. I’d perhaps be more inclined to go for a Draw/England half time – full time result at 11/4 (and possibly Slovakia / England at 30-1) . England often have a slow start and sometimes an early hiccup, and so having a few quid on these results maintains an interest in the game, without much of the down side you’d have by lumping on a straight England win.
Tune in at 19:45 (Monday September 4th)!