Portugal and Serbia Play Decisive Match in Euro 2020 Qualifiers
Published September 7, 2019 by Florin P
Euro 2020 qualifiers continue on Saturday with the highlight of the day being the potentially decisive match between Portugal and Serbia.
Less than half of the Euro 2020 qualifiers have been played, yet there are already a few top teams on the verge of elimination. The prospect of Portugal failing to qualify at the tournament they won three years ago would arguably be the biggest upset of these qualifiers. They play a critical match against Serbia on the road, but there are other talented teams that have found themselves between a rock and a hard place.
Nothing Short of Victory is Acceptable for Portugal
Portugal has just two points in a group led by Ukraine with 10, while Luxembourg and Serbia are tied for the second place with four points. The reigning champions have the advantage of a game in hand, but they need to return to their winning ways quickly. A victory over Serbia would help them hit two birds with one stone, as they would collect precious points at the expense of a direct rival. Because of their poor form and the fact that they play on the road, punters enjoy odds of 13/10 on Portugal to prevail in Serbia. The hosts are no pushovers either, as reflected by the odds of 5/2 offered by 888 Sport.
Ukraine can confirm Euro 2020 Place on Saturday
Ukraine is just one victory away from securing a Euro 2020 birth and they are likely to claim it on the road in Lithuania. Their opponents are winless after three matches and have all but lost any hope of staging an incredible comeback. The hosts will defend with all lines and will feature one striker upfront, so the Ukrainians have plenty of time to create scoring opportunities. We don’t expect this to be a high scoring match, but rather a game that the visitors will win by the narrowest of margins. With odds of only 1/3 offered by bet365 Sports on the favorites, a -1.5 Asian handicap should be considered at even odds.
England, Kosovo and the Czech Republic aim for Group A Lead
England continues its dominance run in qualifiers and it is on the path to winning the third straight match against Bulgaria. They have scored seven unanswered goals in the last two games against the Eastern Europeans and are expected to maintain a high goal production. The match is scheduled to be played at Wembley at 5 PM UK time, and it will be a one-sided affair, as the odds of 1/10 would suggest.
Meanwhile, Kosovo and the Czech Republic are playing a far more exciting match, as they are hoping to secure the second place in Group A. Kosovo doesn’t have a tradition on its side, but it will play at home, which should mean something against a team prone to scoring and conceding many goals. This is the first direct match between these two nations, so in the absence of a head to head record, the odds are more difficult to interpret. We like the value of 3/2 offered on the visitors, more than the 2/1 on Kosovo.
