England vs Montenegro
It’s going to be a milestone occasion at Wembley.
As far as England are concerned, it should also be a celebratory occasion as they seal a successful European Championship qualifying campaign.
For this is their 1,000th international match and they need just a draw to seal their place at next summer’s Euro 2020 finals.
Gareth Southgate’s men have enjoyed a number of European Championship qualifying highlights so far, albeit against limited opposition.
The question now is can they progress as far, if not further, than they managed in the World Cup in Russia last summer?
Talking Points
England boss Gareth Southgate has shown common sense and class this week in the way he dealt with a minor dispute between club rivals Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez.
The manager demonstrated his decisiveness by dropping such an important player in Sterling sending out a strong message about conduct and team ethos, yet it was also good man-management to keep Sterling in the camp.
While carrying over a club disagreement to international duty wasn’t ideal, Southgate must be pleased to know his players care. The important thing was for Gomez to accept his apology and move on.
The test for the manager now is to ensure there is no lingering ill-feeling that casts a shadow over his territory and disrupts the carefully assembled unity of this England squad.
Was it an overreaction from the manager or the correct thing to do?
Would he have left out one of his star names in a World Cup or European Championship tie for real? Cynics might argue it was an easy step for this fixture. That debate will rumble on.
Either way, the Three Lions should be able to negotiate this encounter without Sterling.
They are top of Euro 2020 Qualifying Group A, three points clear of the Czech Republic and four ahead of Kosovo with the top two nations advancing.
A win or a draw for Southgate’s side will see them qualify – and a win is expected – before England then play their final group match away in Kosovo on Sunday.
Aside from the Sterling-Gomez tete-a-tete, the other talking point is the fact this is quite a milestone.
An interesting statistic – Tottenham are the team to have provided the most England players with 78, and Manchester United players have won the most caps with 1,039.
Out of the 91 Premier League or Football League clubs, 58 were supplied by Hull City, who are 11th in the Championship and are currently the highest-ranked team to have never had an England player. The now-defunct Bury FC provided six.
In the 147 years since their opening game against Scotland, the Three Lions have won 568 times, scored 2,188 goals, and lost on 189 occasions.
The 19 managers have selected 1,244 players.
With respect to the visitors whose qualification hopes have long ended, a home win should be a formality on a night in which the English national team puts a smile on their fans’ faces.
History
The reverse fixture in March this year saw Southgate’s men claim an emphatic victory when the hosts actually took a shock lead before Michael Keane equalised.
Ross Barkley grabbed a brace and the prolific duo of captain Harry Kane and Sterling added one each in a 5-1 success.
That was the fifth time the two nations had met and England have won the last two games after the first three ended all square.
The very first encounter was in October 2010 when Fabio Capello’s men were held to a Wembley stalemate by the dogged underdogs.
The return fixture 12 months later saw Ashley Young and Darren Bent put England into a 2-0 lead before being pegged back in a 2-2 draw, although that draw confirmed England’s place at Euro 2012 by which time Capello had been replaced in the hot seat by Roy Hodgson.
Betting Tip
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England vs Montenegro | England Asian Handicap -3.00 @ 2.16 |
| November 15, 03:45 (GMT+8) |
The SBOBET European Championship qualifying odds are as you would expect for a side ranked fourth in the world against a side ranked 61st in the world.
England can be backed with Asian Handicap odds -2.75 @ 1.94 and -3.00 @ 2.16.
Montenegro have odds of + 2.75 @ 1.90 and + 3.00 @ 1.70.
First Half Asian Handicap England -1.25 @ 2.03 contrasts with Montenegro + 1.25 @ 1.81.
Even over 3.75 goals will only payout at odds of @ 2.05.
Some of the regular bets are not even available given the anticipated one-sided nature of this contest.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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