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There is no Premier League action this weekend, so attentions suddenly turn to the international scene once more.
Bulgaria host England in the first part of a Euro 2012 qualification double-header.
It should prove to be a fascinating encounter, with England knowing that a place in the finals is within touching distance – but can still be snatched away from them. Bulgaria, meanwhile, will still harbour ambitions of making a late dash for second place.
Group G is wide open, with England and Montenegro leading the way, but they only have 11 points each, meaning Switzerland and Bulgaria, on five points apiece, cannot yet be ruled out.
The two sides have met twice before, the last time being at Wembley earlier on in this current qualification process. England ran out 4-0 winners, as Jermaine Defoe scored a hat-trick. How time have changed, the Tottenham man is horribly out of form, and seems unlikely to start the game.
Instead, Wayne Rooney could be the man England look to for their goals, with Andy Carroll the man Fabio Capello could look to partner him with.
Another intriguing sub-plot surrounding England, is the incredible start to the Premier League season that English players have made for the Manchester clubs. That included Tom Cleverley and Phil Jones – both of United – who have been ever presents in Sir Alex Ferguson’s team, with many fans calling for them to start for England.
They were arguably two of the better players for England in the under-21 championships this summer, so maybe it would be time to see them get a chance.
Bulgaria are no pushovers, themselves. Although Dimitar Berbatov has retired from international football to concentrate on his club career, the likes of Martin Petrov and Valerei Bojinov will still carry something of a sting for the Bulgarians.
The game will be played on Friday, rather than the more familiar Saturday, with England due to play Wales next week.
Match Odds
England unsurprisingly go into this game as favourites, as they lead the group and have already beaten their hosts in this campaign.
They are available at odds of 6.50 (11/2) @ TitanBet that England will emerge victorious, while long odds of 5.50 (9/2) for a home win are being offered. The draw is available at 3.75 (11/4).
Correct Score
For a repeat of the 4-0 win that happened at Wembley earlier on in qualification, Titan are offering 30.05 (581/20).
First Goalscorer
Wayne Rooney is the favourite to open the scoring at odds of 4.50 (7/2) @ TitanBet, while Darren Bent is priced at 5.50 (9/2) with Titan. Andy Carroll is available at 7.00 (6/1).
The favourite Bulgarian to opening the scoring is Ivelin Popov, who Titan have made available at 12.00 (11/1) to score first.
Recommended bet
Titan are offering odds of 13.150 (243/20) for England to win 3-0. It is an away game, so the home side probably won’t be beaten as heavily. But there is no reason why England should not put 3 in the net on Friday.
