Ukraine v England Odds : Punters eye lack of goals with Welbeck suspension
The action continues tonight with Paddy Power releasing the latest Ukraine v England odds, with the game in Ukraine looking to take on a vital importance in World Cup Qualifying Group H.
England’s World Cup campaign continues tonight as they make the trip to the Ukraine, as Roy Hodgeson’s side look to make it back to back wins in Group H and consolidate their position a group leaders.
After a straight forward 4-0 win over Moldova on Friday, this will prove a much sterner test against a side which now lies only a point behind England, with the Three Lions knowing that a home win could see them slip to third in the group.
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There is no danger of either side taking this match lightly, Roy Hodgson has called Tuesday’s meeting with Ukraine a ‘cup final’ as his side sit level one point ahead of their hosts at the top of group H with only two games each to go.
“It’s two teams in form, two teams capable of winning the group. In that respect it’s a bit of a cup final, and you have to play well enough to win it. Sometimes you win it by going on the front foot. We don’t have any qualms about what we have to do,” the England manager has said while his counterpart Mikhail Fomenko has described it as the match of his teams life.
With only one team guaranteed qualification to Rio 2014 from the group it means that victory here all but guarantees – barring a slip up at home to Poland, which both teams face in their finals games – a route to Brazil. Hodgeson does have some injury problems up front for this one, as Daniel Sturridge is suspended, Wayne Rooney injured, leaving only Rickie Lambert and Jermaine Defoe as the only recognised front men.
Though a draw would be more favourable to England, captain Steven Gerrard has said that the pressure to win means Ukraine are likely to take the game to them and echoed his managers sentiment that the visitors won’t sit back.
“Good players don’t plan to draw; they plan to win,” the Liverpool captain said and Hodgson has relayed his trust in the squad.
“My role will be letting people know that I’ve got confidence in them, I feel they are good enough to do it. And it’s up to them to show it,” Hodgson said.
“Fear plays a part in our lives. If you’ve got ambition to do your job well, then the fear that things might not go the way you want is living with you.
“Sometimes you’ve got to be bold enough to trust and believe in what you can do.”
He will not want to be too bold though as recent matches between the sides have been close – 12 months ago Hodgson’s men were held to a 1-1 draw in Wembley .
This is likely to prompt the manager to replace the suspended striker Danny Wellbeck with midfielder James Milner, leaving in form Spurs winger Andros Townsend on the bench.
It is a mark of the importance of this match that Hodgson has been moved to remark that the pressure is beginning to take hold: “We are getting closer to the situation where we are either going to achieve our goals and qualify for the World Cup, or we are going to fail: of course that’s pressure.”
It should be to be a battle of attrition tonight, as England look a little short of firepower, as Paddy Power’s price of 4/7 on the Under 2.5 goals looks one to add to the night’s accumulators.
