5 Tips For Friday’s Euro 2020 & Copa America Action According to the Betting Hub – 18/6/21

On Friday, Sweden take on Slovakia at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia, with both sides having good starts to life in Group E.

The Swedes managed to earn a respectable 0-0 draw with Spain, despite having just 15% possession and on another day could’ve easily won the match, whilst Slovakia beat Poland 2-1, thanks to a Wojciech Szczęsny own goal and a well-taken strike by Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar.

Over the course of the season, these two sides have been efficient, as the Betting Hub App states that combined they average 2.6 goals per game, meaning that this will likely be a tight affair for both sides, with over 2.5 goals being calculated at a 51% possibility.

Sweden had won their previous four matches prior to their 0-0 draw with Spain, beating Georgia 1-0, Kosovo 3-0, Finland 2-0 and Armenia 3-1, showing that they aren’t particularly fluid when it comes to attacking, as those matches were against significantly weaker opposition.

Meanwhile, Slovakia are unbeaten in their last five games, with only one match seeing over 2.5 goals being scored, in a 2-2 draw at home to Malta back in late March. Their other results include a 2-1 in against Russia, as well as 1-1 and 0-0 draws with Bulgaria and Austria.

The next match comes from Group D, where Croatia face a potentially tricky task against the Czech Republic at Hampden Park.

2018 World Cup finalists Croatia come into this game under huge pressure, following their 1-0 loss to England on matchday one, as Raheem Sterling’s second-half goal gave the Three Lions all three points, whilst the Czech’s beat Scotland 2-0 via a sensational brace from Patrick Schick which saw the Bayer Leverkusen man score his second from 49.7 metres out past David Marshall, breaking the record for the longest-range goal to be scored at a European Championship match.

On the basis of each sides’ last five matches, there is a combined tally of 2.1 goals being averaged per match, as well as a 30% possibility of over 2.5 goals being scored.

These statistics are mirrored by the fact that Croatia have scored five goals in their last five matches, with the majority of these coming in a 3-0 victory against Malta in a World Cup qualifier back in March, as Ivan Perisic, Luka Modric and Josip Brekalo all scored second-half goals, whilst they also managed a 1-0 win over Cyprus, as well as labouring to a 1-1 draw with Armenia, before being beaten 1-0 by both Belgium and England.

The Czech Republic have won their last two games, 2-0 and 3-1 against Scotland and Albania, but prior to this they scored just one goal which came in a 1-1 draw with Belgium, they were beaten 1-0 and 4-0 by Wales and Italy after this game against the Red Devils.

England take on Scotland at Wembley on Friday night in a mouth-watering clash that could well be do or die for the Scots, following their 2-0 defeat to Czech Republic, as they know a win would put them back in contention in the group, whilst a heavy defeat would end their chances of making out of the group stages at an international tournament for the first-ever time.

England to Win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 – 11/8

England to win by the score group of 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 is priced at 11/8 which is fair considering that these two opponents have a combined average of 2.1 goals scored per game, as well as there being a 30% chance of over 2.5 goals being scored in this match.

Gareth Southgate’s side have won all of their last five matches via a 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 scoreline, beating Albania 2-0, Poland 2-1, Austria 1-0, Romania 1-0 and Croatia 1-0, with Sterling’s goal sealing three points for the Three Lions in their opening match of the tournament.

Scotland have won just two of their last five matches, 1-0 and 4-0 against Luxembourg and the Faroe Islands, whilst drawing 1-1 and 2-2 with Israel and the Netherlands and recently losing 2-0 to the Czech Republic as mentioned above.

Harry Kane to Score First – 9/4

Three Lions captain Harry Kane is the player in focus for this match. The Tottenham striker had a superb Premier League campaign despite his side finishing seventh place in the table, scoring 23 and assisting 14 in 35 appearances, seeing him finish as Golden Boot winner and top assist maker in the division.

Despite not scoring last time out against Croatia, Kane has scored two goals in his last four international matches and his tally for England currently reads as 34 goals in 55 matches. The Spurs striker scored 12 goals in the qualifiers as England eased their way to the Euros and even scored last time England took on Scotland at Hampden Park in mid-2017, scoring a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

The final game on this list of tips from the Betting Hub App sees Chile take on Bolivia at the Copa America at 10 pm BST on Friday night.

Chile come into this match on the back of a 1-1 draw with Argentina despite falling behind to a first-half strike from Lionel Messi, as former QPR man Eduardo Vargas scored a 57th-minute equaliser.

Prior to this Martín Lasarte’s side had been beaten 2-1 by Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers and currently sit in seventh place in the South American table in seventh place.

Meanwhile, Bolivia are in eighth place in the World Cup qualifying table having been beaten by Brazil 3-0, Peru 3-1, Venezuela 3-1 prior to their 3-1 loss to Paraguay in their opening match of the Copa America.

Over the course of the last five matches, this game has been calculated to have a 66.7% chance of over 2.5 goals and with Chile coming into this match as favourites, they are the ones who we are backing to win this clash here. The last time these two sides met, Bolivia escaped with a fortuitous point in June, as Chile only managed a 1-1 draw despite having 29 shots to Bolivia’s nine.

Prior to their last meeting, Chile managed a 2-1 win over Bolivia in an international friendly back in March, thanks to goals from Luis Antonio Jimenez and Jean Meneses, with Marcelo Moreno scoring for Bolivia.