Germany vs the Netherlands, Fri 19:45
This is a huge clash, not just for Germany and Holland, but for Northern Ireland as well. If Germany complete the double over their rivals, they will join Northern Ireland on 12 points and leave a nine-point gap between themselves and Holland, albeit having played a game more.
Should that transpire, it leaves Northern Ireland with a slim chance of pipping the Dutch to one of the two qualifying spots if they can somehow manage to beat them at least once.
Back to the matter at hand, however, and this is a particularly tricky game to predict. Two years ago, it would have been easy, as Dutch football hit rock bottom and Germany geared themselves for another World Cup bid as favourites.
The roles have been somewhat reversed though and 2018 was a real nadir for German football, while the Dutch seemed to experience a renaissance on both the club and international stage, beating the Germans 3-0 in the Nations League.
The Germans exacted revenge on the Dutch with a 3-2 win in an instant classic in Amsterdam earlier this year, making it even more difficult to predict a winner. But Holland’s Nations League play-off showings make us side with Germany. Despite beating England, the Dutch were below par in Portugal this summer and seem to have regressed somewhat following a promising year last year.
Selection: Germany to win @ 10/11
Scotland vs Russia, Friday 19:45
Scotland simply have to win this game if they are to qualify via the conventional route for Euro 2020.
The Scots do, at least, have the fallback of a Nations League play-off to come next year against Finland, Norway and Serbia, but that is by no means a formality and Steve Clark’s men will surely want to wrap up qualification before the play-offs.
It’s hard to tell how much of an impact Clark has had so far given that they beat a Cyprus side that they would have expected to beat anyway and lost to a Belgium side that no one gave them a chance against.
A home game against a World Cup quarter finalist will provide the best indication to how much Scotland have improved under Clark’s tutelage.
Scotland’s squad is decent and littered with promising young talent. They will hope to provide a performance to match what is sure to be a cracking atmosphere in a packed Hampden Park on a Friday night. Home advantage might be crucial in a tight game.
Selection: Scotland to win @ 9/5
Wales vs Azerbaijan, Friday 19:45
The only question Wales fans will be asking is by how much they think they’ll win this game. Any result other than a Welsh victory will be deemed completely unacceptable and will probably prove fatal in Wales’ bid to qualify for the European championships.
After three games, Azerbaijan have been marked clearly as the group’s whipping boys while the four remaining teams battle it out for two places. Wales find themselves behind the chasing pack after away defeats to Hungary and Croatia and simply need to win this one. And they should.
Azerbaijan have lost all three group games so far and boast a goal difference of minus seven. Furthermore, Gareth Bale, Harry Wilson and Daniel James have all started the season in excellent form and will be far too much to handle for Azerbaijan.
It should be a relatively comfortable night for the Welsh.
Selection: Wales (-1) @ 5/6
Slovakia vs Croatia, Friday, 19:45
Welsh fans may have one eye on this one as their side comfortably beats Azerbaijan. Slovakia and Croatia both sit on six points, three points ahead of the Welsh and three points behind leaders Hungary in Group E.
Croatia have certainly suffered a hangover since reaching the World Cup final last July and have come nowhere near the heights that they scaled in 2018.
Since the World Cup, the Croats have been relegated in the Nations League following a series of underwhelming performances against Spain and England and lost a plethora of friendlies.
They have also failed to ignite in the Euro 2020 qualifiers and the prospect of them failing to qualify for next summer’s European championships is very real.
Croatia looked much improved against Wales in June, however, and will look to build on that performance in Slovakia on Friday night. A win in Bratislava will tee the World Cup finalists up nicely and they should have just about enough to get it.
Selection: Croatia to win @ 11/10.
*Prices correct at time of publishing
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