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Twenty-three matches are scheduled for the first day of qualifying for UEFA EURO 2012, seven weeks after the end of the FIFA World Cup 2010.
The most interesting match will be England - Bulgaria, Group G: for the game after the poor performance in South Africa, Fabio Capello will have to deal with an avalanche of injuries that see his ex-captain John Terry, Frank Lampard, Peter Crouch, Bobby Zamora, guards Scott Carson and Ben Foster and defender Phil Jagielka.
The Italian had to rely on Joleon Lescott, Adam Johnson, Kieran Gibbs or Gary Cahill, as many players he had at first rejected. Today, any other result than victory over the 43rd World would be considered a failure.

Other matches see Germany, with Joachim Loew playing the card of continuity by retaining at least 17 players on 23 of the South African campaign. However, Michael Ballack ruled insufficiently recovered from his ankle injury, will not travel. Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger had the ascendancy in his post at the moment. But Loew has put an end to a budding controversy by announcing that he would find his captain's armband on his return with the Mannschaft. This meeting featured Group A will mark the beginning of the new Belgian coach Georges Leekens, who recalled the midfielder Timmy Simons rejected by Dick Advocaat and convened for the first time Genk striker Jelle Vossen, current top scorer national championship.

Also in Group A, Guus Hiddink will make his first outing at the head of Turkey's trip to Kazakhstan.

Group B will also see the beginnings of another Dutch coach, Dick Advocaat, the new boss of a vengeful Russia in Andorra.

The new wave of Italian Cesare Prandelli will show its new face in Estonia (Group C). The rejuvenation process continues with the first of four new call: Luca Antonelli (Parma), Cesare Bovo (Palermo), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Fiorentina) and Daniele Gastaldello (Sampdoria). To counteract this research in the middle and in the corridors, Prandelli decided to rely on attack on the formidable duo Alberto Gilardino - Giampaolo Pazzini supported by Antonio Cassano and Andrea Pirlo.

Among the players suspended by the FFF because of their behavior in South Africa, the wounded, those who have changed jobs or those with lack of playing time, Laurent Blanc has also faced. Faced with Belarus, it will rely on a group with only nine players who played the last World Cup and FIFA to draw an unprecedented attack from Kevin Gameiro (Lorient), Guillaume Hoarau (PSG), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Loïc Remy (Marseille) and Louis Saha (Everton).

In Group E, the vice-world champions the Netherlands have registered the international pensions Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Andre Ooijer and Sander Boschker. Arjen Robben is injured him for several months, Ryan Babel, Edson Braafheid and Stijn Schaars are considered out of shape. To move it without great risk in San Marino, Bert van Marwijk has recalled Theo Janssen, Hedwiges Maduro Jeremain Lens Vurnon Anita, Erik Pieters, Piet Velthuizen and Ron Vlaar.

Portugal, a favorite of Group H, registered pensions surprises Paulo Ferreira and Simao Sabrosa for "personal reasons". Ricardo Quaresma has been called upon him to overcome the defection of Cristiano Ronaldo, injured.

Finally, among the world champions travel to Liechtenstein (Group I), Vicente del Bosque has called on Nacho Monreal Osasuna defender Carles Puyol to replace injured.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has come to the Bernabeu with clear ideas. His goal is to exceed the Madrid once and for all Barca, which he defines as "the best team in the world."

In a interview with the agency 'Lusa', Mourinho said that the difference between the two teams is that Barca is a team built and played with eyes closed, while Madrid will seek an identity enabling it to compete at that level.

Its aim is to win the league, something he understands as "a logical ambition for a club the size of Madrid, which has great players, some of the best in the world. These players like to win and become frustrated when they don't" he said before noting that "Ronaldo or Kaka cannot be one, two or three years without winning anything. Maybe that's the extra motivation I will try to exploit. "

Mourinho this summer announced that Madrid will not be "the champion of the market, we will not recruit the best players in the world, or the most expensive." Quite the contrary: the players Madrid are betting are players "with the great potential, with less status and more space for the learning process."

Many signals says that this will be the Real Madrid season, in Spain forsure: last year the management bought the best players, now they bought the best manager, confortable to deal with star players. The oter side, Barcelona, see a little decadence of Guardiola that renew only for 1 year and doesn't seem anymore the invincible team of 2 years ago... and Mourinho played a role on that.
Odds are around 2, good enough to pick an easy win. One can also think about trading: the odds will collapse after few weeks if Real will lead the Liga.

note: the Liga stats, form and predictions will be available on the new version of Spicebets available on august 2010.

Netherlands and Spain: two different styles of play that will face to rise the World Cup.
The Netherlands focuses on the quality of its content up front, Spain relies on the operation of ball possession in the middle of the field.

NETHERLANDS
The Oranges of Van Marwijk did not play the "total football" that made the history, neither offer entertainment. Someone during the tournament had even turned their noses up: heresy! The facts give the reason: 12 goals in 6 games, never been defeated and reached the final of a world cup since 1978, with Sneijder and Robben transform in a goal evey ball they touch

Europe has secured a finalist in the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: Germany or Spain. The ticket will be decided in a rematch of the final of Euro 2008. On that occasion the Red won with a goal from Fernando Torres. Two years later the situation is different, even though they remain on the payroll 19 players who lived through that final (eight German and 11 Spanish). The Reds expect to be champions but has failed to repeat that level of play. Now the Germany, with a new team, dazzled by his football that Franz Beckenbauer himself has said: "Germany has never played like this!". And is on a roll.

Brazil and Holland and not been surprised by the fact of remaining unbeaten. By winning their respective groups of the first phase of South Africa 2010, the two countries have lived up to favorite status they acquired after their excellent campaign in the qualifiers. This Friday, however, one of them will return home before the semifinals.

Considered favorites before the start of the FIFA World Cup for their excellent qualifying campaigns, Brazil and Holland got a pass to the knockout stage with a day still to play, were first in their groups with relative calm and garnered two wins meritorious knockout round: while the Netherlands had difficulties to overcome the surprising 2-1 win over Slovakia, the Seleção ran over endorsing a 3-0 Chile.

On the top left of the board there is the first block with four unpredictable. Uruguay against South Korea and the USA against Ghana. One of them will come in the semifinals, out of all predictions.
Uruguay and its 'master' Tabarez is among the revelations: 3 games 0 goals conceded and 3 forwards like Cavani Suarez and Diego Forlan. They crushed Mexico and trashed France. Play against South Korea, solid team, that score a lot (5 goals) but suffers technical opponents.
USA football is no longer "the soccer" (see Confederations of 2009), and no surprise if the USA is still in the second round, first round in England, drawn by Donovan. It will face Ghana, African survivor: muscle team, but with lack of penetration. For the Yankees is an opportunity to set foot in the quarter.
Netherland for the first time has a solid defence, and the usual powerful attack. The oranges will face the Slovakia of Hamsik and Vittek, the first time in the world cup and already sent off the world champions in charge.
The most interesting games: Germany - England and Argentina - Mexico.
The stage will end with Chile with Paraguay - Japan and the "derby" Spain - Portugal.

Go to http://spicebets.betagora.com for more stats and predictions.

GROUP E

Denmark
A solid midfield side, they will prove tough to beat and should provide some competition for the top spot.

Strengths
Denmark have a strong and solid midfield.

Weaknesses
Denmark's main weakness is in the few options they have up front.

Coach
Morten Olsen played 102 internationals for Denmark between 1970 and 1989. he took Denmark to the WC finals in 2002. Therefore he has an enormous international experience and is admired by players, fans and the governing body alike.

GROUP A

Uruguay
Sprinkled with players from Europe’s major leagues, his young side are determined to impress in South Africa, and in Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez they have the star quality to advance beyond the group phase and into the knockout rounds for the first time in two decades.

Strengths
Strong defence and aerial power are Uruguay's main attributes.

Weaknesses
Uruguay is an extremelly inconsistent and unpredictable team. Despite having its best stars at the front, Uruguay are a team that waste too many chances.

The Coach
Oscar Washington Tabarez has been questioned as coach, despite reaching qualification. He is a manager that adapt his strategy according to the rival: he's a 4-3-3 man, but you can often see his teams playing 4-4-2 or 3-4-1-2 as he looks to counter the opponent.

PORTUGAL
Carlos Queiroz has copious talent at his disposal, Much of it will come from Cristiano Ronaldo, a player capable of swinging any match. The likely presence in the Portugal squad of Brazil-born players Pepe, Deco and Liedson will be an intriguing subplot to the meeting between A Selecção das Quinas and A Seleção.
Portugal have a difficult group with Ivory Coast, North Korea and Brazil. Portugal will play the first game against Ivory Coast of Drogba that proved themselves a force to be reckoned with at Germany 2006.

CAMEROON
The Indomitable Lions have played more games and notched up more points than any other African side at a FIFA World Cup finals. Le Guen looks to have all the right tools to do that proud tradition justice, with deadly marksman Eto'o the focal point of a team also featuring the likes of Jean II Makoun, Achille Emana and Alexandre Song.
Cameroon played two friendly games and drew both, 0-0 with Georgia and 1-1 with Slovakia.

VERDICT
A 1X2 bet here - and with any friendly match - is very hard to guess, I would rather bet on over 2,5

INTERNAZIONALE
As FC Internazionale Milano's quest to lift the UEFA Champions League for the first time nears its conclusion, three key members of their team – Javier Zanetti, Wesley Sneijder and Esteban Cambiasso – are exuding calm.

The trio met the media on the eve of the final, Inter captain Zanetti summing up the serene mood: excited but understated. "It's an absolutely unique sensation; the Champions League is a highly prestigious tournament which I've followed for so many years and always really wanted to win," said the 36-year-old, who has already skippered the Milanese giants to Serie A and Coppa Italia success this season. "This final comes at a time of great happiness for me; I've experienced some strong emotions this year but this is going to top the lot. "I have played a lot of finals but this one, for all it stands for, is a very special one". I hope we'll all be happy after the match because this team really deserves it."