Euro 2020 qualifying preview: Preview, predictions & best bets for Saturday's Euro 2020 action including Spain, Republic of Ireland and Italy

By Paul Higham

Football

Sat October 12, 2019 · 5y ago

Paul Higham is back with Saturday's Euro 2020 preview including best bets for Republic of Ireland's trip to Georgia & Spain's visit to Norway.

Recommended bets

1pt Republic of Ireland to beat Georgia at 7/5

1pt Spain to win & both teams to score at 5/2

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

Georgia v Republic of Ireland

Ireland have hardly been spectacular under Mick McCarthy, but they're certainly effective as they're on top of the group above Denmark and Switzerland (they've drawn against both) despite scoring just six goals in five games.

Georgia have managed to score even fewer with just four goals, and three of them coming in one game against Gibraltar. The rest of the stats back up the fact we're rightly not expecting a goal-fest out in Tbilisi.

Just four of Ireland's last 22 games have had over 2.5 goals in them, while Georgia failed to score against both Denmark and Switzerland at home and it's those reason why under 2.5 goals in this one is an eye-watering 2/5 chance with the bookies.

So instead we'll just keep it simple, using the fact Georgia have just one draw to show for 11 previous meetings with the Irish and 10 defeats. Ireland's friendly win over Bulgaria will give them great confidence, especially scoring three times, and they should have enough here to take all three points.

Best bet: Republic of Ireland to beat Georgia at 7/5

Norway v Spain

Norway have lost just once in six qualifiers yet find themselves in almost must-win territory in a brutal group with Spain running away with things and Sweden and Romania ahead of the Norwegians and facing easy games on Saturday.

The reverse fixture may have been just a 2-1 win to Spain, but the hosts dominated possession and had a whopping 26 shots to Norway's four, and it's a tough ask to turn that sort of dominance around even with home advantage.

That home advantage hasn't counted for much other than goals so far for Norway, who blew two-goal leads against both Romania and Sweden - even needing a 97th minute equaliser in a 3-3 draw with the Swedes in March.

That's music to Spain's collective ears as they've bagged at least twice in each of their last six away days and have plundered 17 goals in qualifying already, so with these in mind you can kind of guess which way we expect this one to turn out.

Best bet: Spain to win & both teams to score at 5/2

Bosnia and Herzegovina v Finland

The fight to qualify behind Italy in this group makes this another crunch game in Euro 2020 qualifying as Bosnia really need a win to fire themselves back into contention while merely a draw would keep second-placed Finland in great shape.

The Finns have only lost twice so far, both times to Italy but with the big dogs in the group out of the way they look well-placed to make it through, given they've won their other four games, including against Bosnia at home, without conceding a single goal.

Norwich striker Teemu Pukki scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Bosnia in June, before he went on to take the Premier League by storm by scoring six goals in his first five matches.

Goals have dried up for Pukki since then but he did score in Finland's last game and will fancy his chances against a side that's conceded 11 so far in qualifying with just one clean sheet so far - against Liechtenstein.

Best bet: Teemu Pukki to score anytime at 12/5

Euro 2020 fixtures

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