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Spain: Quite the popular team

Road to Euro 2012

International football is not to everyone's taste but with club football taking a break, it is time yet again for the qualifying campaign for the 2012 European Championships to take centre stage.

The road to Poland and Ukraine has barely got started but with two rounds of fixtures taking place this week, the strength and weaknesses of some teams may start to be realized.

World champions Spain are in Britain to take on Scotland at Hampden Park with most people fancying the away team to take all three points. Given that Spain are also the reigning European Championship holders, there is no stronger test for Craig Levein's men. In reality, if Scotland can even grab a point against Spain they will be doing well but a lot rests on Scotland's result in the Czech Republic on Friday evening. These two teams are competing to grab the runner up spot behind Spain and Scotland will be keen to avoid defeat in this match as well.

Spain Head to Scotland for Major Clash

This double header is the trickiest for Scotland and the outcome of the matches will determine the likelihood of Scotland making the 2012 European Championships. Scotland have not been present at a major European tournament since the World Cup in France 1998 and the nation is desperate to get back on the major footballing stage.

Scotland no longer has the class and calibre of players that saw Scotland perform at the highest level in the 1970s, 80s and 90s but disciplined performances could go a long way in seeing Scotland back on top. Craig Levein would be advised to take tactical advice from Walter Smith and Rangers, who have performed admirably in the Champions League. The recent 0-0 draw with Manchester United may have been painful to watch for lovers of good football but results speak for themselves.

Spain have a home match against Lithuania before they travel to Scotland and three points there would see the team in pole position. With players like David Villa, Fernando Torres and Xavi in their line-up, the whole world wants to see teams like Spain play in the major tournaments and not many people will be upset if they grab the win. The same can be said for many other nations involved in the qualification process as it is better to see the big name players and teams involved at the tournament. In saying that, some of the bigger nations have been disappointing in recent tournaments and England, France and Italy have a lot to do to redeem themselves to the football watching public.

Joe Hart Now English No.1

England managed to grab two wins at the start of their qualifying campaign and the media almost seemed to forget the horror and torment of the World Cup. Joe Hart has now seemingly made the number one jersey his own and his confidence has helped to settle down a defence which looked majorly suspect in South Africa.

The return of Rio Ferdinand from injury should also help England feel more secure at the back and a game at Wembley against Montenegro should not be the hardest challenge that England face. Wayne Rooney has obviously been in the headlines in recent weeks but it is scoring off the field that has grabbed attention as opposed to any on-field performances. Rooney may be available for selection by Fabio Capello after injury but the striker has so fair failed to find form this season. Perhaps his private life has had a bigger impact on his playing ability than he would like to consider.

France Disappointing of Late

England certainly struggled in South Africa but they had a fantastic World Cup when compared to France. Raymond Domench may not longer be in charge of the French national team but a lot of the fall-out still exists in the squad. France will still be without their captain Evra, due to an international ban and Nikolas Anelka is in a self-imposed retirement from the international scene. This means France will have a different squad to choose from when compared to their summer failings but with two home games to come, France will be looking for all six points.

Romania have been a thorn in the side of the French national team on a number of occasions but the first match of France's two games sees them welcome the Romanians to Paris. Following that, a game against Luxembourg should give France the opportunity to grab some goals and a much needed confidence boost. Of course, if it all goes wrong for France again, new coach Raymond Blanc may find that his honeymoon period in charge of the French squad may be over.

Can Paddy McCourt Gun Down Italy?

Italy are another nation that would benefit from a confidence boost and they may consider a trip to Northern Ireland as a great way to do so. The Irish side have a history of some big wins at home in recent years, with England and Spain suffering pain in Belfast but there has been a dip in quality of the Irish team.

David Healy's goal scoring form has deserted him, leaving him an empty shell of a player and Kyle Lafferty is not a player to be relied upon. There may be a potential saviour for Northern Ireland though in the shape of a player who has the ability to light up a crowd in the way of George Best. We are not saying that Paddy McCourt is as good as George Best, that would be silly but when it comes to a footballer with devastating talent and the ability to drift past defenders as though they weren't there, few are better than McCourt.

If Paddy McCourt can remain fit, he could be the man to give Northern Ireland the opportunity to heap further pain on the Italians but without him, it is difficult to see where the Italians will be hurt. After a trip to Ireland, Italy play at home to Serbia in a match that is likely to be more difficult for the Italians. Six points should be an achievable aim for Italy but with so many failures in recent times, no one will be taking anything for granted.

The international break provides a welcome break for many people from the regular league fixtures. With this being the last round of international fixtures this year, all teams will be desperate to get strong results to set them up for 2011 in the best possible manner.

by Andrew Reilly

for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk

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