Scotland vs England Preview
After their win over the Republic of Ireland at the weekend in their Euro2016 campaign, Scotland welcome England to Celtic Park in a hotly anticipated friendly between two of the home nations. Manager Godron Strachan has already stated that he is torn between resting players and wanting to get one over his English counterparts.
England managed to come from behind to win relatively comfortably against Slovenia at Wembley. Roy Hodgson is likely to rest a large number of players who played in that game, given that this is a friendly and that he has been under pressure to give a few players a chance to shine. This game is perfect for the likes of Fraser Forster (who has played at Celtic Park for 4 seasons before his Premier League days) and the in-form Saido Berahino of West Bromwich Albion. This also looks like a good game for Ross Barkley to reignite his England career, with injury hitting him at the worst time last season, meaning he missed out on Brazil 2014.
Since the disappointing World Cup campaign, England have done well, winning all 5 games since their 0-0 draw against Costa Rica in their final group game. The own goal scored by Jordan Henderson at the weekend is also the only goal they’ve conceded since Suarez scored that late winner to see England all but eliminated from the World Cup in mid-June. This game is certain to be a bit of an experiment for the English camp, but they’ll want to keep their momentum going as they look to seal their qualification for the Euro 2016 championships in France as soon as possible.
Scotland’s 1-0 win over Ireland gives them a real chance of qualification themselves, and the rivalry between these two nations (especially after recent political events) will make this a game the hosts would love to win. One thing is for sure, it should be a fiercely contested game, and one that could be very tight. Be sure to check the Bet Advisor site to see which tipsters have a tip for this game, as well as other friendly fixtures over the coming days before the domestic season gets back underway.