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England are set to enter the next international break in devastating form, and Gareth Southgate has a number of red-hot players to call upon. Of the two Euro 2020 Group A qualifiers that the Three Lions are set to contest, the encounter with Kosovo looks to be the trickier fixture. The last time the two sides met at St Mary’s in September, it was an electrifying encounter in which the Three Lions prevailed 5-3. Kosovo went on to win their next two European qualifiers, though, and a win against England at home could be needed in order to clinch entry to the 2020 summer tournament.
Kosovo are without doubt the dark horses in Group A, with England and the Czech Republic being the standout contenders to finish in first and second place. But Bernard Challandes and his side are not going to give up without a fight, and are hoping to make it to their first European Championship since becoming a UEFA member. Since falling to England in September, the Dardanians have beaten Czech Republic and Montenegro in Group A, and Gibraltar in an international friendly. They will be hopeful that on home soil they may be able to get something out of the upcoming game against England.
According to the Mobilebet odds, England are expected to stomp Montenegro in their first qualifier of the international break and can be backed at 1/25. But the game against Kosovo could be a much tighter affair and various bookies have Southgate’s men at around 7/10 to prevail in that fixture. Depending on how Kosovo perform in their away match against Czech Republic on the 14th of November, some bettors may be tempted to back them to draw against England at 14/5.
England could also enter the game in high spirits, though, and if they can carry on the ruthless form from the October Bulgaria fixture then it could be worth betting on certain players to score. Raheem Sterling has been particularly clinical in an England shirt in recent times, and the Manchester City forward is involved in almost every attack. For this reason, it could be worth a punt on the 24-year-old for anytime goal scorer or even to bag another brace.
Bettors should consider, however, that if England win against Montenegro they will have the qualifying group sewn up. If this comes to fruition, then Southgate may choose to be more experimental with his side in the match against Kosovo and give some inexperienced players a chance. In that scenario, players like Sterling and Harry Kane could be afforded a rest.
The game against Kosovo could end up being of little importance to England but could be vital for Kosovo depending on how they perform against the Czech Republic. If Jaroslav Silhavy’s men win that fixture, then Kosovo’s home game against England will be a dead rubber. Bettors need to pay close attention to preceding results before staking anything on this final Group A fixture.
