World Cup 2010 - European Play-offs: Portugal vs Bosnia-HerzegovinaMany pundits see Portugal as clear favourites in this clash even without Ronaldo but we are not prepared to write off an attacking force like Bosnia, who can score against any defence in the world. Portugal have been far from impressive under Carlos Queiroz and they simply have to improve if they want to play at the World Cup, whereas we are confident Bosnia will give them a hard time even in the first leg.
Ronaldo not able to help his teammates
Portugal were in a position to miss out even on the play-offs after the dreadful start of the World Cup qualifiers but three straight wins helped them clinch the second place in the group. Carlos Queiroz’s team were unconvincing throughout the qualifying campaign and they definitely cannot afford to take this game lightly, especially since Ronaldo has been ruled out with injury. Even without him, the hosts have the attacking potential in abundance and they shouldn’t have too many problems breaking Bosnia’s defence. Therefore, you should consider backing Portugal to score over 1.5 goals at 1.50 offered by Sportingbet.
Carlos Queiroz has recalled Miguel, Ricardo Costa and Hugo Almeida to the squad, whereas there have been no real surprises. Simao, Nani, Liedson and Almeida will fight for the three places up front, while Deco, Raul Meireles and Miguel Veloso are expected to form a midfield trio. The hosts are likely to adopt attacking approach from the very start and that will leave Bosnia a lot of space for swift counterattacks. We expect to see a very open match, even in the first period and see a good value in betting on over 1.5 goals in the first half at 2.70 offered by Sportingbet.
The most important match in history
Bosnia have really gone a long way under coach Ciro Blazevic and they are now just one step away from making it to their first ever World Cup. The team were impressive in the qualifying campaign, beating Turkey and Belgium to the second place in the group and even though everybody sees them as underdogs here, we believe they’ve got something to offer. Team’s biggest quality is in attack with players like Dzeko, Ibisevic, Misimovic and Pjanic all capable of both scoring and setting up goals. Considering they scored no less than 25 goals in the World Cup qualifying campaign, backing Bosnia to score at 1.83 offered by Boylesports looks like the right thing to do.
Boss Ciro Blazevic has done a great job with the national team as he managed to create a good atmosphere that was one of the reasons behind impressive results. The players are fully dedicated to team’s cause and are aware this is a chance of a lifetime for most of them, thus we expect them to literally play for their lives in the two games against Portugal. Will that be enough? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Betting verdict
This game will generate a lot of excitement, passion and emotions, and we are confident the fans will enjoy the experience. Both sides have plenty of attacking potential and will not be afraid to use it, thus we expect to see an open game with a lot of goals. Attack is the better part of both teams and that is why we will go with both teams to score.
Looking for livestream! Here it is! Our tip: Bet 7 on Both teams to score
Odds -110 at
Bookmaker: BetCRIS
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