Spain vs France Euro 2012 betting

June 23, 2012
Online Betting King
Football
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Spain vs France betting

Spain: Group Position: 1st, Form: WWDWW

Spain have topped their group like all expected, but they certainly have not been the dominant force of years gone by. Whether they miss the bulldog Puyol in defence or Villa’s movement and poaching ability up front, either way they are not flowing as fluidly as the past two tournaments.

The Ireland game aside, Italy and Croatia have done more than frustrate the Spaniards in their games. Both created chances, both will feel they could have won the match, but there is much to say in the fact they did not, even when Spain were not their best.

Equally, as the goals in those two games show, when Spain click they are almost unstoppable. And with so much of the ball, it does not give the opposition much chance to create. As such, it will be very hard to bet against the Spanish in every game they play, especially with players like Xavi and Iniesta running midfield.

France: Group Position: 2nd, Form: WWDWL

The French have done well to brush off their awful World Cup 2010 campaign in South Africa, where they imploded internally, players and staff alike revolting against crackpot manager Raymond Domenech. Since then, Laurent Blanc has been brought in and turned France around.

This change in manager has really changed the French. New players have been tried and trusted to show their skills on the international stage. And when you look at their team there is world class talent in every area. From ‘keeper Lloris, Clichy, M’Vila, Nasri, Ribery and Benzema, they have a team that can do more than just make things difficult for Spain.

The defeat in the last game against Sweden showed that they are not the finished article yet, but with games in quick succession and qualification all but guaranteed in that game you can sense why they switched off. It was the first time they had lost in 24 games, but Laurent Blanc will have let them know that was unacceptable, and they do not need to be told how easily they will be punished if they play like that against Spain.

Match Prediction: Spain Win – 1.85 Paddy Power

Neither side has come through the group stages as strongly as they would have liked, but the key with these tournaments is to battle through the early going and grow in strength as time goes by. As such, both are still dangerous animals, and the thing about the European Championships is that quality games and opponents come thick and fast.

The thought of a side growing better should hold more fears for France than the champions, as Spain’s highest level of play is definitely the higher standard. Spain will also have the majority of possession, something France have had in their games so far, and will therefore test the concentration and discipline of defence and midfield.

This Spanish style, and France’s fear of over committing due to this, will keep the score low. Spain are also lacking a goalscorer, and must decide whether Torres’ goals against Ireland mean he’s worth his place or that they should go back to the ‘false number nine’ system they used against Italy.