Monday, September 5, 2011

Watch Spain vs Liechtenstein Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Spain

Liechtenstein

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 8:00 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Estadio Nuevo Municipal Las Gaunas (Logroño)

Spain’s team spirit not under the influence of Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalries

Spain have lost the first spot to the Netherlands in the FIFA World Rankings, and fans now fear that Clasico issues won’t tarnish the squad’s progress at the international level.

The atmosphere is great between Spain's players according to reports, regardless of tensions between Barcelona and Real Madrid

The Barcelona and Real Madrid rivalry has quickly reached nearly unsupportable levels since the past year or so. In mid-August, both teams met for the 2011 Supercopa de España. While Barcelona ran away with the trophy to create new records, the injury time brawl at the Camp Nou stole the headlines.

As he reflected on what happened, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola expressed his concerns over the tensions between his team and Real Madrid. Spain’s key player Xavi blasted the behavior of Los Blancos whereas Sergio Ramos went in defense of his manager, Jose Mourinho.

Eventually, the team spirit factor of Spain’s national football team became an issue. However, players insist that professionalism will keep the squad from reacting under the influence of the heated Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry. Sergio Busquets told Marca in the build up to the Spain vs Chile friendly match:

“Things like this [brawls between Real Madrid and Barcelona] always happen in football, but we want the best for the national team. There will always be a good atmosphere. There are no problems.”

Sergio Ramos confirmed Busquets’ statement by declaring:

“There are good vibes and we hope to continue with the good atmosphere in the team.”

Juan Mata was also quoted as saying by Spanish news source Marca:

“We are all here for the same reason and we play for the national team, the clubs are not important when we are together.”

Echoing the players’ words, Vicente del Bosque stated at a press conference on Thursday:

“I have not seen anything out of the ordinary in the camp. The foundation of our success is the good relationships that exist in the group.”

Watch Scotland vs Lithuania Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Scotland

Lithuania

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 7:00 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Hampden Park (Glasgow)

Inhospitable Hampden looms for Lithuania

A 0-0 draw in Lithuania proved to be something of a disappointing start for Scotland's UEFA EURO 2012 Group A campaign but they will look to make amends as the sides reconvene in Glasgow.

• The teams largely cancelled each other out on 3 September, Saulius Mikoliunas and Stephen McManus producing their sides' best efforts in the first half. Scotland looked to force the issue after the break but the deadlock remained unbroken.

• Scotland's record in seven matches against Lithuania reads W4 D2 L1 (W3 D0 L0 at home).

• The sides drew 0-0 in their first meeting in a UEFA EURO 2000 qualifier in Vilnius on 5 September 1998 – two days shy of exactly 13 years before their upcoming fixture.

• Since then, they have been unable to avoid each other in European Championship qualifying, locking horns in both UEFA EURO 2004 and UEFA EURO 2008 preliminary round games.

• The most recent of Scotland's three home victories over their visitors from the Baltic was a 3-1 success on 8 September 2007. Kris Boyd, McManus and James McFadden struck for the Scots and Tomas Danilevičius converted a penalty for Lithuania.

• Scottish titleholders Rangers FC were eliminated from the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round by Lithuania's FBK Kaunas following a 0-0 home draw and a 2-1 loss at the S. Darius & S. Girenas Stadium.

Watch Poland vs Germany Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Poland

Germany

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:45 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live

UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers: Miroslav Klose boasting about Germany’s power

Germany are 3rd in the FIFA World Rankings at the moment, but Miroslav Klose believes that everyone looks at the DFB Eleven “with envy”.

Miroslav Klose thinks Germany are the envy of the world football public.

Germany indeed look invincible at the moment. Their recent 3-2 defeat of Brazil only reminded the public about Joachim Lowe and his team’s ambitions. In the Euro 2012 qualifiers, the Germans hold a perfect record. They’ve conceded only 3 goals in 7 matches whereas they surpass the 3 goals per match average.

Germany are poised to go through their UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign without knowing anything else than wins. On Friday night, they will affront Austria in their 8th game of the qualifiers which they are expected to win. According to Miroslav Klose, the time has come for the Germans to genuinely think about celebrateing on a podium.

“All that's missing in my career at the moment is winning a big international tournament. Next year's European Championships are supposed to fill that void,” he told Bild.

Talking about Germany’s potential as a team, Miroslav Klose concluded:

“Is the team strong enough to win Euro 2012? Of course! The world of football is looking at us with envy.

“We play a very attractive and attacking style of football. It's a joy to see to see our team in action.”

Watch Italy vs Slovenia Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Italy

Slovenia

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:45 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadio Artemio Franchi, Firenze (Firenze)

Italy vs Slovenia Match Preview

September 6 could be a historical day for hosts Italy who will welcome Slovenia in their 8th UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match in Group C.

Italy have one foot at the 2012 European Championship.

Unbeaten Italy have the wonderful opportunity of sealing qualification to the Euros in Fiorentina where Cesare Prandelli used to coach as La Viola’s manager. In an interview with Rai Sport, the Italy boss was quoted as saying:

“Qualifying for Euro 2012 in Florence would be magic, a small dream that would become reality.”

Azzurri supporters, however, are hoping to be treated with a much better performance than what was showcased against the Faroe Islands last Friday. A strike by Cassano gave the Italians a narrow victory in a game they should have won comfortably.

Expect Slovenia to put up a strong display on Tuesday as things remain extremely tight between the second and fifth positions. As things stand, Slovenia have only 11 points from 8 matches.

Serbia follow behind with the same number of points, Estonia have 10 and Northern Ireland have 9. Slovenia and Estonia have played one more game than Italy, Serbia and Northern Ireland, though.

Watch England vs Wales Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

England

Wales

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:45 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Wembley Stadium (London)

England vs Wales team news - Euro 2012 Qualifier

Submitted by Stan James on 5 September 2011 - 10:08am in

Fabio Capello

England (1/7 to win in 90 minutes) head coach Fabio Capello wants Wembley to become a fortress again having not won in their last four games at the ground. Since beating Bulgaria 4-0 at home last September, England have been held by Montenegro, Ghana and Switzerland while also registering a 2-1 defeat to France.

Fabio Capello's side will be on the verge of 2012 European Championships qualification if they defeat Wales in the Group G match at Wembley. They are three points ahead of second-place Montenegro, who they visit in October, and have two games left.

England's away form has been impressive having beaten teams like Denmark, Wales and Bulgaria this year and the England coach wants to get back to winning ways on home soil. Wales are the visitors tomorrow night and they will be buoyed after picking up their first points of the qualifying competition on Friday when they beat Montenegro 2-1.

Darren Bent and Micah Richards have been ruled out of the game against Wales on Tuesday night because of injuries. Bent had also missed Friday's win over Bulgaria with a groin problem, while Richards has a hamstring injury.

Wales (20/1 to win in 90 minutes) boss Gary Speed has central defender James Collins available after serving a suspension. But Craig Bellamy and David Vaughan miss out after picking up yellow cards in Friday's win over Montenegro. Wales' Sam Ricketts remains sidelined as the Bolton defender continues his recovery from Achilles surgery while Blackpool full-back Neal Eardley is out with broken fingers.

Watch Switzerland vs Bulgaria Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Switzerland

Bulgaria

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:30 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	St. Jakob-Park (Basel)

Swiss hope for better against Bulgaria

Having drawn 0-0 in Sofia back in March, Switzerland and Bulgaria will hope that their UEFA EURO 2012 Group G rematch will have a more positive outcome.

• Lothar Mätthaus's Bulgaria took on a Switzerland selection coached by the former midfielder's one-time FC Bayern München coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, but neither pupil nor master could get the upper hand. The most notable incidents in the game came when Alexander Frei was twice denied by home goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov.

• Matthäus and Hitzfeld won German titles together at Bayern in 1999 and 2000, though Matthäus left Bayern for New York MetroStars in the final months of the latter campaign.

• An average of a point a game from their first five fixtures left both sides well off the pace in the battle to qualify for the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

• The teams had faced each other in two competitive games prior to UEFA EURO 2012, having been pooled together in EURO '92 qualifying. Switzerland won both matches: 2-0 at home through goals from Marc Hottiger and Thomas Bickel, and 3-2 in Sofia where Kübilay Türkyilmaz hit a 90th-minute winner as the visitors battled back from 2-0 down.

• They have met in two friendlies since then. Nasko Sirakov and Emil Kostadinov struck to give Bulgaria a 2-0 friendly victory in Berne on 28 April 1992 before the sides drew 1-1 in Geneva on 11 April 2009.

Watch Latvia vs Greece Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Latvia

Greece

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:30 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadions Skonto (Riga (Riga))

Latvia out to dent Greek ambitions

Latvia will look to build upon a brave but fruitless showing in Piraeus as Greece come to Riga in Group F, still in the running for a place at UEFA EURO 2012.

• The home side won last year's 9 October meeting 1-0 with Olympiacos FC defender Vassilios Torossidis breaking Latvia's resistance in the 58th minute, scoring with a clinical finish following a neat exchange of passes with Kostas Katsouranis.

• Greece and Latvia will meet again in the coming years, having been drawn together in Group G of the European qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They were previously drawn together in South Africa 2010 qualifying.

• Latvia's record in five games against Greece reads W1 D1 L3 (W0 D1 L1 at home). They have lost the countries' last three encounters.

• In 2010 World Cup qualifying, Greece beat Lavtia 2-0 in Riga on 10 September 2008, and then won the return fixture 5-2 in Athens on 10 October the following year.

• Fanis Gekas enjoyed those two games against Latvia a great deal, firing both goals in the first encounter and four more in Athens, where two Māris Verpakovskis strikes had put the visitors 2-1 up at the break.

• The teams first met in a UEFA EURO 2000 qualifier in Riga on 31 March 1999, playing out a goalless draw. Latvia improved on that result with a 2-1 victory in Athens on 9 June the same year, when Mihails Zemlinskis hit an added-time winner after Andreas Niniadis had cancelled out Verpakovskis' first-half opener.

Watch Malta vs Georgia Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Malta

Georgia

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:30 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Ta'Qali National Stadium (Ta'Qali)

Malta aiming to repeat Georgia upset

Bottom of Group F, Malta will look to create another upset against visitors Georgia as Temuri Ketsbaia's side return to the scene of a best-forgotten friendly defeat.

• The Mediterranean islanders prevailed 2-0 on Georgia's last visit, Michael Mifsud scoring after 64 and 73 minutes at the National Stadium in Ta' Qali on 12 August 2009.

• It was Malta's first success against Georgia but not the first time they had caused their opponents problems; the sides drew 1-1 in Tbilisi in their maiden meeting on Georgian soil, a friendly on 19 July 1994.

• Georgia had to work hard to win the teams' first Group F meeting in Tblisi on 8 October last year, when an added-time goal by David Siradze secured a 1-0 success – their first competitive victory under Ketsbaia.

• Malta's record in six games against Georgia reads W1 D1 L4 (W1 D0 L3 at home).

• Malta's 2009 win over Georgia was not only their first in this fixture, it also ended a run of 12 matches without a win dating back to a 7-1 triumph against Liechtenstein on 26 March 2008.

Watch Estonia vs Northern Ireland Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Estonia

Northern Ireland

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:30 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	A. Le Coq Arena (Tallinn)

Estonia hope for third time lucky against Irish

Estonia will look to secure a first victory – or at least score a first goal – against Northern Ireland when they welcome Nigel Worthington's team to Tallinn for the first game of their UEFA EURO 2012 Group C double-header.

• The nations have only met previously in friendly matches, the first in Tallinn on 31 March 2004 and the second in Belfast on 1 March 2006. Both ended in 1-0 wins for Northern Ireland, with David Healy scoring in the first, and Ivan Sproule hitting his maiden international goal in the second.

• The teams will be back in action in Belfast on 7 October.

Watch Serbia vs Faroe Islands Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Serbia

Faroe Islands

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:30 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadion Partizana (Beograd)

Serbia aim to keep Faroes under thumb

Serbia will hope their 3-0 win in the sides' earlier UEFA EURO 2012 Group C meeting in Torshavn augurs well when the Faroe Islands visit the FK Partizan Stadium.

• Danko Lazović and captain Dejan Stanković scored inside the first 18 minutes for Radomir Antić's team in the countries' opening qualifier on 3 September last year, although it took a Nikola Žigić strike in added time to add further gloss to the scoreline. Vladimir Petrović has since replaced Antić as Serbia coach.

• Serbia's record in three games against the Faroe Islands reads W3 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home).

• The Faroes also contested six matches against Yugoslavia that left them with equally stark statistics: W0 D0 L6 (W0 D0 L3 away).

• In their nine meetings with Serbia and Yugoslavia, the Faroe Islands have scored just twice, while conceding 35 times.

• The Faroe Islands' best 45 minutes of football against Yugoslavia came in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Belgrade. John Petersen scored eight minutes into the second half and he and his colleagues managed to prevent their opponents from scoring for the remainder of the contest. Unfortunately, they were already 3-0 down at the time.

• That remains the only time the Faroes have survived a whole half without conceding against either Serbia or Yugoslavia.

Watch Austria vs Turkey Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Austria

Turkey

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:30 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Ernst-Happel-Stadion (Wien)

Austria vs Turkey – Euro 2012 Qualification Preview

Germany has already booked the top spot in Group A, but the second place position is still open to three teams. Tuesday’s Austria vs Turkey Euro 2012 qualification match will in all likelihood bring clarity to which team will ultimately grab the second playoff spot.

Arda Turan is Turkey's main threat but Burak Yilmaz is slowly establishing himself as the lead striker for Turkey

Austria vs Turkey

Having lost 7 out of their last 8 games Austria have clearly been struggling as of late. Their 6-2 loss to Germany wasn’t all that surprising to a team that has now let in 16 goals in 7 matches. They stand 6 points behind second place Turkey but a win in this fixture followed by Turkey losing to Germany could mean that Austria could potentially squeak into second place.

Turkey’s hopes of getting back into a major tournament almost unraveled this past Friday when they were held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Kazakhstan until the 95th minute. Arda’s free kick took a huge deflection and gave Turkey a deserved win. Meanwhile, third place Belgium let in a goal in injury time to Azerbaijan – which meant that in minutes, Turkey’s fate had changed tremendously for the good.

Goals from Gokhan Gonul and Arda gave the Euro 2008 semifinalists a 2-0 win in the Turkey vs Austria match several months back. But with the start of the Turkish Premier League being delayed by a month, many players find themselves out of game shape and form. Add to that key players that will be missing through injury or suspensions – like Galatasaray’s influential midfielder in Selcuk Inan – and you will understand why Turkey had such difficulty with Kazakhstan this past weekend.

Watch Romania vs France Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Romania

France

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:30 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadionul National, Bucure?ti (Bucure?ti)

Romania vs France Preview

Romania coach Victor Piturca accepts that while a draw against France would normally be considered a good result, nothing less than a win will suffice on Tuesday.

Romania are currently fourth in Group D, five points behind pool leaders Les Bleus ahead of the clash in Bucharest, and time is running out on their bid to secure a place in the finals in Poland and Ukraine next summer.

Piturca's side won 2-0 in Luxembourg on Friday to keep their challenge alive but the 55-year-old knows France will present an altogether different challenge.

He said: "A draw would only be good for the overall record. We need three points, a victory is very important.

"France are the best team in the group and are favourites to win the match - they have individual players that are worth more than our entire squad. From the midfield forward they are very dangerous and any one of their players can decide the match.

"But we will be fired up at the thought of playing a good game and the points that are at stake.

"We need to win to have any real chance of qualifying and if we do more teams come into play as well as their results."

The hosts will be without midfielder Ovidiu Petre while striker Ciprian Marica is doubtful with a foot injury.

France boss Laurent Blanc, whose side are three points clear at the summit, could also make several changes as his side home in on a place in the finals.

Valencia defender Adil Rami, who was suspended for Friday's unconvincing 2-1 victory in Albania, could return in place of Younes Kaboul while Bacary Sagna is set to replace Anthony Reveillere at right-back and Florent Malouda is likely to make way for either Mathieu Valbuena or Loic Remy on the right of midfield.

Victory in Tirana three days ago was vital but the performance threw up several issues.

Striker Karim Benzema, who scored France's first goal and made the second for Yann M'Vila, had no doubt the attack and midfield were struggling to gel together.

"We have to improve still on the relationship between the midfielders and the strikers,'' said the Real Madrid player. "We're trying but it's not always easy with the opposition defenders."

Blanc will be satisfied if the initial goal of reaching next summer's tournament is achieved, and then France will have time to look more closely at their shortcomings.

Blanc said: "Our objective is qualification for the finals phase of Euro 2012 next June. There are certainly still things to deal with but we are making progress. The players can still do better, and we move forward.''

Watch San Marino vs Sweden Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

San Marino

Sweden

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:30 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle (Serravalle)

San Marino stand in Sweden's way

Sweden will look to keep the pressure on runaway group leaders the Netherlands as they visit San Marino, with UEFA EURO 2008 Group E's big two to meet in October.

• Zlatan Ibrahimović enjoyed Sweden's meeting with San Marino on 7 September, marking his first match in his hometown of Malmo in nine years with two goals in a 6-0 win. Ibrahimović struck first before own goals from twins Davide and Aldo Simoncini made it 3-0. Even Olof Mellberg's 34th-minute dismissal failed to stem the tide, with substitutes Andreas Granqvist and Marcus Berg on target after half-time either side of star attraction Ibrahimović.

• Sweden's record in three matches against San Marino reads W3 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 in Serravalle).

• The teams met twice in the space of three months during qualifying for UEFA EURO 2004, with Sweden running out 6-0 winners in the first encounter in Serravalle on 7 June 2003. Mattias Jonson helped himself to a hat-trick, while Marcus Allbäck scored twice and Fredrik Ljungberg also hit the target.

• Jonson struck again in the return fixture in Gothenburg on 6 September, opening the scoring in the first half before Zlatan Ibrahimović (2), Andreas Jakobsson and Kim Källström earned Sweden a 5-0 triumph.

Watch Denmark vs Norway Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Denmark

Norway

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:15 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Parken (København Ø)

Denmark and Norway prepare to lock horns

The battle for a place at UEFA EURO 2012 will add a little more spice to a meeting of Nordic rivals Denmark and Norway, who drew their earlier UEFA EURO 2012 Group H game.

• Norway dropped their first Group H points at home against Denmark on 26 March but still had reason to be relieved after Erik Huseklepp snatched them a 1-1 draw with nine minutes remaining, Dennis Rommedahl having put Morten Olsen's side ahead on 26 minutes.

• Denmark have played 82 international games against Norway over the years and have a record of W50 D12 L20 (W29 D1 L9 at home). The nations first met in Sweden in the 1912 Olympics, with Denmark winning their second round encounter 7-0 on 30 June, and going on to reach the final, losing 4-2 to England.

• The teams have met in only five official qualifiers since. Denmark won 1-0 at home and 5-1 away ahead of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and – in their only encounters so far this century – Norway drew 2-2 at home and lost 1-0 in Copenhagen in UEFA EURO 2004 qualifying, with Jesper Grønkjær getting the winner in the latter fixture.

• Denmark coach Morten Olsen played in the two former qualifiers and oversaw the latter two from the bench.

• Norway boss Egil Olsen took on Denmark three times in friendly games in his first spell as Norway coach from 1990 to 1998: his side lost 1-0 in Aarhus in 1992, but recorded a 2-1 win in Oslo two years later, and more impressively, a 2-0 success in Copenhagen in 1998, Øyvind Leonhardsen and Tore André Flo the scorers.

Watch Slovakia vs Armenia Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Slovakia

Armenia

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:15 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadión Pod Dubnom (Zilina)

Slovakia out to avoid another Armenia slip-up

Slovakia will look to avenge an earlier defeat and keep Armenia out of the running in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group B as Vardan Minasyan's side head for Zilina.

• Second-half goals from Gevorg Ghazaryan and Henrik Mkhitaryan secured a superb 3-1 win for Armenia when the sides met in Yerevan on 8 October. Yura Movsisyan had scored the home side's 23rd-minute opener, but Vladimír Weiss equalised before the break.

• That was the countries' first meeting at senior level.

• Armenia and Slovakia's women met in qualifying for the 2005 UEFA European Women's Championship, when Slovakia triumphed 5-0 at home on 9 September 2003 and 10-0 away three days later.

• Men's outfits from the countries have twice contested two-legged UEFA club competition ties, but while both yielded victory for the Slovakian contender, they did not win in Armenia on either occasion.

Watch Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Belarus Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Belarus

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:15 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadion Bilino Polje (Zenica)

Watch Luxembourg vs Albania Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Luxembourg

Albania

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:15 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stade Josy Barthel (Lëtzebuerg (Luxembourg))

Luxembourg look to break Albania duck

Group D's bottom team Luxembourg will look to rack up some belated points as they play host to an Albania side whom they lost out to narrowly earlier in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying.

• On 7 September last year, Hamdi Salihi turned in Armend Dallku's cross in the 37th minute as Josip Kuže's side prevailed at home to a Luxembourg side whose hopes of a comeback were dented by Mario Mutsch's 58th-minute dismissal for a second yellow card.

• Albania's record in four games against Luxembourg reads W3 D1 L0 (W1 D1 L0 in Luxembourg).

• The sides met in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2008, with Albania winning the opening engagement 2-0 in Tirana on 2 June 2007 thanks to goals from Edmond Kapllani and Altin Haxhi.

• The teams crossed paths again at the Josy Barthel stadium in Luxembourg four days later, and this time Albania triumphed 3-0 courtesy of a Kapllani double and a goal from Ervin Skela.

• Although they have yet to muster a single goal against Albania, Luxembourg did at least record a 0-0 draw with their upcoming opponents in a friendly game in Hesperange on 13 February 2002.

Watch Croatia vs Israel Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Croatia

Israel

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:00 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadion Maksimir (Zagreb)

Israel heads to Croatia with heads down

Only a victory in Zagreb against the strongest team in Group F will leave Israel with any hope of still finishing among the top two.

Israel enters Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifier at Croatia dejected and disillusioned after seeing its dream of reaching the European Championships all but end with a spiritless performance against Greece on Friday.

The 1-0 loss to the Greeks at Bloomfield Stadium not only essentially ended the national team’s hopes of making Euro 2012, but also exposed the rifts between coach Luis Fernandez and his players, the coach and the media and between the players themselves.

Captain Yossi Benayoun and defensive anchor Tal Ben-Haim spent much of the flight to Zagreb trying to settle their differences with the help of assistant coach Tal Banin, but the two have never been the best of friends and that is not set to change any time soon.

Fernandez, who looks all but certain to leave after the qualifying campaign ends at Malta on October 11, gathered media representatives at Sunday’s training session in the hope of quelling the criticism directed at him since the loss to Greece.

“I’m disappointed with the result against Greece because I don’t think that the better team won,” the Frenchman said. “It’s true that our chances of advancing aren’t great at the moment, but there’s still a mathematical chance.”

Only a victory in Zagreb against the strongest team in Group F will leave Israel with any hope of still finishing among the top two, although even with a win against the Croats, it will still need other results to go its way.

Israel is currently third in the group, four points behind leader Greece and three points from Croatia, with the top two each playing one match fewer than the blue-and-white.

“I heard what [Eyal] Berkovic, [Haim] Revivo and [Itzik] Zohar said. Anyone can shout in a microphone every day, I also shout on my radio show, but I respect players and coaches,” said Fernandez, angered by the criticism directed at him and his players. “I’ve been in soccer for 30 years and I’ve succeeded in France and Italy. I’ve learned that criticism comes with the job.”

Fernandez also addressed the squabble between Benayoun and Ben-Haim.

“As long as I’m here I unite the squad,” he said. “The only problem with Yossi is that he is coming back from a long injury. When I want to speak to Yossi or Tal I always talk to them together with Dudu Aouate because for me they are the most important players.”

Fernandez may drop Benayoun from the starting lineup on Tuesday in one of several changes he is expected to make from the team that started against Greece.

Almog Cohen and Bibras Natcho, who came on as a substitute against Greece, are both suspended, with Fernandez also considering dropping Lior Rafaelov and Itay Shechter, while giving Maccabi Haifa defenders Itzik Cohen and Taleb Tawatha their chance.

Israel has lost all three of its previous qualifiers against Croatia, including a 2-1 defeat in Ramat Gan in Euro 2012 qualifying last October.

With a match in Greece still to come, Croatia will be desperate to take all three points on Tuesday ahead of the showdown in Athens for first place and automatic qualification for next summer’s European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.

“The match against Israel is an excellent opportunity for us,” Croatia coach Slaven Bilic said.

“If we win we will move closer to our goal of reaching Euro 2012.

It is true that we have beaten Israel in three of three meetings, but we mustn’t forget that in soccer anything can happen.”

Despite the blue-and-white’s fractious state, Bilic refuses to take anything for granted.

“I told my players that it would be stupid to think that Israel’s situation is good for us,” he said. “Israel was unlucky on Friday because it didn’t deserve to lose. Israel’s players will be highly motivated against us, but if we beat them I believe we will also win in Greece.”

Watch Moldova vs Hungary Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Moldova

Hungary

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 6:45 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Stadionul Zimbru (Chisinau)

Moldova quest for Hungary redemption

Having lost their two most recent UEFA EURO 2012 Group E home games, Moldova will look to get back to winning ways and avenge a 2-0 loss against Hungary.

• Moldova beat ten-man Finland 2-0 on 3 September last year to earn a first competitive win since a 3-0 UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying triumph against Hungary on 17 November 2007, when Igor Bugaiov, Nicolae Josan and Serghei Alekseev scored. However, they have lost both of their Group E home games since, 1-0 against the Netherlands and 4-1 against Sweden.

• Hungary avenged that defeat with a 2-1 win on 7 September last year in Budapest, as long-range strikes from Gergely Rudolf and Vladimir Koman proved enough to see off Moldova – although Alexandru Suvorov's late goal provided a tense finale.

• Moldova's record in the six games against Hungary reads W1 D2 L3 (W1 D0 L1 at home).

• Their first competitive game was a UEFA EURO 2008 qualifier in Budapest on 28 March 2007 which Hungary won 2-0 courtesy of efforts from Tamás Priskin and Zoltán Gera.

• The two teams first made acquaintances in a 1-1 friendly draw in Budapest on 18 August 1999.

• Since then, they have contested two more friendlies, with Hungary beating Moldova 2-0 in Chisinau on 27 March 2002 before recording a 1-1 draw in Budapest on 20 November the same year.

Watch Finland vs Netherlands Live Streaming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

Finland

Netherlands

Date/Time:	Sep 6, 2011, 5:00 pm(GMT)
Competition:	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
Live/Repeat:	Live
Venue:	Helsingin olympiastadion (Helsinki (Helsingfors))

Finland vs Holland Preview

Wesley Sneijder has warned Holland not to become complacent as they look to all but seal qualification for Euro 2012 on Wednesday night.

The Oranje, on the back of their 11-0 thumping of San Marino on Friday, lead the group by six points and, with nearest rivals Sweden having only nine to play for as they travel to face the group minnows, victory in Finland would take them to the brink of the tournament proper.

But Inter Milan midfielder Sneijder is taking nothing for granted in Helsinki, particularly after a narrow 2-1 win over the same opposition in Eindhoven in September.

Two early goals from Klaas Jan Huntelaar, the second a penalty, appeared to have put Bert van Marwijk's side in control that night but Mikael Forssell quickly halved the deficit and Finland threatened an equaliser on several occasions.

Sneijder told De Telegraaf: "Finland are of a different calibre to San Marino.

"In De Kuip we had a hard game against them. Let's first concentrate on winning."

Sneijder scored two goals and had a hand in two more on Friday as Holland emphasised the difference in class between the sides placed first and joint-last in FIFA's world rankings with their record win.

"I did not know the record was 9-0, but at some point we said to each other: 'now let's go for 10'," said the 27-year-old, who netted the record-breaking goal.

"Then you finally break the record and it's obviously nice to have scored the 10th."

But that landmark strike did not provide his highlight of the match.

"No," he said. "It was actually that through-ball in the first half with the outside of my right foot through the crowded defence to send Robin van Persie through on goal. Too bad he did not score."

Van Marwijk will have a full squad to select from for tomorrow's match after Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm returned to full training following a niggling knee injury.

Finland will again be without Alexei Eremenko, who was not included in the squad for their double-header having been without a club since leaving Kilmarnock at the end of last season and also suffered with a knee problem.

The Dutch will come up against a familiar foe in Finland's AZ Alkmaar defender Niklas Moisander, who said: "I've lived eight years in Holland and so the game is special."

The hosts also go into the match boosted by a goal glut last week, having hammered Moldova 4-1 with the aid of Kasper Hamalainen's double.

Treacherous conditions did not hamper them but could prove far from ideal for the slick passing with which Holland demolished San Marino.

"The grass was slippery," Moisander continued. "It rained all last week and it shows. Pieces of grass were flying out. Long studs are required.

"The performance against Moldova has given us confidence, along with the fact we are always much sharper at home. I intend to win and make it more enjoyable to come home to Alkmaar."