Football Betting Previews - Author

Brazil v Spain Betting Preview
What neutral doesn’t want to see Spain take on Brazil? It is the matchup that most were expecting to happen, before a ball was kicked in anger for the 2013 edition. Spain, the current World champions get the chance to claim the only big scalp they haven’t claimed in world football in recent years, that of Brazil. Victory would give Spain their first ever Confederations Cup title, for Brazil, the hosts, they are looking for an historic third title in a row. Spain have a proven winning mentality, can Brazil snap them at the Maracana?

Brazil v Spain Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Brazil 6/4, Spain 7/4, Draw 23/10

Online bookmaker Promotion
After scoring some fantastic goals at the tournament, Barcelona-bound Neymar has been one of the stand out players. Brazil’s big hopes rest on his talented shoulders and online bookmaker Paddy Power have a Money Back Special surrounding him. If Neymar scores the last goal of the game against Spain on Sunday, the bookmaker will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last goalscorer, Correct Score and scorecast single bets placed on the match. New customers registering an account with the bookmaker can receive up to a £50 free bet as a welcome bonus.

Brazil v Spain Recommended Bet:
It is the dream final that just about all neutrals want to see, and both sides will be keen to test themselves against the other. But from the outset, the ball may just be in Brazil’s court on this one. They not only have home advantage, no injury concerns and a big support behind them, but they also will have had an extra day’s rest before playing the final. That could be a huge factor in the heat of Brazil. The young Brazilian side is heading into the right direction and in a year’s time at the 2014 World Cup, could be a major force. After watching the side stumble to a disappointing draw earlier in the year against England, Brazil have been definitely trending upward under coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Leading the young Brazil forward is Neymar, the jewel in the South American nations’ crown, but his strike partners Hulk and Fred are struggling to live up to his standards.

So Brazil could be better yet, but still, as a unit, Brazil have scored 22 goals in their last eight matches. They have scored at least twice in each of their last eight matches as well. Judging from what we have seen of them at the 2013 Confederations Cup, they are not the finished product. Their defence needs some work and they aren’t that strong in the middle of the park. Their strength is powering forward and putting opponents under pressure at the back. They attack at pace and in big numbers. Should they topple Spain in the final on Sunday then they will become the first nation ever to win the Confederations Cup three times in a row. They are currently on a streak of having won 11 of their last 12 matches in the tournament. A late winner against Uruguay booked their place in the final. With a penchant for late goals, will the advantages that they have translate into claiming a big Spanish scalp?

Spain were pushed all the way by Italy the second semi final. Italy were tactically brilliant and exposed Spain down the flanks and had some big chances. But still, on the balance in whole, no matter how hard Italy pushed, Spain didn’t look like cracking. The longer the game went on, the stronger the Spaniards look. They have to be confidence, currently riding a 29 competitive match unbeaten streak, and the biggest scalp they haven’t claimed in their era of dominance has been that of the Selecao. The Spaniards looked drained in the heat following extra time in their penalty shootout win against Italy. While Italy flexed their tactical muscle, Spain adapted brilliantly to situations thrown at them in the semi. So will Spain’s resolve and winning mentality get them the only international title they haven’t won in their history? The last time that Spain lost an international match was back at the 2010 World Cup, going down against Switzerland in their opening group fixture.

Spain are likely to have the edge in the midfield area, while Brazil’s full backs could really threaten the European nation down the flanks. Spain have the better defence (having not conceded in their last knockout matches), but Brazil have the bigger firepower.  It should be a fascinating match in a fantastic atmosphere at the Maracana. Worth backing Spain at 7/4 with online betting site Paddy Power

In the Spain v Brazil head to head, it is Brazil who hold a 4-2 lead from eight meetings. They have only met once in the last twenty three years though, that being back in 1999 with a goalless friendly. Brazil haven’t lost a competitive home match since 1975.

Stat Attack
Brazil have won four of eight previous matches against Spain (W4, d2, L2)
Spain are unbeaten in their last 29 competitive matches
Spain haven’t conceded a goal in their last eight knockout matches
Brazil have scored at least two goals in each of their last eight matches
Spain have won their last three penalty shoot outs, scoring 15 of 17 attempts

Italy v Uruguay Betting Preview
The third place play off is the the undercard to the final of the Confederations Cup itself on Sunday. This actually has the promise of being a good match on paper, however, it could ultimately suffer from the heat and the two sides having played a lot of matches. It could even lead to some personnel changes in the starting line ups. This match may struggle to get up to full speed because of the temperatures and exertions already put out, and nothing riding on the match. Only eleven places in the FIFA World Rankings separate the two sides, and it should be an evenly matched game out on the pitch.

Italy v Uruguay Betting Odds at online bookmaker Ladbrokes
Uruguay 13/8, Italy 6/4, draw 12/5

Online bookmaker Promotion
There will be more focus on the final itself of course between Brazil v Spain. Brazil’s young star Neymar has been one of the headline grabbing acts so far. If Neymar scores the first of last goal of the Fina against Spain, then online betting site Ladbrokes will refund all losing bets placed on the Correct Score, First Goalscorer and Scorecast markets. This provides great coverage at Ladbrokes who offer up to three free £10 bets as a welcome bonus.

Italy v Uruguay Recommended Bet:
The two nations will try and pick up the pieces of semi final disappointments. Overall in the 2013 Confederations Cup, Italy have produced the better quality football of the two nations playing off for third place. Not only did they push Brazil hard in their group decider, but then took World Champions Spain all the way to a penalty shoot out and they had their chances to take the win too. Coach Cesare Prandelli deserves huge credit for some brilliant tactical awareness throughout the tournament and he has gotten the best out of his squad. They have just fallen short when it has matter most, but it hasn’t been for the want of trying. They have been unlucky, hitting the woodwork seven times in the tournament, but they are an expansive side who likes to attack and they work tremendously hard in closing down opponents.

The exhausting semi final against Spain won’t have helped their cause at all, as they looked pretty much out on their feet during extra time. They left everything out on the pitch, hanging in there with Spain being the stronger finisher of the two sides. But they have their strengths, they like to get forward and they are very resilient. They are without main striker Mario Balotelli, so Stephan El Shaarawy is likely to get a start. Overall, they have been better than Uruguay during the tournament, but it is the South Americans who are favourites. The extra day of rest that Uruguay have had, could be telling in the end. Uruguay were undone by a late Brazil goal in their semi final match up. Coach Oscar Tabarez is still trying to get the best out of his side, who still haven’t been able to piece everything together tactically.

They have never really looked all that threatening, but did get Brazil on the back foot for a while in their semi final. For some reason they can’t find more goals, and they look a bit hesitant to really commit to too much going forward. The coach will now have to make a decision about keeping Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan together up front, with the production from them being pretty low. While Italy have had less rest, for Uruguay, this will be their 7th match in the last 25 days, so they have been busy. They perhaps will want this more, for nothing more than confidence. They have a bigger focus on trying to get back to Brazil next summer, their qualification still in doubt. La Celeste looked a world beating side when they claimed the 2011 Copa America, but it’s been downhill since. Following that win against Italy in November of 2011, La Celeste have won just six of nineteen matches since.

This may just all play out to nothing more than a battle of fitness, as opposed to being the great game of football that it could have been. The South Americans may just have the edge and therefore a Draw/Uruguay half time/full time bet for value of 5/1 at online betting site Ladbrokes.

In the Italy v Uruguay head to head, there have been seven previous meetings, and the tally stands at two wins apiece. This will be their first ever Confederations Cup meeting. The last time they came together was in that 2011 friendly meeting, where Italy were being punished for being wasteful in front of goal.

Stat Attack
Edinson Cavani has just six goals in his last 28 appearances for his country
Italy became the first team in 16 games to keep a clean sheet against Spain
Italy have hit the woodwork seven times in the tournament, half of the 14 in total by all teams

Brazil v Uruguay Betting Preview
The two South American neighbours clash in the semi final of the 2013 Confederations Cup on Wednesday, looking for a place in the final. Brazil have been entertaining their home fans wonderfully with some fantastic attacking play, and will probably be hoping to get to test themselves against Spain in the final. The famous gold shirts will be starting the match as favourites against Uruguay, who still haven’t quite pulled everything together as a cohesive unit. Still, after winning two of their three games, they at least are still in the fight and will go searching for a big upset.

Brazil v Uruguay Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet Victor
Brazil 4/11, Draw 7/2, Uruguay 7/1

Online bookmaker Promotion
There is some insurance to take on all Confederations Cup betting at online betting site Bet Victor. Their promotion comes in the form of a Red Card Refund. If any player is shown a red card in a Confederations Cup match, then the bookie will refund all losing Correct Score, First Goalscorer, last Goalscorer, Scorecast and Half Time/Full Time bets on that particular match up a maximum of £25. There is up to a free £25 bet available for new customers registering an account with online betting site Bet Victor, as the bookie will match the value of your first settled bet on an account.

Brazil v Uruguay Recommended Bet:
In the battle of South America, Brazil are very strong favourites. They won all three of their group matches and just seem to be going along nicely, with plenty of goals in them. They took somewhat routine wins over Japan and Mexico to open up with, even if they play did fall short of the mark sometimes. In their final group match, which happened to be a group-winning deciding match, they went up against a good Italian side. They were given a run for their money as well, because the Italians showed a lot of resilience and just wouldn’t give up. The thing is, Italy found big gaps in the middle of Brazil and they exploited them. They also found that pressing Brazil high up the pitch, forced the South Americans into giving some poor possession away. Italy were missing Andrea Pirlo too, as the Azzurri went down 4-2 in a thrilling match. Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will be happy enough with how his side look pouring forward, but not so much when it comes to solidity and holding the ball in the middle of the park.

Neymar has pretty much stolen all the show, and his strike partners Hulk and Fred really don’t look as if they contribute all that much. So there is room for improvement up top for them took. But still, Brazil had the forward power to kill the game off, and they have momentum with their three wins, and from averaging three goals per game as well Brazil. The two goals they conceded against Italy (which should have been three were it not for the crossbar) are the only goals that Julio Cesar has let past him. Uruguay however, had a slow start to the tournament, looking outclassed in their opening defeat against Spain. Then they were very scrappy in a 2-1 win over an inexperienced Nigerian side, but a routine 8-0 win over rank outsiders Tahiti was enough to put them through to the semi finals, where they will meet their northerly neighbours.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has at least fulfilled the the goal of reaching the knockout stage, albeit drawing the short straw now of having to face Brazil. Uruguay are a good tournament side, they have their way about them, even though their form over the last couple of years hasn’t been great. They rested pretty much their starting eleven against Tahiti and will hope that that has done wonders for their forward line. For a man being linked with Real Madrid and Chelsea, Edinson Cavani has looked disinterested on the big stage, but Luis Suarez has looked dangerous and Diego Forlan still has magic left in his aging legs. La Celeste will need all three to really up their games if they are going to outgun Brazil. Uruguay have been a bit disjointed for a while now and there are no guarantees that they will be back in Brazil next summer for the World Cup. However, a win over Brazil would do their confidence a whole power of good.

A thrilling derby game in prospect, but the star of the show so far has been Barcelona-bound Neymar. Given his exploits so far, could be worth running with Neymar as First Goalscorer for a price of 3/1 with BetVictor.

In the Brazil v Uruguay head to head there have been seventy previous clashes between the two. Brazil hold the head to head lead by 32-19. In those seventy matches, Brazil have netted 125 goals to 90 from Uruguay. This will be the first time they have met in the Confederations Cup. Their last coming together was in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, with Brazil winning 4-0 in Montevideo, following up a 2-1 win in Sao Paulo over their neighbours. In actual competitive tournament matches (World Cup and Copa America), everything is level at ten wins apiece and eight draws.

Spain v Italy Betting Preview
An all-European semi final to complement the first semi final of the 2013 Confederations Cup which will be between Brazil and Uruguay on Wednesday. Spain v Italy kicks off on Thursday, and it is the reigning World and European champions who are strong favourites to take this meeting after progressing to the knockouts without too many scares. However, Italy may be buoyed after their performance against Brazil, which they lost but had the host nation rattled over the ninety minutes. But their chances have been hit with the loss of the in-form Mario Balotelli to injury.

Spain v Italy Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet Victor
Spain 4/11, Draw 7/2, Italy 7/1

Online bookmaker Promotion
There is some insurance to take on all Confederations Cup betting at online betting site Bet Victor. Their promotion comes in the form of a Red Card Refund. If any player is shown a red card in a Confederations Cup match, then the bookie will refund all losing Correct Score, First Goalscorer, last Goalscorer, Scorecast and Half Time/Full Time bets on that particular match up a maximum of £25. There is up to a free £25 bet available for new customers registering an account with online betting site Bet Victor, as the bookie will match the value of your first settled bet on an account.

Spain v Italy Recommended Bet:
Can anyone stop Spain at the moment on their long unbeaten streak? Even host nation Brazil themselves may struggle against Spain if they meet in the final. Spain have gotten the job done professionally and efficiently so far in getting to the knockout stage, and you always get the feeling that there is even more to come. They opened up the 2013 Confederations Cup with a 2-1 win over Uruguay, before hitting Tahiti for ten thanks to heavy input from Fernando Torres and David Villa. That left them to face the challenge of Nigeria in their final group match, ending just a point to secure top spot. They got all three as it happened, taking a 3-0 victory. However, the African side did have some chances to get Spain rattled, but some poor finishing again hurt the Super Eagles. However, there is always an air of confidence that Spain will find a goal from somewhere, that they can find another gear if they have to.

Their next test now will come against Italy, who they beat in the final of Euro 2012 of course, convincingly too, by a 4-0 scoreline. Are we all being set up for a massive Spain v Brazil clash in the final here? Spain just have great options, plenty of depth which they can call upon, and who integrate into the side seamlessly, so that they don’t miss a bit. Fernando Torres has looked confident in front of goal for them, and actually without Xabi Alonso, they have looked a bit more dynamic and keen to get forward from the middle of the pitch as well. Their possession game is there, but they will be challenged by Italy. Just as Spain like to annoy opponents by a high pressing game, Italy do the same thing. The loss of lone striker Balotelli could be costly to them though. Especially if they can’t get Andrea Pirlo back in the middle of the pitch, because they missed the old master against Brazil.  Italy though can take a lot of heart from their performance against Brazil, because they could have tied the match up at 3-3, being stopped by the crossbar only, before the host nation killed the game off to make it 4-2.

Still, Cesare Prandelli’s men never stopped pushing and did find some control in the middle of the park as well. Are Spain better in the midfield area than Brazil though? Yes, by far, so Italy may need to adapt. Prandelli has already said that he needs his side to get more compact and that the absence of lone striker Balotelli may force a tactical change. Italy are good on the break, they can get forward at pace, but really need the precision of Pirlo, who makes a huge difference to their balance. Even with the positives that Italy have produced, if not defensively, but going forward, all betting still has to lean towards Spain at the end of the day. This is the business end of a tournament and that is usually when they get even better.

The Spain v Italy head to head is evenly split at eight wins apiece from 27 encounters. They met twice last year at Euro 2012, producing a 1-1 draw in the group stage and then the Spaniards running out 4-0 winners when they met in the final again. In actual competitive tournament matches, Italy have won three of eight meetings at the European Championships and World Cup. Half of those eight matches ended in draws though, which means that Italy have the upper hand 3-2 in tournament matches.

Spain v Nigeria Betting Preview
From the very start, Vicente del Bosque’s world champions were expected to go out and win Group B of the Confederations Cup. They are well on their way with two wins from two and a plus eleven goal difference in their favour. As for Nigeria, they go in second place on Sunday, but realistically need to pull out a win over Spain to get through. That is because they are on level points with Uruguay who are expected to run riot over Tahiti in their final match. The African representatives really have to push for a major upset here.

Spain v Nigeria Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet Victor
Spain 2/9, Draw 19/4, Nigeria 11/1

Online bookmaker Promotion
There is some insurance to take on all Confederations Cup betting at online betting site Bet Victor. Their promotion comes in the form of a Red Card Refund. If any player is shown a red card in a Confederations Cup match, then the bookie will refund all losing Correct Score, First Goalscorer, last Goalscorer, Scorecast and Half Time/Full Time bets on that particular match up a maximum of £25. Nigeria have to come out and have a go at winning this one, so it should be a high intensity match. There is up to a free £25 bet available for new customers registering an account with online betting site Bet Victor, as the bookie will match the value of your first settled bet on an account.

Spain v Nigeria Recommended Bet:
It was largely as second string Spanish side which hammered Tahiti 10-0 to follow up their opening win over Uruguay. Technically all four sides in the Group can still qualify but Spain do have that massive goal difference advantage. The only way that they are not going to get through is if they lose by four goals or more, which is just so highly unlikely. So Spain are likely to run out winners of Group A really, and keep everything as it was expected to be. Spain were excellent in their opening match against Uruguay, playing some beautifully fluent football and professionally seeing off the challenge of what could have been a tough threat from the South Americans. Spain are just going to keep the ball and knock it around, and pick their passes. The through-balls behind defences that they produce are simply sublime. It is hard for any side to match up with them, especially when they slip into their top, fluent gear. They will be calling on the services of likes of Andres Iniesta, Iker Casillas and co who they rested for the Tahiti match.

It is hard to see Spain not getting on the scoresheet here and they will probably start without David Villa and Fernando Torres who scored seven goals between them against Tahiti. Roberto Soldado, who started and scored against Uruguay will probably get the nod. It is a run of 27 international matches now for Spain without suffering a defeat. Impressive. Everything about them is. The Super Eagles had their own long unbeaten run snapped when they lost their second Confederations Cup match against Uruguay. Nigeria lost the game 2-1 despite a spirited display and that was their first ever defeat in the history of the tournament. They finished third at the 2005 Confederations Cup, losing the runner up match on a penalty shoot out against Mexico.

Nigeria really somehow need to find a way to beat the World Champions if they want their tournament to continue. They missed the boat badly against Uruguay, because the South Americans were there for the taking. The Super Eagles actually played some neat stuff, knocking the ball around with confidence against Uruguay but they lacked a final punch. So their unbeaten streak, which had lasted for over a year, has ended and now a second defeat may not be far behind. They may have to go without striker Nnamdi Odaumadi for this one as well who was injured against Uruguay. The odds really aren’t stacking up that well for the Africa Cup of Nations champions in this one. They haven’t beaten a European side since back in 2009 when they beat France in an international friendly.

Spain will be heavily backed in this one to get the job done. They have the experience and the class to make it happen. They can play at a different level and it could be worth looking at a Spain/Spain Half Time/Full Time bet for an extra bit of value at a price of 3/4 with online bookmaker Bet Victor.

Form
Spain DWWWWW, Nigeria DDWDWL

In the Spain v Nigeria head to head, there has only been one previous meeting. That actually went in favour of the African side, and was a costly defeat for Spain as it helped to get them knocked them out of the 1998 World Cup group stage.

 

Mexico v Japan Betting Preview
Well the tournament is going to be over for both of these sides at the final whistle in this one, as both are only playing for pride. Neither have managed to record a win, losing both of their respective opening matches against Italy and Brazil. It was always going to be a tough ask for either of them to get through, but with nothing riding on this, it should at least be a pretty open and entertaining match, and that could mean goals.

Mexico v Japan Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Japan 8/5, Mexico 7/4, draw 23/10

Online bookmaker Promotion
Naturally there is more focus on the Italy v Brazil meeting and online betting site Paddy Power have a great money back special running for that game. If there are more than three goals scored in the match, then the bookmaker will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast single bets placed on the match. So there is pretty good value over there for that mouth watering game. New customers registering an account with online betting site Paddy Power can get up to a free £50 bet as a welcome bonus, as they will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet.

Mexico v Japan Recommended Bet:
The Japanese won themselves a tremendous amount of plaudits after their momentous efforts against Italy in their second group. The Blue Samurai had shown flashes of quality in the final third of the pitch against Brazil in their 3-0 defeat there. Then they had the Italians on the ropes as they took a 2-0 lead, reviving their hopes of battling it out for a place in the semi finals. However, the Italians struck back to open up a three nil lead, but the Japanese wouldn’t lie down and got themselves an equaliser. However, their dreams were shattered when Italy’s Mario Balotelli scored a late winner in a thrilling 4-3 match. There are two sides to Japan at the moment, one very good, one, well, not so much.

Japan look quite a handful when they use their width and throw bodies forward. However, they are very lightweight through the centre of the pitch and in the heart of defence where they find it hard to compete physically. It is still a young side, so that is in their favour and at least there are positives there to work on. To their credit they go as favourites for this one, and it will be good confidence for them after having already qualified for the Brazil 2014 World Cup. As for Mexico, they have been a bigger disappointment. They had been tipped as many as being the dark horse for the tournament, because they came into the Confederations Cup on the back of a long unbeaten streak. Most of their 2013 unbeaten run was thanks to drawing games, and a high percentage of them being 0-0. Mexico have now won just one of their last eleven.

While Japan will be back in Brazil next summer, Mexico’s chances are still hanging by a thread, so they could use a confidence boost. They don’t look as complete of a unit as Japan do sadly, and really haven’t offered that much. There is decent enough pace in the side, but their clear problem is creating chances and then converting them. There is a lack of composure and perhaps quality in the final third of the pitch. El Tri look to be missing a bit of a spark and were very poor in their second match against Brazil where they had a lack of fight in a match which they really needed to get a result from. Worryingly for Mexico they have scored just two goals in their last six matches now and needed a spot kick to register their single one at the Confederations Cup.

If Japan get their tails up and get an early goal then they could knock the stuffing out of the Central Americans and walk away with their heads held high. Just worth backing Japan outright on this one at 8/5 with online betting site Paddy Power.

Form
Japan LLDWLL, Mexico DWDDLL

In the Japan v Mexico head to head there have only been four previous meetings between them and it stands 3-1 in favour of the Central Americans. They have met once before in the Confederations Cup, Mexico winning 2-1 in a 2005 meeting. The other three meetings were international friendly matches,  with Japan only managing to win once, the first ever meeting between the two nations.

Italy v Brazil Betting Preview
Although both sides have already booked their passage through to the semi finals of the 2013 Confederations Cup, there is still importance on this game. While this is a scrap for top spot in Group A, there is a big prize attached to that. The winner will likely avoid having to play Spain in the semi finals, and therefore chances of reaching the final for these two will be increased. Both Brazil and Italy have won their opening group matches heading to Salvador to face off. Can Italy get the win they need against the host nation?

Italy v Brazil Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Brazil 8/13, Draw 14/5, Italy 9/2

Online bookmaker Promotion
There is the promise of goals in this one, with both sides looking pretty dangerous going forward, so it’ll be worth looking at online betting site Paddy Power and their Brazil v Italy Money Back Special. If there are more than 3 goals scored in this match, then the bookie will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast single bets placed on the game! There is up to a free £25 bet available for new customers registering an account with Paddy Power, as the bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account.

Italy v Brazil Recommended Bet:
There has been some brilliant play from Neymar, who has been something of an inspirational figure up front for the host nation. After a goal drought for his country, he has come to life and scored a spectacular goal against both Japan and Mexico. The new Barcelona man is certainly a match winner and while Brazil have looked pretty good, and have answered many questions raised about them because of dodgy form heading into the tournament, they haven’t looked real world beaters yet. There is a problem in midfield for them, where they could be exposed at some point. Still, they opened with a 3-0 win over Japan and followed it up with a 2-0 win over Mexico, with late goals in both games inflating the score lines. There has to be positives from the fact that Julio Cesar hasn’t had anything to do between the sticks so far. So perhaps Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men are on the right track, and they are enjoying things in front of their own fans.

Brazil are holding top spot in Group A thanks to their defence and holding a superior goal difference over Italy. It means they can hold on for a draw to get through, whereas Italy have to come out and get a win in order to finish top of the group. This should be a pretty open game because of that and the Italians are capable of pulling off a result here. The Azzurri were very well controlled in their opening win over Mexico and they responded well when on the ropes against Japan. Italy found themselves 2-0 down against the Japanese, before fighting back to take the lead at 3-2. After Japan had tied things up at 3-3 Italy looked as if they had missed their chance, before they were rescued by Mario Balotelli, who has looked excellent up front for the Europeans.

Cesare Prandelli’s men have a very good style about them and there is no reason why they couldn’t match up well against Brazil. Like the Brazilians, Italy are heading in the right direction and this is a great decider that is fitting for their final match of the Group. Italy have a good game plan, and like to press opposition high up the pitch and the Brazilians won’t be used to being put under intense pressure. Italy are also quick on the break like Brazil are too. The South Americans perhaps have the individual flair but that is balanced out by Italy’s superb team ethic. It could be a classic. Good value in the Anytime Goalscorer market with Neymar at Evens and Balotelli at 2/1 with online betting site Paddy Power

Form
Italy WWDDWW, Brazil WDDWWW

The Italy v Brazil head to head makes for some very interesting reading, because gap between them is pretty narrow. There have been fifteen meetings between the two nations before, and Brazil just have the ascendancy 7-5. In those fifteen matches, Brazil have scored 26 goals to Italy’s 21. They have met in the Confederations Cup before, Italy losing 3-0 in a disastrous tournament four years ago. They have already played this year, drawing 2-2 in Geneva and it was a great comeback by Italy after being 2-0 down at half time.

 

Brazil v Mexico Betting Preview
The foundations have been laid for Brazil to produce something special in this tournament. They got themselves off to a comfortable start with a 3-0 win over Japan and now they have another big chance to impress and secure a spot in the semi finals. It is a different story for Mexico who opened their account with a defeat against Italy. So they have to try and dig deep and find a result from somewhere. If they look at history though, they can take some confidence into the match. In Confederations Cup meetings, the Central Americans hold an advantage.

Brazil v Mexico Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Brazil 4/11, Draw 15/4, Mexico 7/1

Online bookmaker Promotion
There is a special Money Back promotion running for the Brazil v Mexico match at the Confederations Cup on Wednesday, specific just for this game from online bookmaker Paddy Power. He scored a stunning goal in their opening match and if Brazilian striker Neymar scores the last goal in this match, then the bookie will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct score and single bets on the match. Great coverage from online bookmaker Paddy Power who offer up to a free £50 bet as a welcome bonus for new customers. New accounts can will get a bonus matched to the value of the first stake placed.

Brazil v Mexico Recommended Bet:
There was a comfortable win for the reigning champions in their opening match, beating Japan 3-0. It was a brilliant strike by Neymar who set the South Americans on their way and helped to settle all nerves after just three minutes. It was in the third minute of the second half and the third minute of stoppage time that Brazil converted further goals. While there were passage of play that were devastating going forward with their attackers, they did look a bit flat in the middle of the park. There may be a missing link in the centre of the pitch from them, and they lost their way in the second half a bit. Their array of forward talent may get them far enough, perhaps until they really come up against stiff opposition. Confidence is a big factor of course and after some less than ideal form this year, they will have been happy with that opening win. Now they have to build upon it.

The win over Japan gave Brazil back to back wins, after they have triumphed over France 3-0 as well in a pre-tournament warm up match and are now unbeaten in seven. So maybe Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men are trending  upwards. This is a massively important competition for them, as it is the only competitive action that they are going to get ahead of hosting next summer’s World Cup. Will the fluid, confident Brazil show up against Mexico? The Mexicans have to come out and have a go at this one, following defeat in their opening match against Italy. They only managed to get on the scoresheet from the penalty spot and finding the back of the net has been a problem for them during 2013. That looks as if it could continue for El Tri through the Confederations Cup. There is decent pace in the side, and they actually have potential to be a dark horse, but may not live up to that until they start converting. While they go as underdogs for this match, just for a twist, when the two sides met last June, Mexico pulled off a famous 2-0 win in a friendly.

Mexico do have the edge over Brazil in previous Confederations Cup meetings. However, going based off what was seen in their opening games, Brazil should have far more of an edge going forward. The best chance for Mexico is to go heavy in the midfield where Brazil are a little weak, and hit the Brazilians on the break, they could be in with a chance. But at best, a Draw/Brazil Half Time/Full Time bet is decent at odds of 3/1 with online bookmaker Paddy Power.

In the Brazil v Mexico head to head, the South Americans lead the way over the Central Americans. In 37 previous meetings, Brazil have taken 21 wins to 10 from Mexico. The goal count stands at 69 goals for Brazil and 36 to Mexico in those meetings. This will be the fourth match in the Confederations Cup between them, and Mexico have won two of the three surprisingly. They also won the most recent meeting, that friendly last summer in Arlington, Texas. Is there a surprise on the cards here? No side has beaten Brazil more times since 2000 than Mexico have,  winning six of the last eleven meetings.

Form
Brazil WDDWW, Mexico DWDDDL

Italy v Japan Betting Preview
After securing an opening victory against Mexico, Italy look well on track to book their progress through to the semi finals of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. They seem to be in a very good mood and look a very competent side on the pitch. Their second challenge will vary vastly from their first, as they may have to grind down an industrious Japan side. The Blue Samurai fell to Brazil in their opening match and need to try and register something here in order to keep their own hopes of moving on, alive.

Italy v Japan Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet365
Italy 4/6, Draw 13/5, Japan 9/2

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Italy v Japan Recommended Bet:
Going based on what the Italians produced in their opening match against Mexico, the European nation will be favourite to get through this. It was a beautifully executed free kick from Andrea Pirlo which opened the scoring, and after conceding an equalising penalty, former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli secured the win. That was an important three points and they should be able to build on it to mount a challenge on Brazil to win the group. The Italians are only at the tournament courtesy of Spain being European and World Champions, and their own finish as runners up at Euro 2012. Winning the group is massively important as it will likely mean avoiding Spain in the semi’s.

Italian coach Cesare Prandelli has made the Italians into a very dynamic, exciting unit. They press high up the pitch and don’t give opponents much time, and they have a terrific blend of youth and experience. Mario Balotelli is in fine form up front and the old master of Pirlo sitting deep in midfield making the whole Azzurri machine tick, is wonderful to watch. They really have all the tools to pull of a big surprise in this tournament. They really need to capitalise here on the quality which they produced in a quite open game against Mexico, to take out the Japanese. The Asian nation worked very hard during their opening match against Brazil. They had their flourishes, they produced some technical, good stuff in the final third of the pitch, but overall they still lacked a certain amount of bite.

They may not have enough goals in them to really challenge here, but they hussle and they harry well. The form of the Blue Samurai wasn’t great coming into the tournament and it is not often they go up against such high quality opposition. Just before heading to Brazil, they actually became the first side to quality for the 2014 World Cup, so they can use this as a big experience for next summer. There is still a lot of work needed to pull them up to really be able to compete, against the likes of Brazil and Italy. The Italians should have the class and composure to dictate this game and take their chances. Japan may be quite resilient in being broken down, but they should crumble.

An Italy/Italy Half Time/Full Time bet for a price of 5/4 looks a decent enough value to warrant a wager at online bookmaker Bet365.

The two nations have only met once before in the Head to Head stats. That meeting was all the way back in 2001, out in Saitama, Japan for an international friendly. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Form
Italy DWWDDW, Japan WLLDWL

Nigeria v Uruguay Betting Preview
Things are far from being settled in what should be the race for second place behind Spain in Group B of the 2013 Confederations Cup. Uruguay suffered an opening defeat at the hands of the Spaniards while Nigeria had a comfortable opening against the amateurs of Tahiti. Both still need to produce a win in order to keep themselves in the hunt for a place in the semi finals. Will it be the experience of Uruguay or the youth of Nigeria who wins out?

Nigeria v Uruguay Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet Victor
Uruguay 8/11, Draw 13/5, Nigeria 18/5

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Nigeria v Uruguay Recommended Bet:
Even though they went out and scored a half dozen goals, it is hard to really put a definitive note on Nigeria’s chances here. They have only sent out what is nothing more really than a youth side to the tournament, and while that was enough to earn them a 6-1 win over Tahiti, it wasn’t a test for their chances against better opposition. Truthfully they could have scored a lot more goals against Tahiti if they had been sharper, and naturally the level of opposition gets a lot harder from here on out. After they square up against Uruguay, they then have to face one of the tournament favourites Spain. So this really could be the crucial match for them. If they beat Uruguay, then they will propel themselves forward to the semi final. A loss and they could be staring at an exit. Again, nothing to gauge them on at all from their opening match.

So while they racked up a confident start, the young Nigerian side will really be tested here. This is the first we will really see of their level. Uruguay are still being fancied by many to be the dark horse of the tournament. They are a vastly experienced side and know what tournament football is all about. They won’t be hitting the panic button yet, knowing that a win here will keep them in the hunt for qualification, with only Tahiti to follow. But the form of the South Americans have not been brilliant and they are struggling just to nail down their identity at the moment. They are more adventurous than they were in winning the Copa America back in 2011, but not anywhere near as consistent or cohesive. There has been a lot of tinkering with tactics to try and get the best out of their current squad, but it isn’t quite there at the moment.

The Uruguay side haven’t been helped by their youth not stepping up and performing, so the mantle of the experience in the side isn’t being passed on well. Still, they have immense firepower in Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani to call upon. Liverpool striker Suarez scored a beautiful free kick against Spain, it being nothing more than a consolation goal in the 88th minute in a 2-1 defeat. The scoreline didn’t reflect the big gap in quality between the two sides, Uruguay struggling to get the ball off Spain all match. La Celeste still have potential, and they should have more than enough to gun down the inexperienced Super Eagles. If Uruguay click at some point tactically, they may yet prove to be the dangerous dark horses.

It looks as if it should be a win for the South Americans and will be worth going for either Luis Suarez or Edinson Cavani as First Goalscorer for around the 4/1 mark with online betting site Bet Victor.

This will be the first ever meeting between the two nations.

Form
Nigeria WDDWDW, Uruguay LDLWWL