Spain? Or England? Which team should I support? Which team shall win this almost evenly-matched game?
Now, lets ponder over which team I should support. Steven Gerrard's hometown or Fernando Torres' country? Gerrard is out as a result of a hamstring injury, while Torres is fit. Thus, I might support Spain a tiny bit more.
The second question is more intriguing and controversial. Which team will win this match? Or will it be a draw? Both teams' recent results are shocking; England have only lost one match under Fabio Capello, and that is nearly a year ago. This includes some outstanding performances such as 5-1 Kazakhstan, 4-1 agianst World Cup qualifiers rivals Crotia, 1-0 Germany, etc. Spain has not lost a match for 27 consecutive matches. Star striker Torres has recovered, boosting their morale greatly. Let's take a look at the statistics of the match below.
Stats:
Expected line-ups :
Spain : Cassilas, Capdevilla, Marchena, Alboil, Ramos, Silva, Xavi, Senna, Iniesta, Torres, Villa
England : James, Johnson, Ferdinand, Terry, A.Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Barry, Downing, Heskey, Agbonlahor
Injured : Puyol, Fabregas (both Spain), Gerrard, Rooney, A.Young (all England)
Suspended : None
England would have to do without key players like Gerrard and Rooney. They were replaced by youngsters Downing and Agbonlahor. Veteran Heskey is declared fit for the match. There is also a topic which many people are concerned, will David Beckham be able to play in this match to pick up his 108th cap and equal Bobby Moore's record for an outfield player? Fabio Capello confirms this, and added that the former Three Lions skipper is in the England squad on merit, not out of sympathy for him. On the other hand, Spain would feel the absence of Puyol and Fabregas on the pitch. Other than that, the squad is similar to the one that won the European Cup last June.
Previous 3 results :
England : (A)3-1 Belarus, (H)5-1 Kazakhastan, (H)4-1 Crotia
Spain : (A)2-2 Brazil, (H)3-2 Italy, (A)2-1 Belgium
My prediction : A draw! Or maybe a slight victory to Spain!
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