Sports Blog 12/10/2015: UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifier Preview – Lithuania vs England, Monday 12th October 2015

It might be a worthless game for both sides, but England will be looking to maintain the sole unbeaten run in Euro 2016 qualifying when they travel to Lithuania at 7.45pm on ITV.

Victory in Vilnius will see England collect 30 points from 30, the only team to manage that feat in this qualifying campaign, with the best goal difference out of the 53 competing teams, with 28 scored and 3 conceded, to protect as well. Of course, this must be put in the context of the group they found themselves in; arguably no member of the ostensible European footballing elite faced an easier set of teams than Roy Hodgson’s men.



Even their home countries peers had a rougher ride than England. Switzerland, Slovenia, San Marino, Lithuania and Estonia are hardly the teams footballing nightmares are made off, especially when compared to the double B toughness of Wales’ Belgian and Bosnian sandwich, the tricky Romanian, Hungarian and Finnish sides faced by Northern Ireland, or, in the starkest contrast, the Bayern Munich-filled bombast of Germany and Poland that Scotland and the Republic of Ireland had to endure.

Though perhaps to belittle England’s achievement is a tad unfair; their 2-0 win over Estonia may have been dull, but it was their 7th clean sheet in 9 qualifying games, with bright performances from Theo Walcott (at a Super Mega PGM spread of 28-33 after scoring his 3rd England goal in 2 games) and Man of the Match Ross Barkley. Harry Kane couldn’t manage a 4th international goal on Saturday, but should get another shot on Monday with Wayne Rooney still absent, going into the game at a Super Mega PGM of 38-44.

And what of Lithuania? Well, a 1-1 draw against Slovenia at the weekend suggests that they won’t just roll over when England rock up to the LFF Stadium, even if the Rinktine have nothing left to play for but pride. However, if their last game against England is anything to go by they mightn’t have much to look forward to, losing 4-0 when they visited Wembley back in March. And with a meagre 7 goals to their name in qualifying, with Arvydas Novikovas (at a Super Mega PGM spread of 4-7) and Fiodor Cernych (at 18/1 to score first) the closest thing Lithuania have to a pair of prolific scorers with 2 goals apiece, first-time England captain Phil Jagielka is unlikely to have anything to worry about at the back.

If it wasn’t obvious by now, Roy Hodgson’s side should manage to keep their winning streak intact, with our Spreadex traders offering an England/Lithuania (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 1.3-1.5 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.4-2.6.