Key EURO 2008 Qualifying Matches Saturday, 10/13/2007 Articles | Gambling

By: Richard Bleuze

Key EURO 2008 Qualifying Matches Saturday, October 13, 2025

Italy and France will be looking for victories in European Championship qualifying matches on Saturday.  With just three matches remaining both teams trail Scotland in their qualifying group. Italy hosts Georgia and France is at the Faeroe Islands in two of Saturday's 21 matches.  Two teams will advance from Group B to next year's tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

Scotland was not expected to do so well and is a point ahead of Italy entering Saturday’s game against the Ukraine.  The problem for world powers Italy and France is that Scotland may need to stumble for both of them to advance. Every international you are involved in is crucial," Scotland defender David Weir said. "But the significance of the ones coming up can't be underestimated because of our position in the group."

Soccer Betting at SBG Global

Italy is trying to make their fifth straight appearance in the tournament.  Coach Roberto Donadoni has left off strikers Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi and Alberto Gilardino for Saturday’s game. "It's difficult to leave anyone at home," Donadoni said. "I always make my decisions on the basis of the game and the conditions of the moment." Italy is already missing Captain Fabio Cannavaro who is suspended, Gianluca Zambrotta and Marco Materazzi are injured, and Giorgio Chiellini missed Wednesday’s practice.

France is the team that is facing the biggest pressure.  Scotland and Italy have time off but France has two qualifying matches in five days. France needs to win its three remaining games to be guaranteed qualification.  They play the Faeroe Islands on Saturday and Lithuania on Wednesday. Scotland leads with 21 points, one more than Italy and two more than France. Ukraine has 13 points. "We took one point out of a possible six," France coach Raymond Domenech said. "If we don't get six against Faeroe (Islands) and Lithuania, we're dead."

Portugal is facing pressure in Group A as they trail Poland by four points and are in third place in the group. The Portuguese need six points from trips to Azerbaijan and then Kazakhstan. Poland is trying to advance to its first European Championship, but will be without midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski and defender Pawel Golanski for Saturday's game against Kazakhstan.

Teams that are in good shape are Germany who needs just one point from its last four matches to advance and England who can clinch its place with victory over Estonia on Saturday and at Russia on Wednesday. "We have put ourselves in pole position but we have said to the players and the staff 'forget Russia,"' England coach Steve McClaren said. "We have got to concentrate on Estonia."

- Receive up to 95% in Bonuses from SBG Global !

Click here to visit SBG Global.