Olivier Giroud bags a brace as France sweeps aside Scotland. Mario Mandzukic and Nikola Kalinic both net three times as Croatia demolish San Marino, whilst Thomas Muller is in the goals as Germany ease past Hungary.
France 3 Scotland 0
Olivier Giroud took his tally to seven goals in as many internationals with a double in France’s 3-0 home win over Scotland last night.
Priced at 8.5 in the Uefa game, the Arsenal forward looks poised to nail down the lone striker role for Didier Deschamps’ side and, with 7% ownership, remains a relative differential amongst Les Bleus’ attack, given that Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba sit in 36% and 44% of sides respectively.
Both Pogba and fellow central midfielder Blaise Matuidi produced four attempts on goal and three key passes apiece despite failing to play a part in any of the three strikes – priced at a mere 7.0, the latter is second only to Giroud for goals scored (four) over the hosts’ last ten friendlies.
On the flanks, though, the situation is a little unclear for those looking to invest in an attack that have now scored at least twice in eight of their last nine matches. After being named in the first XI against Cameroon last time out, Dimitri Payet and Kingsley Coman retained their starts before being replaced by Anthony Martial and Griezmann at the break. Whilst the latter is expected to reclaim the right wing role, Payet and Martial – owned by 24% and 12% of Uefa managers – looks a tighter call on the opposite ide of the pitch. Post-match, Deschamps revealed he has a good idea of who will start in the opener against Albania on Friday but was tight-lipped when it came to naming names.
In defence, the 6.0-priced trio Laurent Koscielny found the net, whilst Patrice Evra and Bacary Sagna picked up an assist apiece, but it was the continued inclusion of Adil Rami that caught Fantasy managers’ eyes. Priced at 5.0 in Uefa, he has started each of the last two matches and seems to have edged ahead of Eliaquim Mangala for a central defensive berth in the absence of the injured Raphael Varane.
France XI:Lloris; Sagna, Koscielny, Rami, Evra (Digne 83); Matuidi (Cabaye 69), Kante (Sissoko 88), Pogba; Coman (Griezmann 46), Giroud (Gignac 63), Payet (Martial 46)
Croatia 10 San Marino 0
Mario Mandzukic and Nikola Kalinic both earned hat-tricks as Croatia extended their unbeaten run to seven matches with a 10-0 demolition of San Marino last night.
Mandzukic fired six attempts on goal before being replaced by his fellow forward Kalinic on 56 minutes and looks nailed-on regardless of formation. Last night’s 4-2-3-1 set-up was the third successive match that Croatia have used a lone striker formation, though, which suggests that Kalinic, at a cheaper price in Uefa at 6.5 to 8.0, will have to settle for a place on the bench when the tournament gets underway.
In midfield, the 7.5-priced pair Ivan Perisic and Ivan Rakitic bagged a goal apiece. Perisic also chipped in with a trio of assists and registered five shots on goal and as many key passes – he’s owned by only 4% of Uefa managers compared to Rakitic’s 10%. Marko Pjaca grabbed a goal and assist from his role on the right but is listed as a forward in Uefa, whilst Luka Modric – the most popular Croatia player with 21% ownership – failed to play a part in any of his side’s six first-half strikes before making way at the break.
At the back, Darijo Srna showed just why he’s priced at 6.0 by serving up a goal and three assists, with his raids down the right creating chances aplenty. The versatile Domagoj Vida (5.0) earned an assist and looks equally secure in terms of minutes, whilst Ivan Strinic (4.0) has now started each of the last two at left-back after Vida was moved into the middle.
Croatia XI:Subasic; Srna (Vrsaljko 56), Vida, Schildenfeld, Strinic; Modric (Kovacic 46), Badelj (Rog 76); Pjaca (Conc 75), Rakitic (Kramaric 55), Perisic; Mandzukic (Kalinic 56)
Germany 2 Hungary 0
Germany bounced back from last week’s home loss to Slovakia with a 2-0 win over fellow Euro 2016 qualifiers Hungary.
Having taken a first-half lead due to an own goal from Adam Lang, Joachim Lowe’s side doubled their advantage just after the hour-mark thanks to Thomas Muller. Handed a role on the right as Lowe opted for Mario Gotze as a “false nine”, Muller – who netted nine times in qualifying – is the second most popular forward in the Uefa game with 33% ownership and approaches the opener with Ukraine in fine form.
Elsewhere in attack, the 8.0-priced Mario Gomez earned further minutes last night. The Fiorentina man, who scored on his return to the first XI against Slovakia last time out – came on after the break to lead the line as Gotze dropped into an attacking midfield berth. Lowe also handed Julian Draxler the left flank role – that’s a third straight start for the Wolfsburg wide man, who sets you back just 6.5 in the Uefa game.
In defence, Antonio Rudiger – at just 4.5 – has started each of the last five matches, whilst Lowe has food for thought in the right-back berth after his decision to bring Benedikt Howedes in from the cold earned Germany a first clean sheet in nine attempts.
Hungary, meanwhile, have scored just once in the three matches since securing a spot in the tournament via a play-off win over Norway.
Whilst talisman Balazs Dzsudzsak was restricted to just a single attempt on goal, fellow midfielder Laslo Kleinheisler fired four attempts for the visitors. Priced at a mere 5.0 in Uefa, he’s started each of the last five fixtures and netted in the first-leg play-off win against the Norwegians.
At the back, a run of two clean sheets in nine is hardly convincing, though – last night’s own goal aside – Adam Lang offers a secure option at a cost of 4.5 after starting four successive matches. Intriguingly, his fellow defender Adam Pinter – priced at 4.0 – has been selected in the centre of the park in the previous couple of friendlies.
Germany XI:Neuer: Howedes, Boateng, Rudiger, Hector (Can 46); Kroos (Schweinsteiger 68), Khedira (Gomez 46); Muller (Sane 69), Ozil, Draxler (Schurrle 60); Gotze (Podolski 79)
HungaryXI:Kiraly; Fiola (Bese 82), Guzmics, Lang, Kadar; Nagy; Dzsudzsak, Pinter (Gera 59), Kleinheisler (Stieber 82), Lovrencsics; Szalai (Priskin 64)
Austria 0 Holland 2
Austria failed to find the net for the first time in 25 matches as they went down 2-0 at home to Holland in Vienna.
Skipper David Alaba (7.0) was most culpable for the hosts. Despite being stationed in the double-pivot in a 4-2-3-1, the Bayern man fired four attempts on goal, double the number of any team-mate, and also created a couple of chances. Despite that blank, then, his 13% of Uefa owners will be buoyed by the underlying numbers.
In terms of cut-price defenders, Martin Hinteregger (at 4.5 in Uefa) was only afforded a sub role last night after starting each of the two previous friendlies. Given that last night’s result means that Austria have just one clean sheet in eight heading into their opener with Hungary, though, few will be prepared to take a punt.
Austria XI:Almer; Klein, Dragovic, Prodl (Hinteregger 79), Fuchs; Baumgartlinger (Ilsanker 90), Alaba; Sabitzer (Schopf 82), Junuzovic (Harnik 68), Arnautovic (Jantshcer 81); Janko (Hinterseer 68)
Slovakia 0 Northern Ireland 0
Both Slovakia and Northern Ireland extended their unbeaten runs to eight and 12 matches respectively with a goalless draw in Trnava last night.
The hosts dominated proceedings and fired 17 attempts to the visitors’ four, with Vladimir Weiss the main threat. Priced at 6.5 in Uefa, the left winger produced six efforts to suggest he could better value for money than Marek Hamsik (7.5), who mustered a couple of efforts by comparison. Weiss is owned by just 1% of sides heading into next Saturday’s clash with Wales.
In defence, Jan Durica (4.5) has now started back-to-back clashes in the heart of the back four, though keeper Matus Kozacik is similarly priced and looks far more secure between the sticks. Dusan Svento produced more key passes than any team-mate from his role at left-back but, frustratingly, is classified as a midfielder in Uefa.
Michael O’Neill’s side have now conceded just once in their last five matches heading into their opener with Poland.
The Ireland boss operated with a 3-5-2 formation, which saw the likes of Paddy McNair, Chris Baird and Craig Cathcart – all priced at 4.5 in Uefa – selected once again to highlight the budget-friendly options on offer. Utilised as a right wing-back, McNair has now started each of the last four and his versatility looks key to O’Neill’s plans, given that he has also trialled a four-man defence over those fixtures.
Both Cathcart and top scorer Kyle Lafferty were forced off with knocks last night, though O’Neill confirmed post-match that both are fine and available for selection.
Slovakia XI:Kozacik; Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Svento; Kucka (Nemec 84), Hrosovsky; Mak (Stoch 65),Hamsik, Weiss; Duris (Duda 65)
Northern Ireland XI:McGovern; Cathcart (Hughes 30), McAuley, J Evans; McNair (McLaughlin 90), Norwood (C Evans 84), Baird, Davis, Ferguson; Lafferty (Washington 55), Ward (Magennis 46)
