France and Italy square off in World Cup rematch

Soccer Betting Lines

09/07/2007 - Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top two teams in Group B get together at the San Siro on Saturday as France visits Italy in a rematch of the 2006 World Cup final.

Zinedine Zidane, the most famous figure from last summer's encounter, will not be there to bury his head into the chest of an Italian defender because he is enjoying his retirement from international soccer. The person on the receiving end of that blow, Italy's Marco Materazzi, will also be a spectator while he is battling an injury.

The two teams are separated by just two points through seven games, but with Scotland and Ukraine not far behind, a loss for either team would put hopes of qualifying for Austria and Switzerland in doubt.

The French hold a two-point edge and also took the first meeting between the two sides in this competition, 3-1. A loss for Italy would likely drop them below Scotland and leave the defending World Cup champs in third.

If France drops the contest they will still be a position to qualify, but will have missed a chance to cushion their lead.

Italy brings experienced players like Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi, Fabio Cannavaro and Gennaro Gattuso. Those five are all expected to start and played big roles in the club's World Cup title last summer.

Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni's inclusion into the lineup is still a question after Toni missed his club's last Bundesliga contest and continues to battle an injury.

France manager Raymond Domenech also has a big injury issue of his own with midfielder Patrick Vieira. The Inter Milan man has not yet played a game for his club since injuring a thigh muscle while playing for France last month.

Two players that will be included in the French side are midfielder Franck Ribery and striker David Trezeguet. Both players have gotten off to flying starts for their clubs, with Ribery making quite an impression with his new Bayern teammates because of his playmaking ability in the midfield, and Trezeguet leading Serie A with four goals through two games for Juventus.

If both players can continue their brilliant form, France may be able to steal a point in Italy, but the Italians are the more desperate side and will accept nothing short of a win.

In Group B's other contests on Saturday, Ukraine and Scotland both have a great chance to pick up three points and stay in contention at the top. Ukraine visits Georgia while the Scots play fifth-place side Lithuania.

The other big game of the day takes place in Group E, with England facing a crucial contest at home against Israel.

England is currently fourth in the group, three points behind both Croatia and Israel and a point back of Russia. The Israelis have played one more game, so three points on Saturday would shift things quite a bit in the group. The Three Lions have an equally big match against Russia on Wednesday, so this week will go a long way in determining whether or not Steve McClaren's side makes the trip to Austria and Switzerland next summer.

England is facing a number of injury issues with David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and most likely Owen Hargreaves out with injury.

Midfielder Steven Gerrard is expected to play despite a broken toe, and McClaren also has to deal with an uncertain situation in goal given the recent struggles of first-team keeper Paul Robinson. It would not be a shock to see McClaren turn to David James, who has not made a start for England since May 2005.

These two teams played to a 0-0 draw in Tel Aviv in March, and a similar result would suit Israel just fine.

Expect Israel to once again play a defensive formation and look to counter attack, while England will have to press for goals with a win being so important.

This should be a low scoring affair with Israel playing defense first soccer, and England often struggling to find the net. The pressure is squarely on McClaren to deliver a big win, but with so many injury problems, he will have to hope for other players to emerge.

The other two games in the group on Saturday feature leaders Croatia hosting Estonia, and Russia entertaining Macedonia. Both Croatia and Russia figure to come away with three points, making the England and Israel game even that much more important.

Group A is set for a shake-up at the top with the top four teams in the group playing each other. Leaders Poland travel to Portugal, where they will look to extend their lead on the home side. Portugal is four points back after a poor 1-1 draw at Armenia last time out. Poland has played one more game, however, so a Portugal win would put them right back in position to grab a spot. Finland is just two points behind Poland and also faces a stiff road test against Serbia. The Serbs are in fourth place but once again have played on less game and could change things around with a win. Armenia and Azerbaijan make up the third game in the group.

Group C leaders Greece do not play on Saturday, but the three team in second place, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey and Norway are all in action. The Greeks hold a five-point edge on the other three teams, but that lead should shrink after Saturday, with the other three expecting to bring home wins. The trio will all be on the road, but Bosnia-Herzegovina will meet Hungary, Norway plays Moldova and Turkey takes on Malta.

Germany has taken hold of Group D and will try to keep that advantage on Saturday with a trip to Wales. The Czech Republic and Ireland are in a battle for second place, with the Czechs holding a one-point lead. The Czechs play last-place San Marino and should get an easy win, while Ireland travels to Slovakia for a much more difficult match. These two will play on Wednesday, but it is important for both to take care of business on Saturday.

Group F features a big contest between Sweden and Denmark on Saturday. The Swedes currently hold the top spot ahead of Northern Ireland and Spain, and could put themselves in great shape with a win over the Danes. Denmark is six points behind second-place Northern Ireland but has played one less game. A win is critical for Denmark against Sweden but it will not come easy away from home. Northern Ireland will be expecting three points against Latvia, and Spain visits Iceland with a win in mind as well.

It has become a three-team race in Group G with Romania, Bulgaria and the Netherlands separated by only three points. Romania holds a two-point lead over Bulgaria, and is hoping to extend that advantage with a trip to Belarus. Bulgaria and the Netherlands square off in Holland, meanwhile in an important contest for both sides. The Dutch have played one less game than Bulgaria, and trail by only one point. A win would put the Netherlands in a position to leave Bulgaria behind, so a win is huge for the visitors. Slovenia and Luxembourg round out Saturday's contests in the group.