Wales drifted to 3.02/1 to win their World Cup 2022 qualifying play-off against Austria on Thursday amid doubts about the fitness of talisman Gareth Bale.
The 32-year-old missed Real Madrid’s defeat to Barcelona on Sunday because, according to Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, Bale felt unwell.
He joined the Wales camp and they are hopeful he will play on Thursday as Wales bid to make it past Austria and reach a qualifying final against the winner of Scotland v Ukraine.
That fixture has been postponed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and is now scheduled for June, with the play-off final to follow in the same month.
The odds indicate that Thursday’s match in Cardiff is tough to call, with Austria the marginal favourites at 2.8415/8 and the draw 3.185/40 on the Exchange.
Mancini’s men can take no chances
Thursday is a massive night for six other counties, including some giants of European football.
Euro 2020 winners Italy find themselves forced into the play-offs after a disappointing group qualifying campaign.
They are 1.21/5 to beat North Macedonia 20.019/1 but the Azzurri should take nothing for granted as they try to reach Qatar.
Portugal are odds-on to beat Turkey 9.417/2 but Cristiano Ronaldo and co. showed in their crucial qualifying clash with Serbia, which the Portuguese lost after taking the lead, that they are capable of getting themselves into trouble.
The way the Portuguese superstar has laboured for Manchester United this season, you would be unwise to write off Turkey.
Sweden v Czech Republic is another finely-poised tie with the hosts 2.111/10 the visitors 4.3100/30. The draw is 3.3512/5.
The Swedes lost back-to-back group games against Georgia and Spain before securing their place in the play-offs.
The Czechs finished a point behind Wales in their group but showed at Euro 2020 that they have a talented squad, although they will be without the injured Patrick Schick.
The winner of this match will visit Poland in the play-off final after Robert Lewandowski and his teammates were given a bye to the next round when Russia were kicked out of the competition.
We’ll have previews and tips for all four of Thursday’s qualifiers as well as the international friendlies – including England v Switzerland – taking place across the weekend.
