Football Betting: France v England

England's record in international friendlies is about as reliable as a sworn statement by Paul Burrell but at 2.8 with Canbet the Three Lions are well-priced to humble injury-ravaged France. When it comes to international friendly matches involving England it is always best to move with the utmost caution. Under Sven-Goran Eriksson such matches were essentially a pointless 45-minute kick-around for the first-team, followed by a token run-out for players who would never get the chance in matches of any real importance. Invariably England lost. It could be argued that Steve McClaren's England took friendlies slightly more seriously than his predecessor, but the results weren't any better. Under Fabio Capello, however, a wind of change has swept into the England set-up. What's more it's a chilling, northerly gust, sure to strike fear into even the most confident of seasoned England pros. Capello has a reputation for being a strict disciplinarian. As he showed when dropping David Beckham for the Switzerland match; he does not suffer fools lightly. Moreover, he is a very proud man whose determination to win at all costs has made him one of the most successful club coaches in recent times. Ahead of the France match there is no question that he will be impressing upon his charges that they are playing for their international futures. England played well against Switzerland and Capello will expect more of the same in Paris, where his cause will be helped by a number of missing key players among the opposition. Karim Benzema, Thierry Henry, Louis Saha, Bacary Sagna, Mathieu Valbuena, Sébastien Frey and Patrick Vieira are all out injured for Les Bleus, making this as good a time as any for England to follow in the footsteps of their rugby counterparts by humbling the French in their own back yard, the same stadium even. It's not yet certain which players Capello will field, but Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole and Wayne Rooney are all playing well for their respective clubs, while France coach Raymond Domenech will be forced to plump for unfamiliar names. It is a real shame for Les Bleus that they cannot call upon Frey, who has probably been Serie A's best goalkeeper this season, and without the in-form Benzema, their cutting edge will be considerably less sharp than usual. This promises to be a fascinating encounter and if you can grab the best odds of 21/10 out in the betting village, England have an excellent chance of success. Verdict: 1pt England @ 2.8 (Canbet)