World Cup Group H betting preview

Spain coach Luis Aragones has gone on record as saying that it's time for the excuses to stop, and for his side to produce the goods at the 2006 World Cup Finals, for which they are quite rightly long odds-on to win Group H. La selección are perennial under-achievers in international tournaments - they've not lifted a major trophy since winning the 1964 UEFA European Championship - which is surprising given the strength of their league and the quality of their players. Indeed, it's rather frustrating because the Iberians have the ability to go all the way in this competition but they have been beset by inconsistency and a bit of neglect from Lady Luck - they reached the final sixteen in the USA in 1994 and Korea/Japan in 2002, exiting on penalties on the latter occasion. As it stands, Spain's best World Cup finish a fourth-place in the 1950 renewal, held in Brazil. What Spain need most is for their experienced stars, such as skipper Raul, to stand up and be counted. The Golden Boy of Spanish football, who plies his trade with Real Madrid, has indicated that he is going into this tournament in better shape than he has been in ahead of any other such competition, despite missing three months of action in La Liga after incurring a serious knee injury in a match against Barcelona last November. This news will have buoyed the Spaniards. Raul and Torres are the likely first-choice combination in attack, the duo having contributed ten of Spain's twenty five goals scored during qualification. Fernando Morientes has been left out of the squad following an indifferent season with Liverpool, but David Villa and Arsenal's Jose Antonio Reyes add strength to the attacking ranks. A glance through the Spanish squad, which features world class players throughout every area of the park, makes it hard to envisage them faltering in this group, despite Ukraine being obvious dangers. Coach Oleg Blokhin's men were the first Europeans after the hosts Germany to qualify for the Finals, and they did so in impressive fashion, with their three-pronged attack, made up of Andriy Shevchenko, Andriy Vorobey and Andrey Voronin, causing havoc amongst rival defences. The star turn in the Eastern European side's quarters is, without a shadow of a doubt, 2004 European Footballer of the Year Shevchenko, whom the Ukranian's will look to for leadership given his top-flight experience gained with AC Milan. Ukraine, formed after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent founding of the Football Federation of Ukraine, first entered a preliminary stage for a World Cup back in 1996, but failed to qualify for France 1998 and Korea/Japan in 2002, so this is their first foray into this competition. They are a progressive side and warrant respect, but they face a stiff task against Spain in this group. It's hard to make a case for Saudi Arabia, but Tunisia are a side on the up and, at 21/10 with VC Bet, backing Roger Lemerre's charges to qualify looks the best bet in the Group H market. Tunisia, which became the first African nation to win a match at a World Cup Finals in 1978, boast a good squad, with strikers Francileudo Santos and Ziad Jaziri, along with Haykel Guemamdia, who has emerged as one of the finest young strikers in African football, leading the attacking line. Winners of the CAF African Cup of Nations in 2004, the Eagles tasted defeat just once during their qualification campaign, recording six wins and three draws. All in all, they have a better chance of qualifying along with Spain than their odds suggest, and they are the more likely to capitalise than Ukraine should the Spaniards falter. Verdict - 2pts Tunisia to qualify @ 21/10 with VC Bet