World Cup Qualifier, Saturday, 5.15pm, bet here

You may not have much luck watching England’s World Cup Qualifier on Saturday, but our friends at Sporting Index would like to help you make some money from it…

Save for last-minute injuries, Fabio Capello is expected to field a full-strength side against Ukraine, giving spread bettors and armchair fans – not to mention Croatia manager Slaven Bilic – the hope of seeing a competitive game in England’s penultimate World Cup Qualifier. Although effectively a dead-rubber for the visitors, the partisan home following will ensure a lively encounter at the 31,000-capacity Dnipro Arena, in the country’s third-largest city, Dnipropetrovsk. The newly built stadium may not have the tradition of Ukraine’s regular home, the Olympic Stadium in Kiev – which fits over 80,000 and is currently being renovated to host the 2012 European Championships final – but it is sure to provide an intimidating atmosphere for the Three Lions’ first trip to the country, and a new challenge for Sporting Index’s football spread punters.

Buyers of England’s win index spread

England/Ukraine, Tonight, 8pm, ITV1, Free £10 bet

England fans have a reputation for fickleness, but the antics of the Wembley crowd must seem refreshing to Fabio Capello when compared to the actions of some supporters in his homeland: Italy fans in Bari are expected to boo Marcello Lippi, the man who won them the World Cup, tonight and cheer his predecessor Giovanni Trapattoni, the man who twice flopped in international tournaments. The reason? Lippi refused to call up their favourite son Antonio Cassano.

Capello, on the other hand, can expect a hearty applause this evening despite trying to pick even Darren Bent ahead of Michael Owen. Here’s ten stats about tonight’s game with Ukraine, courtesy of our hombres at chickendinner:

1. Both teams are unbeaten in Group 6, with England winning all four of their games. Ukraine have won two and drawn one of their three.

2. Ukraine are unbeaten in eight games and have won four consecutive away games.

3. However, they have been seen off easily on their two previous trips to England - losing 2-0 in 2000 and 3-0 in 2004.

4. Besides those two trips to England, Ukraine have played in the UK

The Holy Goalie received his comeuppance, says Polish legend

We at The Spoiler were having trouble figuring out the reason for Artur Boruc’s massive howler against Northern Ireland at the weekend. Did he suffer a temporary rage blackout? Was he preoccupied by thoughts of T-shirts with hilariously offensive slogans on them?

Apparently not. This morning, legendary keeper and controversial pundit Jan Tomaszewski has cleared things up. The Pole - who was dubbed “The Man That Stopped England” after an outstanding performance in a World Cup qualifier in 1974 - says Boruc’s blunder was “a punishment from God”:

“Artur has no one to blame but himself. You could say he has had a punishment from God.

“He started a religious war in Glasgow and now it’s come back to haunt him. That is why he was under so much pressure in Belfast - as he is hated by most of the Protestant community.”

Polish keeper gifts a win to Northern Ireland

Nigel Worthington’s Northern Ireland went a point clear at the top of Group Three this weekend, thanks to a 61st minute error from Celtic keeper Artur Boruc.

The inexplicably angry Pole, who loves nothing more than winding up Rangers fans, was on the receiving end of laughter rather than venemous insults, as a result of his utter failure to clear Michal Zewlakow’s back-pass.

International Friendly, Sat, 5.15pm, Setanta Sports 1

Spoiler reader offer: Want to watch the England game tomorrow? Subscribe to Setanta on satellite, freeview or broadband today and get up to 50 per cent off!

Some fans feared that England would become even more boring to watch with an Italian in charge, but there has already been a 5-1, a 4-1 and a 3-0. Here’s why Saturday’s friendly with the Slovaks should also feature over 2.5 goals, which is 5/6 with Sky Bet:

» Seven consecutive Slovakia matches have contained at least three goals, while four of the last five have had over 3.5, which is available at 7/4 with Paddy Power.

» Eight of England’s last nine home games have featured more than 2.5 goals.

» England and Slovakia met twice in Euro 2004 Qualifying and both meetings finished 2-1 in England’s favour - 11.0 on Betfair.

Any other business

» England have scored precisely two goals in four of their last five home games and they haven’t failed to score in ten matches at the new Wembley.

» The last two England games at Wembley have been level at half-time. Ladbrokes offer 7/2 on the two teams being tied at the interval and England winning at full-time.

For the latest international football statistics and betting tips, visit chickendinner

Robinho and Elano drink The Azzurri’s milkshake

Brazil 2 / Italy 0

The Emirates doesn’t get to host much entertaining football these days, so the football loving folks of north London were delighted to see a thoroughly entertaining friendly between the World Cup holders and Brazil. With no Kaka to steal the limelight, Elano and Robinho lead proceedings, and the Italians could only respond with a selection of disallowed chances.

Enjoy the highlights above, made all the better by the American commentary and awesome soft rock soundtrack.

[Video: 101GG]

Else he might end up doing a mural…

Even after a 3-0 win against Chile at the weekend, Man City’s new Christ, Robinho, was livid. The Chileans hadn’t lined up against he and his Brazilian cohorts with the right quota of respect - the idiots had tried to play them at their own game! So he did what any infuriated artist would do - he punished them with some brutal changing room graffiti.