The UEFA Nations League is here and it will be interesting to see whether the biggest national teams in the business take this competition seriously.

Gareth Southgate has admitted that England are turning to youth in the next stage of their cycle. A mouth-watering clash against Spain offers the ideal chance for some of the fringe players to impress…

Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup but I’m backing the Azzurri to prosper at home to Poland on Friday night.

With Roberto Mancini at the helm, Italy will be pragmatic but that should be all that is required to defeat a struggling Poland. If you fancy a 14/1 accumulator ahead of the first round of Nations League fixtures, have a scroll down and check out my other tips.

THURSDAY

Germany vs France

Nobody expected Germany to crash out of the group stages in Russia this summer but that is exactly what happened.

Whether it was a case of complacency or simply falling short, Joachim Low’s side were not good enough and they paid the ultimate price. Back on home soil, Germany will be desperate to make amends as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps has selected a strong squad and the World Cup winners will be quietly confident of securing a positive result. Hugo Lloris is one notable absentee and France will miss the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper.

I fancy Germany to edge this one but both teams to score (7/10) is my top tip ahead of this clash – it is hard to envision either side keeping a clean sheet.

TIP: Both teams to score @ 7/10

PREDICTED SCORE: Germany 2-1 France (Priced at 8/1 with 888sport)

FRIDAY

Italy vs Poland

Mancini has wrung the changes ahead of this contest, bringing in a number of new faces whilst also recalling Giorgio Chiellini for the first time in almost a year.

The Bologna crowd will be expecting a strong Italy performance this weekend and the Azzurri will be determined to put on a show for their fans. 11/10 for over 1.5 home goals is well worth considering.

Adam Nawalka was sacked in the aftermath of the World Cup and it may take some time for Jerry Brzeczek to adjust to life as an international manager. Expecting an instant impact in this fixture would be foolish to say the least…

Poland were abysmal in Russia this summer and Italy haven’t lost on home soil for over two years. All signs point towards a home win and 7/10 is an excellent price.

TIP: Italy to win @ 7/10

PREDICTED SCORE: Italy 2-0 Poland (Priced at 6/1 with 888sport)

Lithuania vs Serbia

Lithuania have won just three of their 24 international fixtures and another defeat beckons here. To put their lack of attacking prowess into perspective, the hosts have scored three goals in their last 900 minutes of international football.

It would be one of the shocks of the weekend if Lithuania were to get a result here. The 23/20 available for a draw at half-time may be the best way to go if you fancy the hosts.

As mentioned in a recent Premier League recap, Aleksandar Mitrovic is starting to prove his worth. The Fulham striker has notched four goals so far this season, putting him joint-top in the Golden Boot race.

Punters can back Mitrovic at 13/8 to continue his fine run of form here – an excellent price considering Serbia’s threat going forward. This could get ugly for Lithuania.

TIP: Aleksandar Mitrovic to score @ 13/8

PREDICTED SCORE: Lithuania 0-3 Serbia (Priced 10/1 with 888sport)

SATURDAY

England vs Spain

The Wembley crowd will be expecting a positive performance following England’s exploits in Russia this summer but this is not going to be straightforward by any means.

With a number of key players ruled out through “injury”, Southgate’s options are limited. It would take a brave man to back against England based on their World Cup efforts but the 9/10 for both teams to score is the most appealing bet at this moment in time.

???

England's latest 23-man squad screams 'in-form'.

? Luke Shaw
? Adam Lallana
? Joe Gomez
? Alex McCarthy
? James Tarkowski

? Nick Pope
? Phil Jones
? Ashley Young

Any surprises? pic.twitter.com/IuV9M3ipMT

— 888sport (@888sport) August 30, 2018

Luis Enrique has the experience to lead Spain back to the top of world football and there will be punters tipping the visitors at 33/20 to prevail under the Wembley arch. On paper, Spain are arguably the stronger of the two sides…

A score draw looks likely on Saturday night. Diego Costa has pulled out of the Spain squad but that shouldn’t hinder Enrique’s men too much. It could be all square come the final whistle.

TIP: Both teams to score @ 9/10

PREDICTED SCORE: England 1-1 Spain (Priced at 11/2 with 888sport)

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The Premier League season is already a month in (give or take a few days). Every team has played four matches, we’ve seen shocks, thrillers and bore draws. It’s been everything you expect from England’s top flight so far.

With the always-bemoaned international break underway, it seems a good time to take a look back on what has happened so far and how the Premier League betting markets look…

City Still Lead The Way

Manchester City haven’t quite looked themselves so far. Pep Guardiola’s side still have 10 points from a possible 12, but their last two performances have been underwhelming compared to the majestic displays we saw for the majority of last season.

Few will be panicking about the reigning champions just yet, mind. City remain the 13/20 favourites to win the title and it will take several more disappointing results before anyone realistically doubts their ability to retain the crown.

Pep Guardiola: "We are the best Premier League club ever? I'm not sure of that. We won one Premier League title." 

Well, that ends that debate then... pic.twitter.com/HENQblSro0

— 888sport (@888sport) June 8, 2018

Liverpool, just as it was at the start of the campaign, are second favourites at 11/4. Jurgen Klopp’s side still have a 100% record, and have conceded just one goal so far, courtesy of an Alisson howler.

After tearing West Ham apart on opening day, Liverpool have been less than their usual thrilling selves too. The fact they won those matches against stubborn defences perhaps tells us more about this team than a 5-0 victory would have, though.

Signs Of Life At Stamford Bridge

Chelsea, like Liverpool, have four wins from four. A period of adaptation was expected under Maurizio Sarri, but the Blues have found a way to get victories so far, even if a couple of their performances weren’t been great.

The five-time Premier League champions were a bit of an unknown quantity coming into the season. However, having retained Eden Hazard and added Jorginho, they are already at 33/100 to finish in the top four.

The defence is still a concern – particularly if David Luiz keeps having David Luiz moments – but they look a threat whenever they have the ball.

Chelsea are out at 10/1 to win the title. Their early season form makes that look better value than it really is. There will be ups and downs in Sarri’s first season.

The 15/4 on Chelsea to be ‘the winner without Manchester City’ is their best price at the moment.

Hornets Are Buzzing

Javi Gracia’s Watford are the story of the season so far. The Hornets join Chelsea and Liverpool with a 100% record, including a stunning comeback victory against Tottenham last weekend.

Unsurprisingly, some are already suggesting Watford will ‘do a Leicester’. While that remains incredibly unlikely (250/1), their 12/1 price to break into the top six might be worth a look at. This is no fluke from Gracia’s side.

Watford are the real deal and four more things we learned from the Premier League this weekend https://t.co/5Cpbde59aA pic.twitter.com/vvqHovzFZo

— 888sport (@888sport) September 3, 2018

The Hornets have been resolute defensively and ruthless in attack. That, whatever league you’re in, tends to be a pretty good way to play football. Only Liverpool, per understat, have a lower non-penalty expected goals against, for instance.

Former Watford boss and now Everton manager, Marco Silva, sees his side at 5/1 to make the top six. Given what we have seen from both sides so far, the Hertfordshire club are definitely the better value.

Fading Hope For The Hammers

Everything looked so bright for West Ham this summer. Manuel Pellegrini arrived to play the West Ham Way^TM, and the owners invested heavily, bringing in exciting talents like Felipe Anderson and Issa Diop.

After four defeats from four, including two at home, things suddenly look bleak at the London Stadium again. The Hammers are in to 5/2 to go down this season. Pellegrini is joint-favourite at 3/1 to be the first manager to be handed his P45.

West Ham were one of the favourites to be ‘best of the rest’ when the season started. They are now 15/4 to make the top 10.

Even after this dreadful start, that’s still a decent price given the sheer quality Pellegrini has at his disposal in the final third. He will need to find a way to fix the midfield before anything else, though.

Newcastle sit just above West Ham in the bottom three, but their horrible fixture list to start the campaign is the cause of that rather than poor performances. Burnley also have just one point, however, and are 8/5 to go down.

Sean Dyche’s side look to have regressed to the mean after riding their luck last season and could be in for a really tough season.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*