Prediction: Wales vs Georgia

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 7/2

Bookmaker: bet365

Wales continued the bright start to the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign as they held Austria to a 2-2 draw in Wien, and they now hope to return to winning ways when they host Georgia in Cardiff. Jvarosnebi produced a very good showing in Dublin, but they ended up losing 1-0 and will hope to finally win their first point of the campaign.

Wales

Wales are enjoying the most successful period in the history of the national football team and their performances at the Euro 2016 finals were a joy to behold. And while the Red Dragons did brilliantly to reach the semi-final, the general impression is they could have gone all the way to claim the coveted trophy. Nevertheless, some impressive showings in France definitely acted as a confidence boost ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and Wales started with a bang, hammering Moldova 4-0 in their opening fixture. The Dragons were not as convincing in the second group game against Austria, but despite being on the back foot, they managed to win a credible point that could make the difference in the final count. Namely, after two fixtures, Wales, Serbia, Austria and Republic of Ireland all have 4 points to their tally, meaning this could prove one of the most evenly matched groups yet. This is why it is essential that the Dragons win their next fixture against Georgia and take advantage of the fact that Serbia and Austria face each other this weekend.

Team News

The problem is that playmaker Joe Allen is almost certain to miss out through a tight hamstring, with David Edwards ready to deputise if needed.

Aaron Ramsey hadn’t even make the squad due to injury, while Sam Vokes should again be preferred to Hal Robson-Kanu.

Georgia

Occupying 137th position in the FIFA rankings, Georgia could be mistaken for cannon fodder, but Jvarosnebi are actually difficult opponents even for Europe’s top sides, even though they are not exactly good enough to qualify for a major international competition. The appointment of former Slovakia boss Vladimir Weiss could go a long way as Jvarosnebi have already shown some improvement, with 1-0 away triumph over Spain probably their best result in history, even if it was just a friendly game. Georgia have since produced a very good performance in the opening World Cup qualifier against Austria, but were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat and the same thing happened in Thursday’s game at Aviva Stadium. Even the Irish media admit that Georgia were the better team on the night, with BATE Borisov midfielder Valerian Gvilia, who had switched his allegiance from Ukraine, especially impressive. The likes of Jano Ananidze, Tornike Okriashvili and Levan Mchedlidze all created problems for the Republic of Ireland back line, and they will be looking to do the same when they face Wales in Cardiff.

Team News

Following such an impressive performance in Dublin, head coach Vladimir Weiss is unlikely to make any changes to his starting line-up.

Key Factors to Consider

• Georgia won all three meetings with Wales
• Two of those were achieved on the road
• Wales lost 6 of last 9 WC qualifiers at home
• Georgia lost 11 of last 12 WC qualifiers on the road
• Georgia scored 6 goals in last 7 away fixtures

Conclusion

Even without Joe Allen, Wales should be able to continue the good goalscoring run, but we also expect in-form Georgia to get on the scoresheet. Jvarosnebi have adopted a more positive approach under Vladimir Weiss and they definitely have the quality to make life difficult for the Dragons.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 7/2

Bookmaker: bet365