Internationals / Joe Dyer / 09 September 2009 / Leave a comment

Croatia are hammered at Wembley as England ensure qualification for South Africa 2010. Capello's men are the second favourites for next summer's tournament.

"The win is just the latest in a line of heavy victories for the national team at Wembley where only one game has featured less than six goals.Despite that statistic, six goals or more was backed at [27.0]."

England qualified for the World Cup in emphatic fashion with a 5-1 thumping of Croatia tonight. The result ensure they cannot be caught in Group Six, following a sequence of eight straight wins with 31 goals scored.

Fabio Capello's men currently trade as the [7.4] second favourites to lift the trophy in South Africa with only Spain and Brazil ahead of them in the betting at [6.0].

Goals came easily to England throughout the game with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard scoring twice before Wayne Rooney added the fifth.

The win is just the latest in a line of heavy victories for the national team at Wembley where only one game has featured less than six goals.Despite that statistic, six goals or more was backed at [27.0].

Where there was joy at Wembley there was nothing but gloom at Hampden Park where Scotland came so close to making the play-offs. WIth 81 minutes gone, George Burley's men were holding Holland to a goalless draw - a result that would have secured a top two finish in Group Nine.

However, Eljero Elia had not given up and the speedy Dutchman got round the back of the home back four and slotted past Craig Gordon to seal another win for the unbeaten group leaders.

The draw traded at [1.43] before that moment while Holland drifted to a high of [4.6]. The Dutch are [14.0] to win the World Cup. Scotland were matched at [1.37] to finish in the top two.

Northern Ireland had thus far enjoyed a good qualification campaign but fell at home to Slovakia, the group leaders leaving Windsor Park with a 2-0 win. Northern Ireland are now [11.5] to win the group.

Tags: Eljero Elia, England, Frank Lampard, Hampden Park, Holland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Steven Gerrard, World Cup