Euro2012 Day Eight Tips: Bet on Benzema

France v Ukraine
To score
Andriy Schevchenko's two goals in the defeat of Sweden may be the heart warming story of the Championships. He will be able to bask in the afterglow for years to come. Against France, however, he may come across a froideur.

The France defensive-minded players - particularly the impressive man mountain Alou Diarra - are unlikely to give Shevchenko the freedom of the stadium that the Swedes did, and the striker does not look much value at 4.607/2.

His opposite number, however, does look a bit of alright. Karim Benzema looked a threat every time he got the ball against England, even if it meant he had to drop deep to collect it. He looked sharp and Ukraine could feel the edge this evening. Back him to score at 2.6813/8.

Franck Ribery and Samir Nasri probed and prompted against England, unable to play him into a killer position but it would be a surprise if Ukraine were as well drilled as Roy Hodgson's men.

First goalscorer
Shevchenko is 11.0010/1 for the first goal and Benzema is 6.205/1. Nasri, who belted home the equaliser against England, is 11.5021/2.

Recommended bet
Benzema to score at any time 2.6813/8

England v Sweden
To score
England and Sweden are set to take football back to the dark ages, or the 1980s if you prefer, with this contest in Kiev. It will be physical. It will be high tempo. It will be long-ball.

Roy Hodgson, the England manager, is apparently bringing back Andy Carroll to play up front alongside Danny Welbeck in a front two. James Milner and Ashley Young will play on the left and right respectively, as conventional wingers.

That is a relief. One newspaper exhorted for Roy to "release the handbrake" this week. We are not sure whether it is welded, immovable forever. In this game we will find out. If Young runs at the Swedish backline, he could be capable of playing in Welbeck, who is the more fancied of the England forward line.

Welbeck is 3.7511/4 to score at any time. Carroll, who couldn't hit Roy Hattersley's backside with a jumbo tub of lard, is 3.6553/20 and it is tempting to lay if we could get 3.8014/5.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has scored in his side's last four, is the Sweden dangerman, despite suffering from a thigh strain. 'Ibra', as he is known to lazy people, has that wonderfully elusive quality of the modern-day footballer. He could be brilliant. He could be dreadful. He is 3.8014/5 to score.

Seb Larsson and Kim Kallstrom also catch the eye at 8.207/1 and 10.5019/2 respectively for the simple reason that they are exactly the sort of players England will back off, back off, back off and allow them to spritz one in the onion bag, only recognising they are all standing on the 12-yard line before it's too late.

It is difficult to write a primarily goal-based preview about a match which is likely to produce so few. If there is any wager to be had on this match it is surely the 1.758/11 of under 2.5.

Bookings
There were only two bookings when these two met in a friendly in November. There were three in the World Cup meeting in 2006. England had two bookings in their opener last week, as did Sweden. It'll be a robust, fair, matey affair because the players know each other pretty well. A wager of 25-45 booking points at 2.757/4 looks shrewd.

Recommended bet
25-45 bookings points at 2.767/4