England vs Uruguay Betting Tips and Stats

Uruguay will fancy themselves to give anyone a game, but in reality, they’re not the force they have been in previous years. Gone are the days of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani leading the line, and even with bits of quality littered amongst the squad, I’d still expect England to have the better of this one.

Cue Fede Valverde. The Real Madrid star and Uruguay captain will be the driving force behind any success his nation are likely to have on Friday, and in the summer; with England controlling the ball, shots from range are a quick and obvious route to goal, and as evidenced by a first leg hat trick against Man City, and four shots total over two legs, Valverde is no stranger to testing his luck.

He’s had at least two shots in six of his last seven at club level, and Valverde managed at least two shots in 10 of his 15 starts in World Cup qualifying, averaging 1.98 shots P/90. Yes, this is a friendly, but he’s a player supremely high on confidence that will give this a go.

Friendly or not, this is a huge game for a number of England hopefuls. With Tuchel resting key names for Uruguay’s visit on Friday, fringe players may well get their chance, and one man I have my eye on is Adam Wharton.

Rice, Anderson, Mainoo, Bellingham, there are a whole host of names staking a claim for a midfield spot, so no doubt Wharton will be desperate to impress here; he’ll need to get stuck in from the off, and I think fouls are likely given the circumstances. He committed a single foul in his sole start for England against Albania in November, and I’d argue he’s likely to have a much tougher time of it against a more technically proficient Uruguay midfield.

Recent form is hugely encouraging as well. Wharton has seen this selection land in five of his last six starts at club level, averaging a ridiculous 2.57 fouls P/90 over those six outings. The likes of De Arraescaeta and Ugarte drew a combined 3.17 fouls fouls P/90 in World Cup Qualifying, and with Wharton better on the ball than he is off it, they can cause problems.

As good as we know Cole Palmer can be, this really hasn’t been his season, and I think there’s a bit of a point to prove to Thomas Tuchel here. It’s not as if he hasn’t looked lively of late however; the Chelsea man has been picking up the ball in pockets and driving between the lines effectively. That’s what I’m focusing on.

As a result of those driving runs, Palmer is averaging 1.59 fouls drawn P/90 in the Premier League this season, and has landed this selection in 13 of his last 16 starts in all competitions. In an England shirt, Palmer is just as consistent, with this selection landing in all three of his competitive starts for his country, and in six of his last eight appearances dating back to the start of Euro 2024.

If operating centrally, then Manuel Ugarte will be nipping at his heels all game long, and his 1.77 fouls P/90 are worth noting. If out wide, then Matias Vina and Maxi Araujo will look to double up on him. They combine for 2.40 fouls P/90.