Battle of the Boots - EURO 2012 Qualifiers
Every week the SoccerBible selects three top football matches and picks the players to compete in our Battle of the Boots! We want to hear from YOU the fans, to discuss which players and football boots will come out on top?
Our featured football games this week come from the EURO 2012 qualifiers, we've selected England v Bulgaria (Fri 20.00), Montenegro v Wales (Fri 18.30) and Belgium v Germany (Fri 19.45), and here are the players battling it out...
Theo Walcott has been in sensational form so far this season, and will have a point to prove when he plays for the national team, following his exclusion from the World Cup squad. Walcott will be playing in the Nike Vapor Superfly II football boots, whilst Petrov will also be wearing speed football boots, as he will be appearing in the adidas F50 adiZero football boots. Martin Petrov has shown glimpses of what he is capable of, but will need to really step up to the plate following the international retirement of Dimitar Berbatov.
SoccerBible verdict: Victory to the Vapor Superfly with Walcott to continue his excellent form. He won't be allowed as much freedom as he enjoys for Arsenal, but we think he'll have more of an impact on the game than Petrov.
Over the past 12 calendar months, Gareth Bale playing in adidas F50 football boots has been in inspirational form, and has probably been the most consistent player in the Premier League. However, it's a difficult task to inspire an average looking Wales side, especially playing away from home. Quite fittingly Mirko Vucinic, wearing the Vapor Superfly II football boots, is something of a mercurial player. He can't always be relied on to put in a solid consistent performance, but Vucinic has the ability to produce something quite special.
SoccerBible Verdict: Another victory for Nike, courtesy of the home crowd. We think in front of his home fans Vucinic will be at the top of his game, whilst Bale faces an uphill task although will no doubt still manage a good performance.
A very interesting match-up here, as it features two players who have only really made their names over the past season. Mesut Ozil wearing Vapor Superfly II football boots caught the eye during the World Cup and earned himself a move to Real Madrid. Whilst Romelu Lukaku, who's playing in adidas F50 adiZero football boots, is probably the most highly sought after 17-year-old in the game. Belgium and Lukaku may hold the home advantage, but they will be coming up against an efficient attacking machine when they face Germany and Ozil.
SoccerBible Verdict: We've surprised ourselves as again we've gone for Nike, which makes it a clean sweep for the Swoosh! We think Ozil will come out on top in this battle, as he has become the central figure in the German attack, and is surrounded by an impressive supporting cast.
So there you have it, the views and predictions of our resident SoccerBible expert. Of course, the nature of the game and what we love about football is that really anything can happen! We'd love to hear YOUR predictions on who YOU think will win this week's Battle of the Boots...
