TIPSTER'S QUARTER-FINALS

Limit potential fallout
As usual, you will want to select players from teams who are going to get a result. To do this, your first move should be to decide which four teams will progress to the semi-finals. Each team has now played against three different opponents, which should help you make up your mind. One thing to remember, however, is that it is wise to diversify your assets. That will avoid scoring poorly if there is an unexpected result.

Identify key players
The first quarter-final to consider is between Portugal and England. The hosts have improved dramatically since the opening game of the tournament against Greece, and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will be hoping that his team can continue to build on successes against Russia and Spain when they play the English on Thursday night. Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Maniche and Cristiano Ronaldo have all impressed the Tipster. Jorge Andrade and Luís Figo have also been influential, making it onto the game’s Dream Team.

Use the game statistics
Despite losing to the French, England have impressed and will be hoping that Wayne Rooney can score again. Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard have also performed well and are England’s two other representatives on the game’s current Dream Team. They are so influential that they are likely to score points whether England win or lose.

Look to France for value
The second quarter-final sees European champions France take on Greece in what is probably a more unequally balanced match, making French players specially attractive. Zinedine Zidane is an obvious choice for your team, but you should also consider Thierry Henry, Fabien Barthez, David Trezeguet and Robert Pires. If you think Greece could cause one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, their top points scorers are: Angelos Charisteas, Zisis Vryzas (who is suspended for the quarter-final) and Angelos Basinas.

Pick Larsson
On Saturday, the Swedes play against the runners-up in Group D, the Netherlands. The Swedes’ ability to score goals has been impressive since the beginning of the tournament, and Tipster will continue to count on Henrik Larsson’s skill in front of goal. The Dutch, on the other hand, will rely on Ruud van Nistelrooij, ranked second in the game’s statistics behind Rooney. Other Dutch players to watch out for include: Arjen Robben, Andy Van der Meyde, Phillip Cocu amd Edwin Van der Sar.

Complete team with Czech players
Finally, the Czechs have demonstrated that they will be a difficult team to beat. They have come through what was arguably the most difficult group winning their three matches and beating Germany resting the likes of Pavel Nedved. Tipster is impressed and recommends that you fill any gaps in your team with Czech players, even if the Danes will provide coach Karel Brückner’s team with a challenging game on Sunday.