Are England U21s’ forwards more lethal than the senior side’s?

Given that England are facing San Marino and Estonia in their next couple of World Cup qualifiers, strikers Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Rickie Lambert are more than likely to fill their boots.

However, even if they do smash in a bundle against those minnows, it shouldn’t hide the fact that the Three Lions’ strikeforce looks far from deadly when Daniel Sturridge is out injured.

Rooney is a consistent goal-getter and may end up England’s top scorer of all-time, but is likely to play a deeper role for Manchester United this season.

Meanwhile, aside from a hat-trick against a hapless Galatasaray, Welbeck has looked as goalshy at Arsenal as he did for Manchester United, while Lambert can barely get a game for Liverpool.

Fortunately for Roy Hodgson, there are a couple of forwards in England’s U21 side who have been running riot of late.

Saido Berahino and Harry Kane bagged 14 goals between them in the 10 matches in the group stage of qualification for the 2015 U21 European Championship.

The West Brom man shared top spot in the overall scoring charts alongside Pole Arkadiusz Milik with nine, and after a free-scoring start to his domestic campaign, is surely the best bet to find the net against Croatia in England’s upcoming playoff.

The Young Lions are 1/2 to win the first leg of the tie at home, with Croatia priced at 14/5 and the draw 5/1.

Berahino is currently joint-second in the Premier League after scoring five times in his first seven matches, with only Chelsea’s Diego Costa outgunning the youngster.

Meanwhile Kane has moved ahead of Roberto Soldado in the Tottenham Hotspur pecking order, and is pressurising Emmanuel Adebayor for a first-team spot after bagging four goals in eight all-competition matches this term.

In total Berahino has scored nine times in 11 matches for England’s U21 side and Kane five in seven. Impressive numbers that might make Hodgson reconsider his options however many his senior forwards bag against San Marino.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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