The World Cup has nearly come full circle already, and what a week it has been.
By 6.00 on Tuesday evening, all 32 teams involved in this World Cup will have the first game of their respective group stages complete.
Time flies when you’re having fun and it certainly doesn’t seem like six days ago since hosts Russia took on Saudi Arabia to set the 2018 rendition of the world’s greatest tournament in motion.
In the mean-time, it’s lived up to its lofty billing. The tie of the round has undoubtedly been the belter of an Iberian derby with Cristiano Ronaldo taking centre stage to save Portugal’s bacon.
Indeed, many of the pre-tournament favourites have struggled in their opening game. Argentina and Brazil both couldn’t find a winner while reigning champions Germany lost to Mexico.
That’s the beauty of it in fairness, that any team can win or stumble on any given day and while that makes striking an accumulator a intensely difficult blow to land, it makes it all the more satisfying and all the more intriguing to give it a go.
Tuesday will mark another super day of football.
Colombia Japan draw (12/5)
The day’s opener will see a fancied Colombia side take on Japan at 1.00.
The 2014 Quarter finalists have plenty of star quality in their ranks, from talismanic captain James Rodriguez to Cuadrado to Quintero to Radamel Falcao.
Japan are nothing if not gutsy however, and with Shinji Okazaki and Keisuke Honda up top, they can cause the Colombians problems in response.
We’re tipping a share of the spoils.
Poland Senegal draw (11/5)
The Poles will enter this one with the favourites tag but they’ve shown on numerous occasions that they struggle on the big occasions. Take Euro 2012 when they didn’t even get out of the Euro group stages over home soil.
Senegal have loads of firepower in attack and with Mane, Diouf, Niang et al up top, expect goals aplenty in this one. We’re again siding with the draw.
Egypt (3/1) to beat Russia
Russia trounced Saudi Arabia but we wouldn’t read too much into that one. Egypt put in a battling display in the face of adversity against Uruguay and now it looks like they’ll have their main man Mohamed Salah back for this one. Not only will he provide the threat that they were missing, his presence will also surely lift that the spirit of his comrades.
They’re way too overpriced at 3/1 this evening against the lowest ranked team in the tournament. Burdened by fierce home expectations, they could easily fall here.
Salah to score anytime (9/4)
If anyone is going to do it…
It’s 140/1, it’s worth a euro.
