Monday at the World Cup: Russia and Spain to grab vital wins?
Published:
Cristiano Ronaldo has been arguably the player of the tournament so far. But the Real Madrid wizard will need to cast more magic if Portugal are to see off a decent Iran side.
We’ve got a full preview of that game for you right here. But there’s plenty more action to enjoy today – with another trio of top ties from Russia.
The day begins with the final Group A games, as the top two go head-to-head.
Uruguay v Russia (3pm, ITV)
Playing as hosts seems to suit Russia. Stanislav Cherchesov’s men have shone so far, recording a 5-0 mauling of Saudi Arabia and a comfortable 3-1 defeat of Egypt.
Uruguay offer a sterner test. But while La Celeste have also bagged maximum points so far, they look far less convincing. The South Americans have won both games by a single goal.
It’s 7/4 for a Russia win, and they should have enough to edge this. However, Uruguay do have the quality up front to pose them some problems. We make it 9/1 for a 2-1 win for the hosts.
Luis Suarez at 7/5 is the frontrunner in the Anytime Goalscorer market. As for Russia, their man most likely is 7/4 shot Artem Dzyuba. He’s found the net in each of the previous two group games.
Saudi Arabia v Egypt (3pm, ITV4)
Pride is all that’s at stake in this clash. Both sides are already booked for flights home after the group stage. But while Egypt have looked competitive in both games, the Saudis have been goalless and pretty much clueless.
It’s 4/5 for an Egyptian victory. Meanwhile, there’s 11/2 for a 1-0 Egypt win, and 15/2 for a 2-0 triumph.
Despite some rumoured turbulence in the Pharaohs’ camp, it now seems Mohamed Salah will start this game. He’s 19/20 to net anytime, and 14/5 to outscore the opposition.
The odds make a 1-0 Egypt win the most likely scoreline at odds of 11/2.
Spain v Morocco (7pm, BBC Four)
Just nine miles separate Spain and Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar. But there’s a much bigger gulf in terms of quality.
Herve Renard’s men can play some nice football at times – but they lack a cutting edge in the final third. And their youthful backline could be exposed by the wily Diego Costa and clinical Iago Aspas.
It’s 1/3 for a Spain victory, while La Furia Roja are 6/5 to Win to Nil.
That man Costa is odds-on to score Anytime at 5/6. Meanwhile, the odds make it 5/1 for Spain to win 2-0.
Morocco aren’t a pushover, so they still might take a while to break down. Fernando Hierro’s men are 29/10 to be level at half-time and win.
Click here for all our latest World Cup odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
