World Cup 2018 Group Picks (June 19th-24th)

The World Cup has produced some memorable moments already with a classic match between Portugal and Spain the highlight of the opening games played, at the time of writing at least.

England's late winner over Tunisia did capture the imagination of the nation considering some of the issues the favourites have had in the opening Group games with Argentina, Spain, Germany and Brazil all failing to win their first Group matches despite opening the tournament as four of the top five favourites in the outright markets.

None of those nations should be panicking right now, but it just goes to show how well England did to break down Tunisia and deservedly pick up the three points with one of the better all around performances produced so far.

In this thread I will place all the Group Picks from the second round robin of games which can be the pivotal games as far as qualification for the Last 16 of the World Cup Finals are concerned.


Tuesday 19th June
Russia v Egypt Pick: The World Cup opened with the hosts hammering Saudi Arabia 5-0 and that has left a few more options on the table for Russia as far as this game is concerned.

At the beginning of the tournament it was felt Russia and Egypt were going to be fighting it out for the second Last 16 spot behind Uruguay and that remains the case. I don't want to go overboard about Russia's win over Saudi Arabia as the Asian Qualifiers looked distinctly short of the quality required at this level, while Russia scored their last three goals relatively late on to produce the 5-0 win.

That margin of victory eases the pressure on Russia, especially after seeing Egypt lose 0-1 to Uruguay late in the second game in Group A. Where a point might not have been what they were looking for from this game prior to the tournament, Russia should be very much happy to do that now knowing they have such a strong goal difference to fall back upon.

If Uruguay expectedly beat Saudi Arabia, the point may also mean Russia are in a comfortable position to avoid defeat to the top team in the section which would also guarantee a place in the Last 16. It is going to take a huge effort from Egypt to pick themselves up from the late loss to Uruguay even if Mohamed Salah is back in contention for a starting spot having failed to even come off the bench last Friday.

Russia look short at the prices to win this match as far as I am concerned, even if Egypt could leave spaces to exploit if chasing the game late on. It is easy to get carried away by Russia's performance against Saudi Arabia, but I think this is a much more difficult challenge for them and they may realise the importance of avoiding defeat rather than overcommitting and being beaten.

Having a small interest in the draw looks the way to go about this match, a result which would almost put the hosts through to the Last 16.


Wednesday 20th June
Portugal v Morocco Pick: There were contrasting emotions for Portugal and Morocco out of the first games in Group B as Portugal came from behind to earn a late equaliser against Spain hours after Morocco conceded an injury time goal to lose to Iran.

The draw in the other game means Morocco are far from out of the World Cup Finals, but obviously there is a blow in losing to what is considered the 'weakest' team in the section. Facing two big European nations in the final two games is a tough spot for Morocco, but a win would put them in a strong position going into the final game against Spain.

Beating Portugal looks a tough task for Morocco who looked very good against Iran and made all the running, but there was a little lack of quality in the final third which is a worry. Now they face two more tough defences and it won't be easy for Morocco to create great chances like they had against Iran.

Lacking composure in the final third will be a tough spot from which Morocco could earn the result they need to prolong their chances of earning a Last 16 spot in the World Cup. A defeat would guarantee Morocco are going home at the end of the next week, while a draw would mean having to beat Spain in the final Group game.

Morocco will have to take chances in this one against the European Champions and they need to do a better job containing Cristiano Ronaldo than Spain managed last Friday. Ronaldo remains the key figure for Portugal, but there were some nice attacking moments around the World Player of the Year which will be encouraging to the fans who want a deep World Cup run.

Portugal may have had to ride their luck to get a result against Spain, but a similar level of performance should be good enough to beat Morocco who will have to take chances. I expect Morocco will look to sit in deep initially and try and counter Portugal, but a draw is not really a great result for them and I think that means Portugal should have more opportunities to counter them and earn the three points that will give them every chance of making it out of the Group.

I did have some decent hopes for Morocco prior to the tournament, but the loss in the opener has put them in a very tough position. If they had won they could have maintained shape in this one and tried to frustrate Portugal, but the defeat means Morocco have to take chances in this one and I think the European team punish them.

There is a worry that Portugal are a cautious team by nature that they sit back on a narrow lead and potentially get caught late, but I think they are more likely to find something on the counter attack with the pace they have in forward positions. Backing Portugal to win and cover the Asian Handicap is my pick from this Group B game.


Uruguay v Saudi Arabia Pick: This looks to be a mismatch on paper especially if Saudi Arabia are anything as bad as they were in the opening World Cup Group game.

They are a team that did not play well away from home in the Qualifiers and that has been shown up in Russia already when battered 5-0 by the hosts. The defending was almost criminal with so many mistakes made at the back that were exploited by Russia and both Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani must be licking their lips as both bid to get their World Cup scoring off the mark.

Both had chances in the opener for Uruguay, but it was a central defender who helped Uruguay beat Egypt with a late winner. The Egyptians can be frustrating defensively, but Uruguay did have the chances to win that game much earlier than they did and if they can pick up from where they left off I do like Uruguay to win this one comfortably.

In a friendly prior to the World Cup they beat Uzbekistan 3-0 and I would imagine Uruguay are good enough to match that margin of victory again. It will mean their final game with Russia is almost a dead rubber, but Uruguay will be looking to win the Group and will know goal difference could be a potential tiebreaker if Egypt have beaten Russia the day before.

There does look a clear difference in quality and I expect Uruguay to start much better than they did in the 1-0 win over Egypt. Backing Uruguay to win and cover the Asian Handicap is the play knowing the stake will be returned if they only win by a couple of goals on the day. Personally I expect a three plus margin of victory so backing Uruguay on the Asian Handicap looks a no brainer for me.


Iran v Spain Pick: After some difficult moments in the first half, Iran's manager Carlos Queiroz must have given himself a pat on the back with a game plan that produced a clean sheet and then a win with the only shot on goal in the second half. That is only the second World Cup win for Iran and one that means they can set up exactly as they like against the two European nations they finish up the Group with.

First up is Spain who showed immense quality going forward against Portugal in the 3-3 draw last Friday, although they will want better from the defensive areas of the pitch. That defence may not be challenged as much as they were by Cristiano Ronaldo and company a few days ago though and instead the onus will be on Spain to break down what is likely to be two banks of five in front of them.

No one should blame Iran for that as they will know a point here would be a real boost and one that could potentially put them in line for a place in the Last 16. Four years ago they frustrated Argentina before conceding an injury time goal to Lionel Messi, but I expect a similarly organised defensive unit who will look to prevent Spain from picking their way through them.

There will be some threat from Iran with the pace they have in forward areas, but the game plan will mean they are likely to sit deep and try to grind out a result. I can see the forwards getting isolated the longer the game goes on and Iran will look for set pieces to make an impact on this one, but ultimately the game will be dictated by Spain.

Queiroz is someone who will organise Iran to be a difficult team to break down so I am not anticipating this will be easy for Spain. However I did like the way Spain reacted to the loss of their manager in the overall performance against Portugal and I expect that will be good enough to see them break down this Iran team.

With Diego Costa up front, Spain have a different way to attack the Iran defence than simply passing them to death as they would have done when winning the World Cup in 2010. We saw that impact in the game with Portugal and I think Spain will be able to work their way through Iran as Morocco did and I like the European team to win this by at least a couple of goals.


Thursday 21st June
Denmark v Australia Pick: At the start of Group C I thought France was going to be the team who likely dominate things and then it would be Peru and Denmark who fight it out for the second place.

The Danes rode their luck at times to somehow come away with a 1-0 win over Peru in the opening game, but that isn't a guarantee they are going to make it through the section. While it is a big three points, Australia showed enough in their opening defeat to France to think they can make Denmark think about things in the second game in the Group.

With France still to play in the Group, Denmark may not be able to afford to settle for a draw as much it may seem, especially if Peru can either upset France. Even if they don't, a draw leaves the door open for Australia who have the kind of quality from set pieces that makes them very dangerous.

I do question the attacking quality of both of these teams, but they have shown they can create chances and take the opportunities when they come. I expect the same to happen here and I would not be surprised at all if both teams score in this one with the Australian team likely having to take a few more risks than Denmark.

However I am going to take it a step further and back at least three goals to be shared out between them on Thursday afternoon. Denmark showed some real vulnerabilities at the back against Peru who should have scored at least one, but possibly two goals with the clear chances they had, while the Danes also had some quality going the other way.

This Australia team have been used to scoring and conceding and they continued that in the opener against France. They will cause some problems, but I think Australia are a team who are still very vulnerable at the back as they showed in some of their bigger World Cup Qualifiers and I will back at least three goals to be shared out.


France v Peru Pick: Anyone who thinks Peru were not hard done by in their opening World Cup game must have been watching a different game to me as I thought they were the better team when they faced Denmark. The defeat has left them in a difficult position in the Group when going up against the favourites in this section in the second game and Peru will know exactly what they need to give them a chance to make it through to the Last 16 prior to kick off.

In reality Peru would like to see Australia beat Denmark which would mean Peru are alive in the final round robin of games in the Group regardless of what happens here. That would also give the players the chance to express themselves against France in this game knowing they can play with the freedom of still having a chance of progressing from the Group no matter what.

However any other result than an Australia win would mean Peru have to find a result against France and I think that is going to be difficult for the South American nation who have been a revelation over the last twelve months. I don't doubt Peru can create chances against a France defence that looked nervous when facing Australia, but defensively Peru looked like they could struggle when facing the kind of attacking talent they will see in this fixture.

France should be playing with more freedom than they did against Australia as they perhaps started the tournament nervously. A win will have settled those nerves a little bit and this team is about as good as any Peru would have faced in Qualifying.

Peru did beat Uruguay in the World Cup Qualifiers and drew with Argentina twice, but Brazil managed to get the better of them in both home and away Qualifiers. I think the style of play will suit France much more than Australia's style which was set up to first contain France.

In this one I expect Peru will look to get the ball down and take the game to France and I think it will be an entertaining game in the Group. Ultimately I think France will have a little too much strength overall for Peru and I think they will show much better than in their win over Australia.

With the attacking threat that both teams can possess, I would be surprised if a single goal is enough for France and I will back them to win a game which features at least three goals shared out at odds against.


Argentina v Croatia Pick: Coming into the World Cup Argentina were considerable favourites to beat Croatia but the results in the opening Group game means they have drifted to odds against in some places.

They still look short as far as I am concerned when you think how much panic set in at the back whenever Iceland attacked Argentina in the first half. It was no surprise Iceland perhaps drifted backwards in the second half as they protected what score they had, but the lack of clear chances fashioned by Argentina will be a concern too.

I worried for Argentina prior to the start of the tournament and nothing much has changed my mind. This fixture is much tougher than the opener because Croatia will have a midfield that can control things and they should have a little more quality further up the pitch than Iceland which can give a vulnerable Argentina defence a lot of problems.

On the other hand the attacking intent of Croatia's should be much greater than Iceland's too and that should mean a little more space for the Argentina attackers which is where the strength of the team lies. Argentina will need more from Lionel Messi, but they also need some of the other talent in those areas to step up and show they can support Messi instead of relying on him to create the magic on his own.

Both teams to score is not the outrageous price it was for Argentina's first game, but at odds against that still looks very generous in this one. You also have to say Argentina look very short to win the game considering the problems they have been having for some time now and Croatia looking as good as they did in the first game as well as having some real quality in midfield who can dictate the tempo of this fixture.

For those who like the big prices, Croatia to win and both teams to score is a massive 9.00!!

However I think we should keep things simple here- I think both teams will score and I also think Croatia will avoid defeat. The last two friendly games between these nations have both featured at least three goals and I think the situation here means we could see an open game on Thursday with both teams having enough about them to combine for three or more goals.

1-1 will suit Croatia, but Argentina would be left very vulnerable if the result goes against them in the other Group game between Nigeria and Iceland and I think the onus is on the South American nation to attack. That is all well and good, but their defence looks vulnerable enough already and I think Croatia could exploit them on the counter attack if Argentina take too many risks.

We have to respect the attacking talent Argentina have too which makes them a threat to score the goals needed to win the game, and I think backing at least three goals shared out looks a big price.


Friday 22nd June
Brazil v Costa Rica Pick: There are some more concerns around the fitness of Neymar who had to limp out of a training session this week but I would expect the Samba star to take his place in the starting line up. It is a big day for Brazil who look to get back on track in the Group having drawn 1-1 with Switzerland in the first game, but they will need a better all around performance from the team.

One of my criticisms of the performance was the way Neymar was trying too hard and thus making some poor decisions with the ball. He would dribble when he should pass, pass when he should shoot or shoot when there were other options around and I think that is the pressure most Brazilian players feel after the way the 2014 World Cup finished.

Neymar needs to settle down a little bit and I think Brazil will be alright with the players they have in the squad.

Even though not at their absolute best, Brazil did create enough chances to steal the win over Switzerland and there won't be any panic. They are facing what looks to be the weakest team in the Group after Costa Rica were beaten 0-1 by Serbia and a similar level of performance could see them really struggle.

While Costa Rica had their moments, defensively they looked out of sorts and I think they will find it tough to contain this Brazil team who have a game under their belt in Russia. Even if Neymar is unable to take part, I think Brazil have plenty of players who can produce at this level to help them not only win, but win with some comfort.

Costa Rica took a couple of heavy losses in their final international friendlies in preparation for the World Cup and they could have lost by a significant margin against Serbia if the latter had taken the chances that came their way. I don't think Brazil will be as loose in the forward areas as Serbia were, especially not after missing some decent chances against Switzerland, and I will back Brazil on the Asian Handicap.


Nigeria v Iceland Pick: Neither Nigeria or Iceland won their opening World Cup game in 2018, but there is a completely different feel in both squads going into the pivotal second game.

While Nigeria looked as poor as any team in the World Cup Finals with a lack of intensity meaning they were comfortably dismissed by Croatia, Iceland have shown plenty of heart and determination to earn a 1-1 draw with Argentina.

It means the situation is much clearer for Nigeria who know they will be out of the tournament if they lose this game while they will be on the brink of elimination with a draw. With Argentina the remaining game after this one, anything other than a win would likely see the end of Nigeria's ambitions in Russia which would be a huge disappointment to their fans around the world.

Iceland may feel they need to win this game too, but they have a little more room for error knowing they have beaten Croatia already in the World Cup Qualifiers. However they won't want the pressure of being in a 'must win' situation in the final round of Group games so the win is going to be important to Iceland too which means we have the ingredients for a very positive match.

As well as Iceland have defended as a unit, they will offer up some chances and Nigeria have pace and better quality in the final third than they showed against Croatia. You have to think they will have an all around better performance anyway as no team can be that poor twice, while Nigeria will have seen a much changed Ghana score twice in a recent friendly in Iceland.

On the other hand Iceland will be very much believing they can create chances against a lacklustre Nigerian team and I am leaning towards the European nation finding the win in this one. However I don't think they will have it all their own way considering the number of goals Iceland have been conceding in recent months and the layers may be underestimating the kind of performance I expect Nigeria to make all over the pitch.

Both teams to score is odds against, but I am going to take it a step further and back at least three goals to be shared out. I do think both teams will have their chances to score and expect both to do that, but the situation means the 1-1 is not an ideal score for either team and so I can see both teams taking chances to try and win this fixture.

If the Argentina-Croatia game is a draw on Thursday you may want to consider changing your pick to both teams to score, which should be possible by laying off this selection on one of the more popular exchanges out there.

However I am anticipating there being a winner in the other game and that should mean these two teams are well aware of the importance of the three points here and I will back at least three goals to be shared out.


Serbia v Switzerland Pick: Most expected Brazil to run away with the Group with these two nations fighting it out for second place between them, but the opening games results means it is Serbia who are in pole position to make it through to the Last 16.

A win on Friday will put Serbia into the Second Round at the World Cup but any other result means Switzerland are likely favourites to at least finish above the Serbs in the Group. The point earned against Brazil is a priceless one for Switzerland who are a team who punch above their weight, but they need to back up that performance having failed to get out of the Group in 2010 despite beating Spain in the opening game.

That was an upset result against the favourites to win the World Cup and they have done the same in 2018, but the expectation is that Switzerland can work their way through to the Last 16.

They will be looking to expose some of the defensive vulnerabilities that Serbia displayed in the win over Costa Rica who were punished for a lack of composure in the final third. The defensive play was always a big concern for Serbia heading into the tournament, but Switzerland have to find more from the forward areas with goals a problem for them.

I do think Switzerland will get opportunities from set pieces and I do think they can cause Serbia one or two questions that they could find tough to answer. However I also expect Serbia to continue attacking with the verve they showed in the opening game and there is some real talent in the final third which makes Serbia an interesting proposition in this tournament.

They created some huge chances against Costa Rica but they also lacked some composure when the opportunities came their way. I would expect better from Serbia when those chances come in this game and I think this could be a better game than it perhaps looks like on paper.

Both teams will likely take risks as the importance of the three points won't be lost on them. The draw would definitely suit Switzerland more than Serbia so expect the latter to make the running which could leave spaces to be exploited by Switzerland and I am going to back this game featuring at least three goals on Friday evening.


Saturday 23rd June
Belgium v Tunisia Pick: The opening 35 minutes of the Tunisia match with England could have seen the African nation down by two or three goals, but they settled into the match and perhaps feel a little unfortunate to have been beaten as late as they did.

In truth it was a deserved win for England as Tunisia looked to defend in numbers and frustrate their opponents in the second half, but it was a wastefulness in front of goal which really hurt England.

The Tunisians cannot expect the same from Belgium who are one of the higher scoring nations coming out of Europe and who found a way to wear down and beat Panama 3-0 in their opening Group game. Belgium were far from at their best in that game, but I am going to put that down to nervousness and I expect they will be much better in this fixture as they were against Panama once taking the lead.

With the quality Belgium have in the forward areas they will certainly feel they can match the chances that England created when they faced this team. Tunisia won't make it easy for Belgium, but they don't have a lot of threat going the other way and I expect Belgium to dominate the ball and find a way to grind down the Tunisian defence.

There were also some real concerns for Tunisia whenever England got a set piece or corners too and that could be the case again when you think of the quality of delivery that Belgium have. They also have a big team who can cause problems from those set pieces and I do think Belgium could profit as England did.

In this one Tunisia will likely have to take a few more risks too as they look for a positive result and everything points to Belgium winning and by a margin that slightly betters England's win over Tunisia. With the sides settled into the tournament after putting one game in the books I think Belgium begin much more assured than they did against Panama and I am going to back them to cover the Asian Handicap.


South Korea v Mexico Pick: There wasn't a lot of hope for a deep run at the World Cup Finals for South Korea prior to the tournament and those hopes would have lessened considerably off the back of the 0-1 defeat to Sweden.

A line up that was still not settled and a manager who didn't know his best formation was not ideal preparation for South Korea and the team struggled in the first game. If it wasn't for some poor finishing from Sweden, South Korea would have been beaten very handily and the competition gets tougher for them in the remaining Group games.

Poor finishing almost cost Mexico the chance of a big upset in the opening game but they hung on to beat Germany 1-0 and take command of this Group. The hopes back home is that Mexico can return to the Quarter Final of the World Cup having suffered six consecutive Last 16 defeats and winning the Group would be a huge step to achieving the 'quinto partido' the fans so desire.

The pace and quality of play up until the final shot cannot be dismissed and I expect Mexico will be able to create a number of chances in this Group game against a South Korean team that struggled against Sweden. It may be easier for South Korea without the physicality with which Sweden play, but I still expect Mexico to create chances and look for the second win which will give them one foot into the Last 16 ahead of the final Group game.

My feeling was that South Korea would struggle for goals at the World Cup and they looked a team destined for an early exit. I expect them to be on the brink of exit by Saturday evening and that will be contributed to by Mexico's win over them.


Germany v Sweden Pick: This is almost an ideal situation for Sweden having earned three points in their opening Group game and facing a desperate opponent in the next game. Of course many are expecting Germany to bounce back from their shock 0-1 defeat to Mexico, but Sweden will be comfortable knowing they can play their natural game and look to frustrate their opponents.

It was the style Sweden used to beat Italy 1-0 on aggregate in the World Cup Play Offs and I imagine they will sit in deep and hope to counter Germany when the latter perhaps get a little desperate. For the first hour the key for Sweden is to make sure they have the clean sheet and I expect some strong defending from the Swedes in this one.

They will have some chances to cause problems for Germany from set pieces too but I am also expecting a much better performance from the defending Champions than we saw against Mexico. It may suit them playing a team who won't spring from defence to attack nearly as quickly as Mexico did in the first game and I would be surprised if Germany are not able to wear down Sweden in this one.

Germany have some real quality in the midfield areas who can pick the right passes to get through opponents and a team sitting back may just allow them to dictate the tempo with a little more belief than they had against Mexico. I don't think Sweden have the same quality on the counter attack as Mexico displayed and I do think Germany win this game to get back into contention in the Group.

Backing Germany on the Asian Handicap or backing them to win with a clean sheet are both odds against and I like Germany in both markets. The recent German defensive performances are a slight concern, but I think Sweden's goal will be to keep a clean sheet and so I am not sure they will have enough opportunities to expose those defensive concerns for the defending Champions.

At the price I think it is worth backing Germany to win with the clean sheet.


Sunday 24th June
England v Panama Pick: There are a number of mismatches in the World Cup Group Stage which will only be exasperated when the tournament is expanded to 48 nations, but you can't take anything away from Panama having their moment in the sun.

They absolutely deserve their place in the World Cup Finals although it is clear they are some way short of the quality needed to really challenge the top two European nations in the Group. Panama did well to hold Belgium goalless through the first half of the opening game, but the older players perhaps tired as the game wore on and they are in for another test of their fitness on Sunday.

England made harder work of Tunisia than they perhaps should have having created a number of wide open chances before a controversial penalty was awarded against them. It then took some time to break down Tunisia, but the win will be huge for the confidence and I fully expect England to win this match and win fairly comfortably.

The pace in the forward areas will make life tough for Panama to contain England and I think it is much harder to defend with the same passion Panama did in the first game when you have already chased the ball around for 90 minutes a few days earlier.

I expect England to settle into this game very much as they did against Tunisia and this time I would expect a little more composure in the final third which could see England win well. I will back England to cover the Asian Handicap which offers a profit if England win by two goals and a bigger one if they win by three goals or more.

I'm leaning towards the latter being the margin of victory in this one so backing England on the Asian Handicap makes easy sense for me.


Japan v Senegal Pick: The World Cup has seen a number of upsets already through the first round robin fixtures in the Group Stage, but Group H may have been the most open Group prior to the tournament. So while I accept both results in the opening round of Group games were surprises, it is perhaps not of the same magnitude as seeing the likes of Brazil, Argentina and Germany fail to win their first games.

Japan got the better of Colombia thanks to the second fastest red card in history and Senegal later beat Poland which means these two nations come into this fixture knowing they can almost secure a spot in the Last 16 with a win.

I would be surprised if either was too keen on the draw especially as they play this match before the other Group game is contested. If there is a winner in that match, the draw won't suit one of these teams and I have a feel both camps will look at the other as the best chance to put another win on the board in this Group.

Japan are perhaps the team that will take the draw more than Senegal with the feeling they have beaten the best team in the Group. They were very much considered the also-rans in the Group at the start of play and I am not going to get too giddy about their win over Colombia and simply put it down to the situation of facing a team with ten more for almost ninety full minutes.

I don't think Japan are as good as the result suggested and they really did struggle before Colombia perhaps tired. That won't be the case against Senegal who showed huge amounts of energy in their win over Poland and I expect the camp to be bouncing having beaten a real contender for a Last 16 berth.

Senegal hadn't been at their best in recent friendly games, but the 2-0 win over South Korea will give them confidence. I expect their physicality to be very difficult for Japan to deal with and only another 'crazy' situation like Senegal being reduced to ten men for the majority of the game or something like that is likely to be the reason Japan can stay with them.

The African nation showed enough against Poland to think they can find the right plays to break down this Japanese team who may sit back and hope to contain Senegal. That isn't going to be easy against this team who have a threat from set pieces and plenty of pace out wide and I do like Senegal to win the game and perhaps secure their Last 16 spot by the end of Sunday evening.

This was a much bigger price pre-tournament, but I still like Senegal at odds against to win this fixture.


Poland v Colombia Pick: The two favourites to get out of Group H both suffered a defeat in their opening Group games which means the losing team here is almost certainly going to be heading home at the end of the week.

That puts some real pressure on both Poland and Colombia, but could also mean a game featuring plenty of chances at both ends of the field with neither team being able to settle for a draw and any team chasing the game having to take risks.

You have to expect better from Poland- while they weren't as poor as Saudi Arabia and Panama, those nations didn't come into the tournament with anything near the expectations Poland did. I would put them alongside Nigeria as the most disappointing of the teams in the first round of Group games and I would like to think the manager will get into them and ask for much better in this one.

Colombia will also be looking for more, but there is some sympathy with their plight after Carlos Sanchez was sent off in the first three minutes of the defeat to Japan. They didn't look a bad team, but tired as the game went on, while James Rodriguez has a few more days to get over the injury issue which forced him into a substitute role in the first game.

There is much to like about Colombia and I think they are far from out of the tournament even after losing the first game. History is against them, but there is some real talent in forward areas and I think they will give Poland plenty of problems when you think of the poor defensive record in Qualifiers and the way they played in the opening game.

With the situation as it is, Poland have to take chances too which will only expose those issues at the back and I am anticipating this being yet another Group H fixture which features at least three goals shared out. Both teams should have chances with the high profile attacking players at their disposal and I think this could be a decent game as an effective 'knock out' fixture with the losing team almost certainly going home.

Some teams may play a little more conservatively under those conditions, but I think the fact both lost their opening game means they will take chances to avoid any draw and I will back at least three goals to be shared out.

MY PICKS: Russia-Egypt Draw @ 3.30 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Portugal - 0.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Uruguay - 2 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Bet365 (2 Units)
Spain - 1.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Denmark-Australia Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.50 Bet Victor (2 Units)
France to Win & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Argentina-Croatia Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Brazil - 1.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Nigeria-Iceland Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.50 William Hill (2 Units)
Serbia-Switzerland Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.60 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Belgium - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Mexico - 0.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Germany Win to Nil @ 2.30 Bet Victor (2 Units)
England - 1.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Senegal @ 2.20 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Poland-Colombia Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Group Stage Round Robin Two Update: 8-7-1, + 1.09 Units (31 Units Staked, + 3.52% Yield)

Group Stage Round Robin One Final: 8-8, + 5.24 Units (28 Units Staked, + 18.71% Yield)