2018 FIFA World Cup is half-way through and about to round

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2 2018 FIFA World Cup is half-way through and about to round off the last matches of the group stage. The action, emotion and drama of the previous few days, however, will remain in memory for a while. England scored six goals past Panama, Belgium netted five against Tunisia, while Brazil and Germany both squeezed through the eye of a needle, notching victories with lastminute strikes. Our predictions for those games were correct alongside many other picks we got right, such as wins for Colombia and Mexico, goals for Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane as well as Over and Under markets in a list of contests. The last three days of the group stage hold some pretty good opportunities too.

3 Titans Look Vulnerable Both Germany and Brazil, the two biggest favorites to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup ahead of the current tournament, have not looked too convincing. Germany, which lost its opening game against Mexico, needed a Toni Kroos wonder-strike with two seconds remaining in added time to snatch its first three points, while Brazil, held to a 1-1 tie by Switzerland in its first contest, only managed to score against Costa Rica in injury time. If Brazil finishes 1st in Group E and Germany comes 2nd in Group F (which is very likely), both will meet in the Round of 16. So odds of +220 for Die Mannschaft to be eliminated in the next round and +300 for Brazil to do so are good value options. You just have to decide, which team will prevail. Our pick? Germany should advance after penalties!. Surprise, Surprise With most of the big guns struggling, some more unusual suspects have stepped up, with two teams standing out in particular. Mexico has been a joy to watch and is on its course to finish top of Group F (-250) ahead of Germany. El Tri has been so effective going forward and solid on the defense, with goalie Guillermo Ochoa currently leading the ongoing competition with 14 saves and a 93.3 save percentage, that backing the team to go far in the tournament is a pretty good idea. Bets on Mexico to get eliminated in the Quarter-final (+400) or in the Semi-final (+900) have great odds, as do the same picks for England - another surprise package of the current competition. A Quarter-finals' exit for the Three Lions goes at +175, while elimination during the Semi-finals currently is at Back The Loser Not all teams have been eliminated yet, so you can still make some lastditch bets on someone's misery. Peru to end up 4th in Group C is at Argentina to finish rock bottom in Group D - a very tempting Costa Rica is almost certain to bow out dead last in Group E, but the odds of have no value, as is the case with South Korea in Group F (-4100). Panama is very unlikely to beat Tunisia in its final contest, so do consider Los Canaleros for the 4th place in Group G. Meanwhile, Poland is no longer available to pick for a bottom-finish, so you can use Group H to bet on the winner. Everything can happen in that group. Still, Colombia to finish 1st after a hard-fought win against Senegal, with Japan drawing versus Poland, is not so unlikely! Pick it up at +220!.

4 NIGERIA TO CONCEDE VS. ARGENTINA (-835) Nigeria has failed to keep a clean sheet in six of its past seven games, while Argentina has registered the 4th highest amount of shots (36) during the current tournament. NO RED CARD IN MEXICO VS. SWEDEN (-555) There have been only three red cards shown during the ongoing campaign (0.09 per game), while both Mexico and Sweden have been quite disciplined so far, combining for just five yellow cards. GERMANY TO WIN VS. SOUTH KOREA (-500) Germany has struggled so far both defensively and on the attack, but will be facing one of the weakest teams of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Needing a win here, Die Mannschaft is set to deliver. OVER 1.5 GOALS IN SERBIA VS. BRAZIL (-335) Brazil has already attempted 43 shots during the current tournament - more than any other team, while the last eight games with the participation of Serbia have averaged 2.50 strikes per contest. OVER 1.5 GOALS IN ENGLAND VS. BELGIUM (-285) Although both sides are very likely to field weaker teams, both still have amazing goalscoring talent to choose from off the bench. Marcus Rashford, Jamie Vardy, Michy Batshuayi. FINAL ODDS: +180

5 Jedinak Keeps Australia Dream Alive TUESDAY, 26 JUNE, :00 AM ET FISHT STADIUM, SOCHI STILL HOPING TO ADVANCE TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGES, AUSTRALIA (36TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) IS MEETING THE ALREADY-ELIMINATED PERU (11TH IN THE WORLD) FOR A MATCHUP IN SOCHI Peru Bow Out With Pride Intact Another quality showing kept Australia in contention to qualify for the Round of 16 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup following a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Denmark at Samara Arena in Samara on Thursday. The game ended the Socceroos' run of four consecutive World Cup defeats, as the team slightly dominated in ball possession (53%) and outshot the Danes 12-9 (with both sides notching four shots on goal each), but still remained winless in five consecutive World Cup fixtures (D1 L4), tying their longest such run in the competition. Australia also failed to keep a clean sheet for the 12th consecutive match in the tournament, posting the longest current streak alongside Saudi Arabia. After converting from the spot in the 2-1 defeat against France in Australia's opener, team captain Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa) scored another penalty to tie the proceedings with seven minutes remaining in the first half following Denmark's opening goal seven minutes into the contest. He has now netted the last three World Cup markers for Australia, including a penalty against the Netherlands four years ago in Brazil. Interestingly, of all teams, that have scored at least 10 goals during the World Cup, the Socceroos have the highest ratio of penalties, with four of their 13 goals coming from the spot (31%) Peru became just the second South American side to be eliminated during the group stage in the last three World Cup tournaments behind Ecuador (2014) after recording its second consecutive 1-0 defeat, this time against France at Ekaterinburg Arena in Ekaterinburg on Thursday. Five days prior, La Blanquirroja had an inspired showing versus Denmark, but missed a penalty and a host of other scoring chances, failing to equalize from tremendous opportunities against France as well, following Les Bleus' 34th-minute strike. Peru has now gone without a win for eight consecutive World Cup games (D2 L6), managing to score just two goals during the process. The team had 57% of ball possession and was given a lot of freedom in the second half, when France, quite bizarrely, decided to sit back. Midfielder Pedro Aquino (Leon), who is yet to score for his national team, had the best chance to level the proceedings after smashing a bullet of a strike off the side of the crossbar. Andre Carillo (Benfica) had a decent opportunity as well, while Jefferson Farfan (Lokomotiv Moscow) only managed to find the sidenetting. During the first two games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Peru has already registered 27 attempts and is just 2nd during the current tournament - behind Morocco (28) - with most shots, but no goals. GAME PREDICTION: Currently sitting 3rd in Group C, tree points behind Denmark and with two strikes separating them in goal differential, Australia can still qualify for the knockout stages after beating Peru, providing France posts a victory versus the Danish Dynamite. Peru, though, will not be an easy opponent. In fact, La Blanquirroja has been one of the best teams during the group stage so far, despite failing to convert on numerous scoring chances, including a penalty. The team was unbeaten in 15 games ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup (W10 D5) and will be willing to end its campaign on a positive note, so that the 43,000 fans, who have traveled to Russia to support Peru, go home with their heads held high. 4DRAW (+225) 4 BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE (-125) 4MILE JEDINAK TO SCORE ANYTIME (NOT YET AVAILABLE)

6 TUESDAY, 26 JUNE, :00 AM ET LUZHNIKI STADIUM, MOSCOW NEEDING A SINGLE POINT TO QUALIFY FOR THE ROUND OF 16, DENMARK (12TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) FACES OFF AGAINST FRANCE (7TH IN THE WORLD), WHICH HAS ALREADY BOOKED A PLACE IN THE KNOCKOUT STAGES Denmark Gets Held By Socceroos Denmark edged closer to reaching their first Round of 16 at a World Cup since 2002 after following up their 1-0 victory against Peru with a hard-fought 1-1 draw versus Australia at Samara Arena in Samara on Thursday. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur), who collected an assist in Danish Dynamite's previous game, opened the scoring this time around, burying a pass from Nicolai Jorgensen (Feyenoord) seven minutes into the contest. The 26-year-old playmaker, who finished the season for Spurs with 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, has now been involved in 18 strikes in his past 15 appearances for Denmark, netting 13 markers, while further assisting on five. France Beats Peru And Qualifies For the sixth time in the last eight appearances in the World Cup, France has managed to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament following a 1-0 victory over Peru at Ekaterinburg Arena in Ekaterinburg on Thursday. Following a lifeless performance during their 2-1 opening-game win against Australia five days earlier, Les Bleus showed a much higher attacking intent in the first half versus the South Americans, but went back to a defensive, wary, inconspicuous approach right after the half-time, gifting the Peruvians 57% of overall ball possession and some decent scoring chances, with Peru even blasting the side of the crossbar at one point. Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig), who scored the winner against Peru five days earlier, though, gave away a penalty for the second consecutive game, handling the ball in his own box, with Australia equalizing from the ensuing spot kick. Poulsen, who scored four times from 18 starts in German Bundesliga this season, will now have to miss Denmark's clash against France, having received two yellow cards. Jorgensen and Pione Sisto (Celta) both missed good opportunities to snatch the Danes a victory, while goalie Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City) finally ended his run of nine hours and 31 minutes without conceding a goal for the Danish Dynamite. Still, a 34th-minute strike by Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), who, at 19 years and 183 days, became the youngest player to ever score a goal for France at a major tournament, was enough for Les Bleus to celebrate their eight-game unbeaten run against South American sides in the World Cup (W4 D4). N'Golo Kante (Chelsea) made a team-high four tackles and interceptions. Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) registered eight clearances, while Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), who was reinstalled in France's starting line-up after coming off the bench against Australia, held the team's offensive line together, creating three scoring chances. GAME PREDICTION: France has already qualified for the Round of 16, while Denmark needs at least a draw to advance ahead of Australia. With that in mind, expect this contest to go the Scandinavians' way. France is likely to rest some key players and has looked too laid-back in its first two fixtures for anyone to expect any extra urgency from it in a game, which will only determine its final position (1st or 2nd) in the group standings. Denmark will be without Yussuf Poulsen (disqualification). But with Christian Eriksen in quite a good form, expect at least a draw from the Danes. 4DRAW NO BET - DENMARK (+175) 4DOUBLE CHANCE (DENMARK WIN/DRAW) (-180)

7 Iceland Gets Hard Done By Nigeria TUESDAY, 26 JUNE, :00 PM ET ROSTOV ARENA, ROSTOV-ON-DON STILL IN THE RACE TO MAKE IT TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGES, ICELAND (22ND IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) MEETS WITH CROATIA (20TH IN THE WORLD), WHICH HAS ALREADY QUALIFIED Croatia Silences Messi, Argentina Iceland's unbeaten group-stage run in major international tournaments (W1 D3) finally came to an end after Nigeria dealt it a 2-0 defeat at Volgograd Arena in Volgograd on Friday. The Nordic boys were entering the contest full of confidence, having earned a sensational 1-1 draw versus Lionel Messi's Argentina in their World Cup opener five days prior. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton) notched two shots on goal in the opening five minutes of the contest, while the team collectively managed to hold the Super Eagles without a single shot during the whole first half. The second period, though, was a different matter, as Nigeria stepped up its tempo and willingness to fight, scoring twice through Ahmed Musa on 49th and 75th minutes. Iceland did get a boost it needed so badly with 10 minutes left on the clock, as Alfred Finnbogason (FC Augsburg) was fouled in Nigeria's box. But the ensuing, VAR-decided penalty, taken by Sigurdsson, went flying high in the air, leaving the Icelanders without a scored goal for the first time in their seven majortournament games. With a win versus Croatia, Iceland still can advance to the knockout stages, providing Nigeria doesn't beat Argentina in the last round of the group stage. Having beaten Nigeria 2-0 in its opening contest of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Croatia booked a place in the knockout stages with another victory in the following game, thrashing Argentina with a score of 3-0 at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday. This is only the second time the Vatreni have reached the Round of 16 in their five World Cup appearances and the first they have managed to beat a side from South America, having failed to do so on four previous occasions. Showing a defensively stubborn performance, Croatia was aided, in no small part, by Argentina's own collapse, as its individual mistakes, lack of confidence and tactical imbalance perfectly played into Zlatko Dalic men's hands. Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), Mario Mandzukic (Juventus) and Ante Rebic (Eintracht Frankfurt) all had decent scoring chances in the first half, with Rebic finally getting on the scoreboard eight minutes into the following period after Argentina goalie Willy Caballero attempted to kick the ball over him, but failed badly, with the 24- year-old winger scoring a magnificent volley. As pressure mounted for La Albiceleste, while its captain Lionel Messi had managed just a single shot attempt, an even more glorious goal from the Croatians followed at the 80th-minute mark, with Luka Modric (Real Madrid) netting a spectacular long-range effort. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) rounded off the rout with his team's third strike in stoppage time. GAME PREDICTION: Things are very complicated in Group D now. Iceland has a good chance to advance to the knockout stages, but only with a win, with different scenarios also coming into play regarding Argentina's clash with Nigeria. Still, a win is a must for the Nordic boys, and, preferably, by a considerable goal-margin. Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic, whose team has already qualified for the Round of 16, has confirmed he will rest some key players. And while Iceland's previous record versus the Vatreni is quite poor (W1 D1 L4), it still managed to beat Croatia in their very last meeting during the World Cup qualifiers, netting a 90th-minute goal versus a team with Luka Modric, Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Perisic in the line-up. 4DRAW NO BET - ICELAND (+140) 4 DOUBLE CHANCE (ICELAND WIN/DRAW) (-180)

8 TUESDAY, 26 JUNE, :00 PM ET SAINT PETERSBURG STADIUM, ST. PETERSBURG A MUST-WIN GAME FOR ARGENTINA (5TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) SEES LIONEL MESSI & CO. FACE OFF AGAINST NIGERIA (48TH IN THE WORLD), WHO THEMSELVES WILL BE KEEN TO QUALIFY WITH AT LEAST A DRAW Musa Lifts Nigeria Past Iceland Following a disappointing showing during the 2-0 defeat against Croatia in its 2018 FIFA World Cup opener, Nigeria needed a result in the following fixture. And, boy, did the Super Eagles delivered, beating Iceland with a count of 2-0 at Volgograd Arena in Volgograd on Friday. The first half was a downer, as Nigeria became the first team during the current tournament without a single attempt on goal in the first 45 minutes. The second period, though, turned into an African party, as the Super Eagles came out with a winning mentality, scored two goals, saw Iceland miss a penalty with 10 minutes remaining and bagged only their second victory in the past 14 World Cup games. Pint-sized striker Ahmed Musa (Leicester City), who scored six goals and notched three assists in 10 contests while on loan at CSKA Moscow this season, was the star performer. Making his first start during the current tournament, the 25-year-old scored a beauty of a half-volley from a cross by Victor Moses (Chelsea) four minutes into the second half, rang the post moments later before whizzing past Iceland's goalkeeper to bury his second strike of the day with 15 minutes remaining on the clock. With four markers in all past World Cup appearances, Musa has now become Nigeria's all-time top scorer at the world's biggest tournament. Argentina Fails As Messi Struggles It was a night to forget for Argentina at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday, as the two-time World champions encountered their worst World Cup group stage defeat since losing 6-1 against Czechoslovakia in 1958, being beaten 3-0 by feisty Croatia. After disappointingly drawing 1-1 in their opening fixture against Iceland five days earlier, when star-attraction Lionel Messi (Barcelona) missed a penalty, all eyes where on La Albiceleste's captain, who looked a beaten man even before the game started, stressfully rubbing his forehead during the playback of Argentina's national anthem. With his biggest foe Cristiano Ronaldo flying high for Portugal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Messi appeared unable to deal with the pressure brought upon him, looking like a shadow of a man who, by many, is considered the greatest soccer player that has ever lived. After registering 11 attempts against Iceland, he managed just one shot versus the Vatreni, and even that one only after 64 minutes of largely anonymous display. Messi's disorganized teammates were hardly helping their captain either, with goalie Willy Caballero (Chelsea) gifting the Croatians their first goal after a mad attempt to chip the ball over the opposing forward. Two more goals followed, leaving the team with even more pressure now. GAME PREDICTION: Having earned a single point from the first two outings, Argentina is currently sitting dead last in Group D, with Croatia (6 points) already through to the knockout stages, Nigeria (3 points) in excellent position to advance, and Iceland (1 point) with a better goal difference. Nothing but a win (preferably - by quite a few goals) will do for Lionel Messi & Co. here. Which brings us to the most important question - can La Albiceleste actually deliver when under pressure? It has not managed to do that in the previous two outings and will now face a determined African team, which will be dying to get through to the Round of 16 for the second consecutive World Cup and has already beaten Argentina on two of the past four occasions. 4DRAW NO BET - NIGERIA (+320) 4DOUBLE CHANCE (NIGERIA WIN/DRAW) (+110)

9 WEDNESDAY, 27 JUNE, :00 AM ET EKATERINBURG ARENA, EKATERINBURG STILL NOT GUARANTEED A PLACE IN THE ROUND OF 16, MEXICO (15TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) WILL TRY TO QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD CUP KNOCKOUT STAGES, POSTING AT LEAST A DRAW AGAINST SWEDEN (24TH IN THE WORLD) Mexico Deals With South Korea Sweden Loses A Thriller Versus Germany Mexico edged closer to their seventh consecutive appearance in the Round of 16 of the World Cup after expertly beating South Korea with a count of 2-1 at Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on Saturday. Following an incredible 1-0 counter-attacking win over Germany six days prior, El Tri faced a much more defensive side in the Taegeuk Warriors, who stood firm until a penalty decision went Mexico's way after 26 minutes of play. Having converted that, El Tri guaranteed themselves some breathing space before adding their second strike of the day, with South Korea rounding off the scoring with a consolation goal three minutes into stoppage time. Carlos Vela, who has bagged seven goals in 12 appearances for Los Angeles FC this season, hammered home the penalty, while Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (West Ham United) scored Mexico's winner 21 minutes into the second half, netting his all-time leading 50th goal for his national team. It was Chicharito's fourth strike on the World Cup stage, tying him with Luis Hernandez for an El Tri record. The goal also made him just the third Mexican (after Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Rafael Marquez) to score at three different World Cups. Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven) picked up an assist, while Carlos Salcedo (Eintracht Frankfurt) blocked a game-high six shots. A dramatic night turned into a disaster for Sweden at Fisht Stadium in Sochi on Saturday, when the team lost to Germany with a score of 2-1 in the very dying seconds of the game. Having beaten South Korea with an Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar) penalty in their opening match five days earlier, Blagult exposed Die Mannschaft's defensive weaknesses early on, scoring on a counter-attack after the halfhour mark, only for Germany to come back more focused in the second half, netting an equalizer on the 48th minute and grabbing a win with an amazing strike by Toni Kroos following a free-kick with just two seconds remaining in stoppage time. Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig) had a decent early chance to score, while Marcus Berg (Al Ain), who led Sweden's qualifying campaign with eight goals, had a pretty strong claim for a penalty denied after being brought down in Germany's box. It was not until the 32nd minute, though, when Sweden finally managed to find the back of the net, with a pass by Viktor Claesson (Krasnodar) giving Ola Toivonen (Toulouse) his 14th international strike. The 31-year-old forward failed to score from 19 shots in 23 appearances in French Ligue 1 this season, but converted on his second shot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Goalie Robin Olsen (Copenhagen), meanwhile, ended his shutout streak of 548 minutes after keeping five consecutive clean sheets previously, GAME PREDICTION: All teams in Group F still have a chance to qualify for the knockout stages. And while Mexico, leading the bunch with six points, only need a draw to go through, expect El Tri not to take any chances here. Another solid showing is pretty much on the cards for the Mexicans, with Sweden about to face one of the most impressive sides of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Blagult has lost just twice versus Mexico in their previous nine meetings (W4 D3 L2), but is up against a team on a mission. 4MEXICO TO WIN (+140) 4UNDER 2.5 GOALS (-155)

10 WEDNESDAY, 27 JUNE, :00 AM ET KAZAN ARENA, KAZAN ON LEVEL POINTS (3) AND GOAL DIFFERENCE (0) WITH SWEDEN, GERMANY (1ST IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) WILL TRY TO SQUEEZE THROUGH TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGES WHILE FACING SOUTH KOREA (57TH IN THE WORLD), HOPING THE SCANDINAVIANS LOSE AGAINST MEXICO South Korea Fails To Handle Mexico Germany Stuns Sweden With Late Winner South Korea lost its second consecutive match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and its joint-record fourth straight in the tournament in total after dropping a 2-1 decision against Mexico at Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on Saturday. The Taegeuk Warriors were entering the contest on the back of an uninspired 1-0 loss to Sweden in their opening game five days earlier and had to withstand an early attacking threat from El Tri, who finally got on the scoreboard after Jang Hyun- Soo (FC Tokyo) handled the ball in his own box after 26 minutes of play, gifting the opponents a penalty. Mexico scored its second marker in the following half, while Son Heung-Min netted for South Korea in the dying seconds of the game. The 25-year-old forward, who collected 18 goals and six assists in all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur this season, had a disappointing game against Sweden, failing to register a single shot, but did step up versus El Tri. Son Heung-Min attempted six of his team's eight shots in the first half and finished the game with a goal, eight attempts, three crosses, two shots on target and four key passes. It was South Korea's sixth loss in its last eight overall contests (W1 D1 L6) and the first time the team managed to find the back of the net in its last four fixtures. Late drama ensued at Fisht Stadium in Sochi on Saturday, as reigning World champions Germany spared blushes after snatching a last-second 2-1 victory over Sweden. Die Mannschaft had lost 1-0 to Mexico six days earlier in their 2018 World Cup opener and was reported to have had internal issues following the defeat, with factions building within the squad. Losing 1-0 after the first half against Sweden definitely didn't help matters, with Germany on course to become the fourth champions in the past five tournaments to exit during the group stage. Still, an improved performance in the second half saw the Germans equalize right after the interval and score a stunning winner with two seconds left in stoppage time. Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), brought into the starting line-up in place of Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), made it 1-1 on the 48th minute and also notched an assist on the winning free-kick strike by Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), who netted in the dying seconds of the contest after Germany had to play with 10 men following a second yellow card to Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), who was sent off with eight minutes remaining on the clock. Kroos, whose clumsy pass gave away Sweden's first-half opener, recorded a team-high four shot attempts. Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) created three scoring chances, while Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) excelled with 13 crosses - almost twice as many as any other player on the field. GAME PREDICTION: Germany has already beaten South Korea in two previous World Cups, notching a 3-2 group-stage win in 1994, while also posting a 1-0 triumph in the Semi-final in And it really looks like it is going to be three out of three. Die Mannschaft has struggled defensively during the current tournament and is yet to show its full potential, but South Korea has impressed even less, overly relying on Son Heung-Min, who himself has not really had the best of showings so far. \ 4GERMANY TO WIN (-500) 4GERMANY CLEAN SHEET (-145) 4GERMANY TO WIN WITH CORRECT SCORES OF 2-0 (+425) OR 3-0 (+475)

11 WEDNESDAY, 27 JUNE, :00 PM ET SPARTAK STADIUM, MOSCOW WITH ELIMINATION STILL POSSIBLE FOR BOTH TEAMS, BRAZIL (2ND IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) CONFRONTS SERBIA (34TH IN THE WORLD) IN A CRUCIAL FINAL MATCHUP OF GROUP E Serbia Fails Versus La Nati What started so well for Serbia turned into a last-minute nightmare, as Switzerland presented the Balkan nation with a painful 2-1 defeat at Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad on Friday. Entering the contest on the back of a 1-0 win against Costa Rica in their 2018 FIFA World Cup opener, knowing that a win against La Nati will cruise them through to the knockout stages before the last Group E meeting against Brazil, the Eagles started tremendously. They were a constant threat during the first 45 minutes, netting a header just five minutes into the contest, but couldn't prevent Switzerland from hosting a comeback in the following period, allowing goals on 52nd and 90th minutes. Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle) headed home Serbia's opener, collecting his 18th strike in 26 outings both while on loan at Fulham and for his national team in The 23-year-old has now been involved in 15 goals in his past 15 starts for the Eagles, scoring 13 times, while assisting on further two snipes. Mitrovic also led the team with six shot attempts and won a game-high eight aerial battles. Dusan Tadic (Southampton) registered a helper, created three scoring chances and delivered a team-high six crosses, while defender Branislav Ivanovic (Zenit Saint Petersburg) made five clearances. It was Serbia's sixth consecutive loss in World Cup games, during which they have conceded. Brazil Squeezes To Last-Minute Win Brazil recorded its first victory of the 2018 FIFA World Cup after a couple of injury-time goals helped the team to overcome a resilient Costa Rica side with a 2-0 final score at Saint Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg on Friday. Coming into the fixture after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Switzerland five days earlier, Selecao gave up just three shots throughout the whole game (all in the opening 15 minutes; none on target) and took charge of the game from the start, controlling 72% of ball possession, notching 22 shot attempts and having 10 shots on goal. Costa Rica's defensive system, though, was as solid as ever, with the game's only strikes coming on 91st and 97th minutes. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) hit the crossbar with a header in the second half, but it was Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona) who opened the scoring for Brazil for the second straight contest, slotting home a pass from Jesus one minute into stoppage time. All eyes, however, were mostly on Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), who, after being fouled 10 times by Switzerland five days earlier, had another depressing afternoon. Los Ticos fouled him four times, he had numerous arguments with the referee and even had a penalty denied by VAR after trying to sell a slight pull on his shirt as a foul with 12 minutes remaining. Eventually, he did find the back of the net in the dying moments of the game and has now been involved in 18 goals in his last 17 appearances for Brazil (10 strikes, eight assists). GAME PREDICTION: With Switzerland expected to beat Costa Rica, this one is crucial for both sides. Brazil would go through with a draw, as would Serbia, providing Costa Rica beats La Nati by two goals. Don't expect a boring match, though. Either team is more than capable on the offensive end and will provide different problems to each other. Serbia's aerial threat is its main weapon, while Brazil's youthful, pacy offense could cause serious damage to the aging defensive core of its opponent. The previous meeting between the two sides finished with a 1-0 win for Brazil four years ago during a friendly. 4BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE (+110) 4NEYMAR TO SCORE ANYTIME (-120)

12 WEDNESDAY, 27 JUNE, :00 PM ET NIZHNY NOVGOROD STADIUM, NIZHNY NOVGOROD NEEDING AT LEAST A DRAW TO QUALIFY FOR THE ROUND OF 16, SWITZERLAND (6TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) TAKES ON THE ALREADY-ELIMINATED COSTA RICA (23RD IN THE WORLD) Switzerland Stuns Serbia Switzerland became the first team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup to register a victory after conceding the first goal, beating Serbia with a score of 2-1 at Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad on Friday. Having battled hard to earn a 1-1 draw against Brazil in their opening contest of the current tournament, La Nati found themselves completely outplayed in the first half by the aggressive Serbs, who opened the scoring just after the first five minutes. With forward Haris Seferovic (Benfica), who managed just five touches in the opening period, taken off after the half-time for Mario Gavranovic (Dinamo Zagreb), the team regrouped in the second half, though, netting twice, taking its impressive recent run to W17 D6 L1 in its last 24 overall matches. Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) equalized on the 52nd minute with a thunderbolt from the edge of the box, while Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City) buried the winner on a breakaway right before the stoppage time. Both Xhaka and Shaqiri have roots in Kosovo, where a Serbian crackdown on the Albanian population only ended with NATO military intervention in Both were booed by Serbian fans, while some tension with the Serbian players was also visible. Both did, however, have the last laugh, although it is still not clear if FIFA will probe the "Albanian eagle" celebration of both players, potentially giving them a two-match ban for making a political statement in a game. Costa Rica Gets Eliminated Boasting the oldest squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup with an average age of almost 30-years, Costa Rica failed to chase their younger opponents, being eliminated from the competition after a 2-0 last-minute loss to Brazil at Saint Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg on Friday. After reaching the Quarter-finals in the tournament's previous edition in Brazil four years ago, frustrating the likes of Italy, England and Uruguay along the way, Los Ticos have now lost both opening matches of the ongoing competition (also posting a 1-0 defeat versus Serbia) and are winless in their last five World Cup fixtures altogether (D3 L2). Still, it was a decent defensive performance against Brazil, with Neymar & Co. only managing to score their two strikes in stoppage time. Giancarlo Gonzalez (Bologna) notched a game-high seven clearances. Johnny Acosta (Rionegro Aguilas) blocked a couple of shots, while goalie Keylor Navas (Real Madrid) was once again solid and composed in front of the net for Los Ticos, making a total of seven saves. Costa Rica controlled the ball just 28% of the time, managing to muster just three shots - all of them in the first 15 minutes of the game; none of them on target. Celso Borges (Deportivo La Coruna) had the best scoring chance from a delivery by Cristian Gamboa (Celtic), but fired well wide GAME PREDICTION: Switzerland has a brilliant defense. But, in the previous game against Serbia, it also showed its offensive potential and will not be holding back against Costa Rica, which has already been eliminated from the tournament. Keylor Navas has been excellent in the net for Los Ticos, but is unlikely to keep a clean sheet here against an opposition, which needs a win to go further. 4SWITZERLAND TO WIN (-130) 4SWITZERLAND CLEAN SHEET (-105)

13 THURSDAY, 28 JUNE, :00 AM ET VOLGOGRAD ARENA, VOLGOGRAD HAVING A REALISTIC CHANCE TO QUALIFY FOR THE ROUND OF 16, JAPAN (61ST IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) FACES OFF AGAINST POLAND (8TH IN THE WORLD), WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN ELIMINATED Japan Continues To Gather Points After starting the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 victory against 10-men Colombia, Japan continued its inspiring form in the following fixture, earning a well-deserved 2-2 draw versus Senegal at Ekaterinburg Arena in Ekaterinburg on Sunday. Controlling the ball 57% of the time, the Samurai Blue had to recover from two separate deficits, but managed to tie the game on both occasions, creating a good number of other scoring chances as well. After finishing the previous World Cup four years ago in Brazil during the group stage with a single point, the Asians have now got a good chance to advance to the knockout stages for the first time since Takashi Inui (Real Betis) tied the game at 1-1 with 11 minutes remaining in the first half after a poor clearance by goalie Eiji Kawashima (Metz) gifted the Lions of Teranga their opening goal. Yuya Osako (Werder Bremen), who netted in Japan's previous outing versus Colombia, had an excellent chance to score in the second period, while Inui hit the crossbar. Eventually, though, it was Keisuke Honda (Pachuca) who buried the Samurai Blue's follow-up strike, equalizing on the 78th minute. Honda has now become the only Japanese player to score at three different World Cups and, netting his 37th international marker, has tied Hiromi Hara for 4th place on Japan's all-time goalscorers list. Poland Heads For The Exit Poland became the first European nation to be eliminated from the 2018 FIFA World Cup after dropping a 3-0 decision against Colombia at Kazan Arena in Kazan on Sunday. After an impressive showing at the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament two years ago, when they reached the Quarter-finals, and a solid qualifying campaign for the current tournament (W8 D1 L1), the White and Reds have been a disappointment in Russia. A 2-1 defeat versus Senegal in its opening game was a disaster, while the crucial fixture against Colombia, with both teams entering the contest without a win, was another dud, giving the team its fourth defeat in the last seven overall matches (W2 D1 L4). Robert Lewandowski, who scored 41 goals for Bayern Munich in all competitions this season and led the European qualifying phase with 16 markers, having netted one more than Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, can definitely view his World Cup debut as a failure. Having attempted just two shots in Poland's previous outing against Senegal, he struck five this time around, with two second-period moments - a breakaway and a quality long-range effort - being Poland's best scoring chances. Other than that, it was a drab night for the Poles, who failed to provide their star striker with enough opportunities. GAME PREDICTION: Japan has been really impressive during the 2018 FIFA World Cup so far. Considered the outsider of Group H ahead of the tournament, it has shown great team work, has created numerous scoring chances and has excelled with positive mentality. Poland, on the other had, has been awful. Despite being one of eight seeded teams in the competition, it has lacked ambition and urgency, and is about to face a side it has never won a game against, with Japan beating the Poles 5-0 in 1996 during the Carlsberg Cup and notching a 2-0 win against them in a friendly six years later.. 4DRAW NO BET - JAPAN (-145) 4DOUBLE CHANCE (JAPAN WIN/DRAW) (-330) 4BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE (-130)

14 Senegal Ties It With Japan THURSDAY, 28 JUNE, :00 AM ET SAMARA ARENA, SAMARA WITH THE WINNER CERTAIN TO QUALIFY FOR THE ROUND OF 16, THE MATCHUP BETWEEN COLOMBIA (16TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) AND SENEGAL (27TH IN THE WORLD) IS GUARANTEED TO DELIVER THE GOODS Colombia Steps Up Versus Poland Senegal continued to impress in only its second World Cup campaign after drawing 2-2 against Japan at Ekaterinburg Arena in Ekaterinburg on Sunday. Building on the impressive 2-1 win versus Poland in their opening fixture five days earlier, the Lions of Teranga once again got on the scoreboard twice, but failed to contain the hard-working Asians, who managed to tie the proceedings on both occasions. While controlling the ball just 43% of the time, Senegal outshot Japan 15-7, notching seven shots on goal, with M'Baye Niang (Torino), who scored the winner against Poland, registering three of them. Niang also collected an assist, setting up Senegal's second goal, scored by 19-year-old rightback Moussa Wague (Eupen), who became only the second teenager to score at the 2018 FIFA World Cup (after France's Kylian Mbappe). Sadio Mane (Liverpool), meanwhile, netted Senegal's opener after Japan's goalie Eiji Kawashima accidentally hit the ball straight into him while trying to clear it 11 minutes into the contest. Interestingly, the Lions of Teranga have never lost a game when Mane has found the back of the net, recording nine victories and six draws with him on the scoreboard. After a loss in its opening game, Colombia went straight back in contention to advance to the Round of 16 in the following fixture, registering an impressive 3-0 victory over Poland at Kazan Arena in Kazan on Sunday. Playing with 10 men for the majority of the game due to a red card, Los Cafeteros lost 2-1 against Japan last Tuesday, but managed to bounce back with a top performance five days later, recording their third win in the last five World Cup meetings with European teams (W3 L2). Yerry Mina (Barcelona), Radamel Falcao (Monaco) and Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) all scored. James Rodriguez (Real Madrid) banked two assists, while Juan Quintero (River Plate), who got on the scoresheet against Japan, collected a helper. Mina headed home Colombia's opener with five minutes remaining in the first half, registering his fourth strike for his national team. Falcao, who missed Los Cafeteros previous World Cup campaign four years ago because of an injury, netted his debut strike on global soccer's biggest stage in the following period, burying his country's alltime leading 30th marker. Cuadrado, meanwhile, scored with 15 minutes left on the clock and has now been involved in six goals in seven World Cup appearances, netting two, while assisting on further four. Only Rodriguez has done better, taking part in 10 goals in seven World Cup contests (6 goals, 4 assists). GAME PREDICTION: Now, THIS is going to be fun! As unpredictable games go, this one is right up there with the best. Both stand a good chance of snatching a victory, while a draw is not really out of the question either, with the only previous meeting between the two sides finishing as a fun 2-2 stalemate four years ago. Instead of betting on the winner, though, concentrate on the goals in this one. Five of the last seven outings of Colombia have produced at least three strikes, while three of the last four contests with the participation of Senegal have ended up exactly the same. 4OVER 2.5 GOALS (+100) 4BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE (-110)