Are you ready for the next four days? We definitely are!

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2 So, all of the teams have finally played their first games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and some have already gone through their second ones. Some (like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Morocco) have already been eliminated, while others (like Russia and Uruguay) have already qualified for the Round of 16 with one game to spare. And while the tournament continued to deliver some serious surprises (Japan's victory over Colombia, anyone?), we didn't hold back on some pretty good picks, with victories for Spain, Belgium, England and Sweden (among others) well predicted, goals from Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo and a double from Romelu Lukaku foreseen, not to mention some other good winning thanks to Poland and Colombia both finding the back of the net, Belgium keeping a clean sheet and England and Tunisia combining for Under 3.5 goals. Are you ready for the next four days? We definitely are!

3 Penalty Bonanza Current tournament in Russia is the first World Cup to implement the video assistant referee (VAR), which, inevitably, has brought a much more closer look at the proceedings in the penalty area. And while not all penalty decisions during the ongoing competition have stemmed from the post-action video reviews, the tournament has seen a lot of attempts from the spot. In the first 21 contests during the group stage, the referees have awarded 11 penalties, more than one each two contests. So, partly, of course, thanks to VAR, the 2018 campaign is way on its course to break the current World Cup record for most penalties awarded during the entire competition (18). Not all bookies offer odds on penalty decisions, but if you find one, they should normally trend at around +250 to Not a bad option to consider for each game, really. Big Guns Get Hurt Alongside Argentina's draw with Iceland in their Group D opener, Groups E and F have arguably seen the biggest upsets. Beating up Neymar to a pulp (well, almost!), Switzerland expertly contained the attacking threat of Brazil, notching an unexpected 1-1 tie with the Selecao. Germany, meanwhile, had a rare off-day, being edged by Mexico with a count of 1-0. Brazil still stands a pretty good chance at finishing 1st in Group E (-150) - it has the offensive capabilites to score a lot against Costa Rica and should get at least a draw versus Serbia, with goal-difference likely to play a huge part in the final standings. Germany, though, is now likely to end up 2nd in Group F (+100), with Mexico running away with the 1st place (-135). The surest bet? South Korea to finish bottom of Group F (-120). Strikers Do The Job If you ignored the obvious pick of Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal's top scorer, which before the tournament was trending at -165, well... Tough luck! We did warn you it's a pick to grab without thinking. The 33-yearold scoring machine has already banked four strikes in his first two contests and is currently at to end up the most productive Portuguese player. There are still better odds on some other scorers, though, with Romelu Lukaku for Belgium (-200), Antoine Griezmann for France (+140) and Luis Suarez for Uruguay (+130) all decent and realistic options. Better yet, Neymar is still at an inviting +175 to end the tournament as the top scorer for Brazil, while Germany, which is yet to net a single strike, has some pretty decent offers as well, with Timo Werner (+200) and Thomas Muller (+400) both presenting excellent odds.

4 BELGIUM TO WIN VS. TUNISIA (-285) England had plenty of chances to score against Tunisia, but managed to find the net on just two occasions. The difference between England and Belgium is that the Red Devils don't normally squander their opportunities. OVER 1.5 GOALS IN ENGLAND VS. PANAMA (-330) Panama conceded six goals against Switzerland in a friendly back in March and three versus Belgium in its World Cup opener. Facing off against England, which seems to have regained its scoring swagger, does not promise a positive outcome for Los Canaleros. GERMANY TO WIN VS. SWEDEN (-220) Having posted 11 victories in the past 12 competitive games against Sweden (not counting friendlies), Germany is on its way to record the 12th in the last 13. Having dropped its previous outing versus Mexico, Die Mannschaft will not need any extra motivation. OVER 1.5 GOALS IN JAPAN VS. SENEGAL (-220) At least two goals have been scored in seven of the past nine contests with the participation of Senegal, while the last eight outings, featuring Japan, have averaged 3.25 goals per game. Two goals between them? Easy. UNDER 3.5 GOALS IN SPAIN VS. MOROCCO (-285) With Morocco having conceded just eight strikes in its last 18 games and Spain struggling against defensively astute teams (1-1 versus Germany and Switzerland, 1-0 against Tunisia and Iran), this is not going to be a goal-fest. FINAL ODDS: +400

5 FRIDAY, 22 JUNE, :00 AM ET SAINT PETERSBURG STADIUM, ST. PETERSBURG FOLLOWING A DISAPPOINTING DRAW AGAINST SWITZERLAND, FIVE-TIME WORLD CHAMPIONS BRAZIL (2ND IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) WILL TRY TO GET BACK ON TRACK IN THEIR SECOND GROUP GAME, MEETING UP WITH COSTA RICA (23RD IN THE WORLD) Brazil Gets Held By Resilient Swiss Costa Rica Fails To Get Past Serbia Brazil, the absolute favorites to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup before the tournament began, started their newest campaign on a downer, managing just a 1-1 draw against stubborn Switzerland at Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on Sunday. It was the first time in the last 10 World Cup appearances the five-time world champions failed to win their opening match, as Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona) curled in a long-range beauty on the 20th minute, only for the Swiss to come back with an equalizer following a corner kick five minutes into the second half. Although it appeared Switzerland's Steven Zuber, who headed the goal, pushed defender Miranda (Inter Milan) ahead of the strike, no VAR review was ever made. Despite registering a total of 21 attempts, Brazil only managed five shots on target, going without one for 57 minutes after Coutinho's snipe. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) led the team with two shots on goal and four key passes, while also drawing more than half of Switzerland's 19 fouls, being pushed, kicked and tackled on 10 occasions. Casemiro (Real Madrid) made three interceptions, Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain) - five clearances, while Miranda won a team-high three aerials. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) and Willian (Chelsea), Neymar's attacking partners, though, failed to ignite any spark, with only substitute Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) delivering a good headed chance at the end of the game. Four years ago in Brazil, Costa Rica surprised everybody, topping a group, consisting of previous World Cup winners England, Italy and Uruguay, and reaching the Quarter-finals subsequently, only to be eliminated by the Netherlands during the penalty shootout. This time around, though, the team's chances of advancing past the group stage have started to look grim, following a narrow 1-0 defeat against Serbia at Samara Arena in Samara on Sunday. It was a pretty equal matchup, with Los Ticos controlling 52% of ball possession and both teams having 10 attempts and three shots on goal each. A second-period goal from a free-kick, though, was all the Serbs needed to win, handing Costa Rica its first 90-minute defeat in the last six World Cup games. Giancarlo Gonzalez (Bologna), Cristian Gamboa (Celtic) and Marco Urena (Los Angeles FC) all registered shots on goal, with Gonzalez's unmarked firstperiod header over the crossbar being the best chance the team had during the whole contest. Boasting the second oldest squad in the tournament and fielding a starting eleven with an average age of 30 years, Costa Rica remained competitive, but looked a shadow of the team that stunned the global stage of soccer four years ago. After registering their first two shots on goal in the first three minutes of the game, Los Ticos waited another 88 to deliver their third, failing to test Serbia often enough. GAME PREDICTION: A 1-1 draw against Switzerland was definitely no the start Brazil was hoping for to kick off its 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign. The team should, however, do just fine in the following fixture. The Selecao has already met Costa Rica on 10 previous occasions, beating Los Ticos on nine of them (W9 L1). And while the very last two meetings between the two sides have finished with modest 1-0 victories for Brazil, expect the young and flashy South Americans to cause considerable trouble to an ageing group of Costa Ricans, who during the outing against Serbia definitely didn't resemble the same team that went to the World Cup Quarter-finals four years ago. 4BRAZIL TO WIN (-500) 4 BRAZIL TO WIN AND OVER 1.5 GOALS (-285) 4BRAZIL CLEAN SHEET (-220)

6 Nigeria Doesn't Show Up FRIDAY, 22 JUNE, :00 AM ET VOLGOGRAD ARENA, VOLGOGRAD A STUNNING DRAW VERSUS ARGENTINA BRINGS TOURNAMENT NEWCOMERS ICELAND (22ND IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) TO A CLASH AGAINST NIGERIA (48TH IN THE WORLD), WHICH HAD A DISAPPOINTING SHOWING AGAINST CROATIA Iceland Kills Another Giant Although Nigeria's new Nike kit made all the headlines, selling out after three million pre-orders, the team's actual performance during its 2018 FIFA World Cup opener was hardly worth a mention, as the Super Eagles were anything BUT superb in a 2-0 defeat against Croatia at Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad last Saturday. Boasting a squad with 18 players without any experience on soccer's biggest stage, the young Nigeria side looked subdued and dispirited, despite facing a Croatia team that failed to inject any spark into the proceedings itself. After the first half finished with a 1-0 lead for the Vatreni due to an owngoal by Nigeria, the Super Eagles had to wait another 14 minutes to register their first shot on goal, while Croatia's first attempt on target came from the penalty spot, extending its lead to 2-0 on the 71st minute. Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai), on his 29th birthday, and Leon Balogun (Brighton Hove & Albion) both had decent headed chances, while Victor Moses (Chelsea) looked dangerous when delivering set-pieces. Ironically, though, it was Oghenekaro Etebo, the scorer of Nigeria's own goal, who had the best night for the Super Eagles. The 22-year-old midfielder, who just joined English Championship side Stoke City from the Portuguese outfit Feirense, created an excellent scoring chance for Moses in the second period, completed a team-high 92.5% of all his passes and was a rare bright spot in an otherwise gloomy Nigerian squad. Iceland, the smallest nation to ever participate in the World Cup, lived up to its giant-killers reputation, holding favorites Argentina to a 1-1 draw at Spartak Stadium in Moscow last Saturday. The Nordic boys, who famosly eliminated England during the Round of 16 on their European championship debut two years ago in France, already had frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo, posting a 1-1 tie with Portugal at the UEFA Euro Now it was Lionel Messi's turn, as his captained Argentina failed to break through Iceland's rugged defense, with Messi himself missing a crucial second-half penalty, which was well saved by goalie Hannes Halldorsson (Randers), who stopped a total of seven shots. Alfred Finnbogason, who netted 12 strikes for Augsburg in German Bundesliga this season, made history by scoring Iceland's first ever World Cup goal just four minutes after Argentina opened the scoring at the 19thminute mark. And while the Icelanders failed to register a single shot in the second period, with La Albiceleste bombarding them with 16 second-half attempts (and 27 overall), it was not all about defense for the Nordic minnows. Gylfi Sirgudsson (Everton) registered one of Iceland's two shots on target, while Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa) failed to convert on an excellent chance early on in the game. GAME PREDICTION: The performance by Nigeria in its 2018 FIFA World Cup opener against Croatia was quite a disappointment, with the team unable to tune in the second gear. The fact, that 18 players of the current squad have never played in the World Cup before, is also no excuse, as Iceland, for example, is making its tournament debut and, versus Argentina, looked a side full of vigour, grit and focus. A much better performance by the Super Eagles is expected, but don't underestimate the Nordic boys. 4DRAW (+205) 4BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE (+100)

7 Serbia Downs Costa Rica An encouraging performance saw Serbia go top in Group E following a 1-0 win over Costa Rica at Samara Arena in Samara on Sunday after Brazil managed to squeeze out just a 1-1 draw against Switzerland later that day. Entering the 2018 FIFA World Cup with just a single victory in its last six matches on the world soccer's biggest stage and two consecutive opening-day defeats as an independent nation following the break up of Yugoslavia, the Eagles did just enough to overcome the hard-working Central Americans, with captain Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma) netting an incredible free-kick at the 56th-minute mark. The 32- year-old left-back finished Italian Serie A with two goals and eight assists, adding a further strike and three helpers in the Champions League. It was a pretty even contest between the two sides, with Serbia enjoying 48% of ball possession and both teams having 10 attempts and three shots on goal each. Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle) had some of Serbia's better chances, while attacking midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio) turned in a fine performance of his own, leading the team with three key passes. With a skilled and youthful attacking personnel and experienced defense, which also features 104-time capped Branislav Ivanovic (Zenit Saint Petersburg) and managed to hold Costa Rica without a shot on goal for 88 minutes after allowing two in the first three, Serbia has a lot to be happy about. Switzerland Frustrates Brazil Switzerland managed to live up to its 6th-place position in FIFA World Rankings after holding Brazil, the absolute favorites to lift the 2018 FIFA World Cup before the tournament began, to a 1-1 draw at Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on Sunday. Hardly famos for its attacking flair, La Nati disposed of Brazil's offensive potential with a hard-tackling, well-executed defensive approach, holding the flashy South Americans without a single shot on goal for 57 minutes after they opened the scoring on the 20th minute. Brazil had the majority of ball possession (55%) and attacking threat, outshooting the Swiss 21-6, having a 5-2 edge in shots on target. Still, Switzerland recovered more balls (56-51), made way more tackles (17-4) and led in blocked shots (7-0), with Fabian Schar (Deportivo La Coruna) and Stephan Lichtsteiner (Arsenal) responsible for a couple each. Steven Zuber (1899 Hoffenheim) scored Switzerland's second-period equalizer, heading the ball home after a corner kick, and has now been involved in six goals in his last six starts for his national team, collecting four strikes and two assists. Valon Behrami (Udinese), who became the first Swiss player to feature in four different World Cups, meanwhile, was the ticker of La Nati midfield. He made a total of five tackles and two interceptions, completed a team-high 93.3% of his passes and kept Neymar, Brazil's star attraction, who was fouled on whole 10 occasions throughout the contest, relatively subdued for the whole 70 minutes Behrami was on the pitch. GAME PREDICTION: Facing Switzerland is an excruciating experience, as La Nati are so well organized defensively that any attacking plan against them normally ends up with frustration for the opposing team. Serbia didn't look too bad defensively itself during its 2018 FIFA World Cup opener against Costa Rica, boasting an experienced personnel at the back, so this one could easily turn out to be one of those 0-0 draws, with neither team creating much when it comes to the final third. Switzerland has tied half of its last six fixtures, while Serbia has posted a clean sheet in four of its past eight overall outings. FRIDAY, 22 JUNE, :00 PM ET KALININGRAD STADIUM, KALININGRAD AFTER HOLDING BRAZIL TO A 1-1 DRAW, SWITZERLAND (6TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) WILL HAVE LOTS OF OPTIMISM AHEAD OF THEIR MEETING WITH SERBIA (34TH IN THE WORLD), WHICH OPENED ITS CURRENT CAMPAIGN WITH A WIN 4DRAW (+200) 4CORRECT SCORE OF 0-0 (+450) 4UNDER 0.5 GOALS (+525) 4DRAW AND UNDER 1.5 GOALS (+575)

8 Red Devils Slaughter Panama SATURDAY, 23 JUNE, :00 AM ET SPARTAK STADIUM, MOSCOW HAVING EARNED THREE POINTS DURING ITS OPENING GAME AGAINST PANAMA, BELGIUM (3RD IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) WILL BE TRYING TO STRENGTHEN ITS POSITION EVEN FURTHER WHILE FACING OFF AGAINST TUNISIA (21ST IN THE WORLD) Eagles Of Carthage Shut Down By England While Argentina, Germany and Brazil all had disappointing starts to their 2018 World Cup campaigns, Belgium, another favorite to lift the trophy this year, did enough to secure a 3-0 victory against Panama at Fisht Stadium in Sochi on Monday. The Red Devils controlled 62% of ball possession, had 15 shot attempts and six shots on goal. Despite having quite a few chances to open the scoring in the first half, though, the team didn't find the back of the net until the 47th minute, when Dries Mertens (Napoli) buried an incredible volley. Belgium has now gone with 13 straight wins during games, in which Mertens has managed to score. Romelu Lukaku, his national side's all-time top goalscorer with 38 strikes in 70 appearances, topped off the eventual rout with two snipes of his own, heading home a neat cross by Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) before chipping in a pass by Eden Hazard (Chelsea). Besides their assists, De Bruyne and Hazard stood out with four and three key passes respectively, leading the team with four attempts each. The Red Devils have now gone unbeaten in their last 10 World Cup group games (W5 D5), posting victories in each of their last five, while scoring each of their past 11 goals in the second half. Taking part in its fifth World Cup competition, Tunisia started its newest journey with a loss, dropping a 2-1 decision against England at Volgograd Arena in Volgograd on Monday. The Eagles of Carthage had just 39% of ball possession and were outshot heavily by the Three Lions (18-6), finding the target on just a single occasion, when Ferjani Sassi (Al-Nassr) converted a penalty at the 35th-minute mark following England's opener 25 minutes earlier. Tunisia came close to giving up two penalties itself, recklessly challenging Harry Kane in both periods, but was lucky enough to escape without further damage until Kane buried a header, his second goal of the night, in stoppage time. The Eagles of Carthage have now gone without a win for 12 straight World Cup contests (D4 L8) after beating Mexico with a count of 3-1 in their first ever outing in the competition in With starting goalie Mouez Hassen (Chateauroux) going down injured after the first 15 minutes, substitute Farouk Ben Mustapha (Al-Shabab) was solid in the net throughout, while Syam Ben Youssef (Kasimpasa) impressed in the central defense, registering four tackles, three interceptions and three clearances, including one off the line. Overall, it was a pretty decent defensive effort from the North African boys. GAME PREDICTION: It didn't go particularly well for Belgium in the first 45 minutes of its 2018 FIFA World Cup opening game against Panama. Still, the team managed to bounce back in the following half and should bring that momentum further to their next outing. Tunisia was quite decent defensively against England, but still gave away a ton of potential scoring chances, with the Three Lions squandering sure-fire opportunities left, right and center. Belgium, which has scored at least three goals in seven of its last nine games, is not really known for wasted chances lately. 4BELGIUM TO WIN (-330) 4OVER 2.5 GOALS (-145) 4 ROMELU LUKAKU TO SCORE ANYTIME (-145)

9 South Korea Disappoints SATURDAY, 23 JUNE, :00 AM ET ROSTOV ARENA, ROSTOV-ON-DON HAVING STUNNED REIGNING CHAMPIONS GERMANY IN THEIR OPENING FIXTURE, MEXICO (15TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) WILL NOW TRY TO PILE MISERY ON SOUTH KOREA (57TH IN THE WORLD), WHICH LOOKED POOR AGAINST SWEDEN The ninth consecutive appearance on the World Cup stage started on a grim note for South Korea, which was edged with a count of 1-0 by Sweden at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod on Monday. The Taegeuk Warriors were entering the matchup without a win in their last four outings (D1 L3), having failed to find the back of the net in their very last three, and pretty much continued in the same disappointing manner, unable to match Sweden's determination and grit. Although the Scandinavians controlled the ball just by a slight margin (56%), they did outshoot the South Koreans quite considerably (15-5), with coach Shin Tae-Yong's men failing to register a single shot on goal. Sweden had some decent scoring chances in the first half, with goalkeeper Cho Hyun-Woo (Daegu FC) forced to make a couple of crucial saves, and eventually capitalized from the penalty spot after 65 minutes of play following a foul by Kim Min-Woo (Sangju Sangmu) - a decision confirmed by VAR. Forward Hwang Hee-Chan (Red Bull Salzburg) had an excellent chance to tie the proceedings at the end of the game, but his header went wide. Son Heung-Min, who scored 18 goals and provided six assists in all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur this season, was largely invisible, failing to record a single shot. Mexico Delivers A Stunner An inspired performance saw Mexico cause a staggering 1-0 upset to the defending World Cup champions Germany, with both teams facing each other at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Sunday. El Tri were entering the contest, having beaten the Germans in just one of the previous 11 meetings (2-0 in Azteca 2000 Tournament in 1985 in Mexico City), but looked the better team from the start, as Hirving Lozano, who collected 19 goals and eight assists for PSV Eindhoven this season, was terrorizing Die Mannschaft from the get-go. His incredible pace and determination eventually paid off after 35 minutes, when he netted from a pass by Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (West Ham United). Mexico concentrated on its defense in the second half, when Germany tried to find an equalizer, and eventually registered 38 recoveries, seven blocked shots and 42 clearances, with Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey) and Hugo Ayala (UANL) recording a game-high seven each. Gallardo's impressive performance at the heart of his team's defense also resulted in eight interceptions, while Hector Herrera (Porto) led the team with eight tackles, also registering a shot on goal and 81.6% pass accuracy. 39-year-old Rafael Marquez (Atlas), meanwhile, came on as a second-half substitute to become just the third player to feature in five different World Cups. GAME PREDICTION: South Korea didn't look good in its 2018 FIFA World Cup opener against Sweden and is about to face a side, which delivered one of the best opening-game performances during the current tournament. The previous World Cup meeting between the two sides finished with a 3-1 win for El Tri in 1998, with Mexico banking a 4-0 victory in a 2014 friendly against the Taegeuk Warriors as well. Riding high on confidence after the 1-0 triumph against Germany, expect the Mexicans to deliver in this one. 4MEXICO TO WIN (-155) 4OVER 2.5 GOALS (+115) 4HIRVING LOZANO TO SCORE ANYTIME (+190)

10 SATURDAY, 23 JUNE, :00 PM ET FISHT STADIUM, SOCHI AFTER AN UNEXPECTED LOSS TO MEXICO IN ITS WORLD CUP OPENER, GERMANY (1ST IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) WILL TRY TO BOUNCE BACK WITH AN OUTING AGAINST SWEDEN (24TH IN THE WORLD), WHICH GOT ALL THREE POINTS VERSUS SOUTH KOREA Germany Fails Versus Mexicans Germany's first game in a bid to defend its World Cup title turned into a complete disaster after Mexico managed to snatch a 1-0 win at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Sunday. After Italy's 1-1 draw against Paraguay in 2010 and Spain's 5-1 defeat versus the Netherlands in 2014, this is the third consecutive World Cup in which the reigning champions have failed to triumph in their opening contest. It is also just the second time the Germans have been beaten by El Tri, having now gone W6 D4 L2 against the Mexicans in all previous 12 encounters, with the only other loss suffered back in Die Mannschaft controlled 66% of ball possession and outshot their opponent by a half (26-13), firing nine shots on target, but couldn't break through a determined El Tri defense after Mexico capitalized on one of its speedy counter-attack in the first half, with the goal netted at the 35th-minute mark. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) led the team with six attempts and three shots on target. Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain) won a team-high four aerials and had five shots of his own, while Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich (both Bayern Munich) recorded five key passes each, but it was not enough for the Germans, who lost their first World Cup game since dropping a 1-0 Semi-final decision against Spain in Sweden Gets Job Done Against Koreans Sweden's return to the biggest stage or world soccer turned out to be a success, as the Blagult outmuscled South Korea to register a 1-0 victory at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod on Monday. Although the Scandinavian side came into the contest without a win in its last four fixtures (D2 L2), having failed to find the back of the net in the very last three, it still managed to record its first opening-game triumph at a World Cup since beating Mexico 3-0 back in 1958, going D5 L2 in their tournament openers since then. Defender Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar) netted the winning penalty after VAR confirmed a foul at the 65thminute mark. The goal was Sweden's first strike in 402 minutes of play and made Granqvist, at 33 years of age, the oldest player to score on his World Cup debut since Martin Palermo (Argentina) found the back of the net in 2010 while being 36 years old. Victor Lindelof (Manchester United) was forced to sit the game out through an illness, with Pontus Jansson (Leeds United) impressing in his place. Viktor Claesson (Krasnodar), meanwhile, made a team-high five tackles, Mikael Lustig (Celtic) - five clearances, while Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig) led the Swedes with three interceptions. GAME PREDICTION: A shock 1-0 defeat to Mexico and a performance, which didn't really recall the efficiency Germany is known for, has started the 2018 FIFA World Cup on a downer for the reigning champions. They are, however, experts in getting things right, having lost consecutive games on just one occasion since Die Mannschaft has also beaten Sweden in 11 of their past 12 meetings in competitive games, notching three wins in past four head-to-head outings at the World Cup. Germany can do this! It has to! 4GERMANY TO WIN (-220) 4GERMANY CLEAN SHEET (-120)

11 SUNDAY, 24 JUNE, :00 AM ET NIZHNY NOVGOROD STADIUM, NIZHNY NOVGOROD A LAST-GASP WINNER AGAINST TUNISIA SEES ENGLAND (12TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) IN A GOOD POSITION TO QUALIFY FOR THE ROUND OF 16 IN CASE OF A VICTORY AGAINST PANAMA (55TH IN THE WORLD). Kane Delivers For England For the first time since the 2006 FIFA World Cup, England finally managed to win its opening game of a major tournament, beating Tunisia with a score of 2-1 at Volgograd Arena in Volgograd on Monday. Harry Kane, who banked 41 goals for Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions this season, was the hero, becoming the first English player to score twice in a World Cup fixture since Gary Lineker did so versus Cameroon in Kane netted on a rebound just 11 minutes into the contest before Tunisia equalized from the penalty spot, and headed the winner during stoppage time, burying his 15th strike in 25 career appearances for the Three Lions. England had 61% of ball possession, outshot Tunisia 18-6, notching eight attempts on target in total, with its initial six in the opening 45 minutes being the team's best offensive showing in the first half of a World Cup match since the Semi-final against Portugal in 1966, when the Three Lions also delivered six shots on goal. Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) had some of England's best chances, collecting a team-high four shots and even hitting the post on a breakaway. Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) and Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) had decent opportunities as well, while Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur) led England with six key passes. Panama Fails To Outmuscle Belgium Panama's first ever appearance on the World Cup stage ended with a 3-0 defeat against Belgium, with both teams facing off against each other at Fisht Stadium in Sochi on Monday. Los Canaleros were entering the contest with just one victory in their last seven fixtures (W1 D2 L4), having scored just a single goal in the very last five. And while their attacking performance was still quite subdued, with seven attempts and two shots on goal in total, Panama did well defensively to finish the opening period on level terms with their opponent, which currently ranks 3rd in the world. Goalie Jaime Penedo (Dinamo Bucuresti) was solid during the opening 45 minutes, but could do little to prevent the Red Devils from scoring three times in the second half, during which Belgium seemed more focused and physically superior. With the score at just 1-0, right-back Michael Murillo (New York Red Bulls) had an excellent chance to equalize, finding himself oneon-one with Thibaut Courtois, but failed to put the ball behind the towering Belgian goalie. Fidel Escobar (New York Red Bulls) recorded Panama's second shot on goal from a late free-kick and made a game-high six tackles, while Roman Torres (Seattle Sounders) stood out with eight clearances. GAME PREDICTION: An encouraging performance by England in its 2018 FIFA World Cup opener against the resilient Tunisia definitely gave an impression of a team, that has finally improved quite considerably. The Three Lions still had some defensive issues, but looked lively and potent going forward, leaving Panama with another potential problem to ponder following the 3-0 beatdown by Belgium. Taking part in their first ever World Cup, having made to it in very lucky circumstances, Los Canaleros will be more than content with a decent performance from their part, being well aware that even a draw is probably too much to ask against the English. 4 ENGLAND TO WIN (-500) 4ENGLAND CLEAN SHEET (-220) 4OVER 2.5 GOALS (-130) 4HARRY KANE TO SCORE ANYTIME (-180)

12 Japan Stuns 10-Men Colombia SUNDAY, 24 JUNE, :00 AM ET EKATERINBURG ARENA, EKATERINBURG BOTH UNEXPECTEDLY LEADING GROUP H AFTER THE FIRST ROUND, SENEGAL (27TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) AND JAPAN (61ST IN THE WORLD) WILL FIGHT IT OUT IN EKATERINBURG Senegal Deals With Lewandowski's Poland The 2018 FIFA World Cup started on a high for the relative Group H underdog Japan after the Asian nation managed to beat Colombia with a score of 2-1 at Mordovia Arena in Saransk on Tuesday. Los Cafeteros suffered an early setback, as Carlos Sanchez was red-carded following a handball on a shot by Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund), who converted on the ensuing penalty shot. The Colombians equalized with six minutes left in the opening half after a smartly taken free-kick, but it was the Samurai Blue who had the last say, with Yuya Osako (Werder Bremen) heading home a corner kick by Keisuke Honda (Pachuca). It was a historic afternoon for Japan, as it became the first Asian national team to beat a South American side on the World Cup stage (W1 D3 L14). It was also the Samurai Blue's first ever win against Colombia (W1 D1 L2), while Honda became the first Asian player to record an assist in three different World Cups since He also had one of Japan's six shots on goal, coming from a total of 14 attempts. Maya Yoshida (Southampton) won a team-high six aerial duels, Yuto Nagatomo (Galatasaray) made six clearances, while goalie Eiji Kawashima (Metz), at 35 years and 91 days, became the oldest Japanese player to ever appear in a World Cup fixture. Senegal became the first African team to win at the 2018 FIFA World Cup after notching a well-deserved 2-1 victory against Poland at Spartak Stadium in Moscow on Tuesday. Headcoached by Aliou Cisse, who captained the Lions of Teranga in their only previous World Cup appearance in 2002, when they reached the Quarter-finals, Senegal came into the contest as the underdog, but looked anything but after the final whistle, with the Poles struggling to deal with the team's pace and physicality. A first-period own goal and a bizarre emptynet strike by M'Baye Niang (Torino) at the 60th-minute mark gave the Africans a 2-0 lead before Poland got a goal back with four minutes remaining following a free-kick. A shot by Idrissa Gueye (Everton), which deflected into Poland's net off its defender Thiago Cionek, opened the scoring after 37 minutes, while Niang, entering the pitch from the touchline after injury, took advantage of Poland's backpass-mistake to net his first ever snipe for his national side. Sadio Mane (Liverpool) and left-back Youssouf Sabaly (Bordeaux) led the team with two key passes each, while central defensive pairing of Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) and Salif Sane (Schalke 04), both towering over 6ft and 4 in, dealt with Robert Lewandowski, Poland's main attacking threat, with considerable ease GAME PREDICTION: No disrespect to Japan, which has always been a hard-working team with a lot of quality in the current squad, but its opening day victory during the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Colombia was mainly due to the fact that Los Cafeteros were forced to play with 10 men from the 3rd minute onward. The Samurai Blue have not managed to beat Senegal in their previous three meetings (D1 L2), having failed to score in the very last two contests (both - defeats). And it really doesn't look too promising for the Asians this time around either, with the Lions of Teranga arguably being the better team both physically and in terms of pure soccer. 4SENEGAL TO WIN (+125) 4SENEGAL TO SCORE OVER 1.5 GOALS (+140))

13 Poland Gets Thumped By Senegal SUNDAY, 24 JUNE, :00 PM ET KAZAN ARENA, KAZAN HAVING LOST THEIR OPENING GAMES OF THE CURRENT WORLD CUP, POLAND (8TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) AND COLOMBIA (16TH IN THE WORLD) WILL TRY TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH A WIN AGAINST ONE ANOTHER Red-Carded Colombia Loses To Japan Not the best of starts to 2018 FIFA World Cup was on the cards for Poland, as the team succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Senegal at Spartak Stadium in Moscow on Tuesday. Considered the favorites in a pretty even group, the White and Reds dominated in ball possession (61%) and attempts (11-8) with a 4-2 edge in total shots on target, but looked the second best team next to the pacy and physical Africans, who handed the Poles their seventh defeat in the past nine World Cup matches. It was also the ninth consecutive outing on the biggest stage of global soccer, with Poland unable to keep a clean sheet. Senegal took a 1-0 lead after 37 minutes of play after defender Thiago Cionek (SPAL) accidentally redirected a shot into his own net. The second goal of the Lions of Teranga embarrassed Poland even more, as a back-pass by Grzegorz Krychowiak (West Bromwich Albion) was intercepted by M'Baye Niang, who entered the pitch from the touchline after injury to find his way in front of an empty net. Krychowiak did redeem himself later on, cutting Senegal's lead in half with a header. But it was already too little too late for the White and Reds, with Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), who led the whole European qualifying stage with 16 goals, held to just a single shot on goal, coming from a direct free kick. The current World Cup campaign got off to a horrid start for the 2014 Quarter-finalists Colombia, who dropped a 2-1 decision against Japan while playing with 10 men for the majority of the contest at Mordovia Arena in Saransk on Tuesday. Carlos Sanchez (Fiorentina) earned the second fastest red card in World Cup history after handling the ball in his own box, giving away a penalty less than three minutes into the fixture. After Japan converter from the spot kick, Los Cafeteros managed to end the first half on level terms, though. Juan Quintero (River Plate) blasted home a neat free-kick, striking the ball under a jumping wall. Still, the Samurai Blue's man-advantage was felt in the following period, when Japan became the first Asian side in World Cup history to beat a team from South America (W1 D3 L14). With defender Yerri Mina (Barcelona) dropped, and influential attacking midfielder James Rodriguez (Real Madrid) starting the game on the bench after suffering a calf injury in training, Colombia continued its trend of not being able to recover in games during which they have conceded the first strike. Captain Radamel Falcao (Monaco), his country's alltime top goalscorer with 29 snipes in 74 appearances, recorded a team-high two shots on goal, while Rodriguez, coming on as a substitute, had an excellent chance at the end of the game, only for his shot from inside the box being deflected over the net. But overall it was a frustrating afternoon for Los Cafeteros in what is the most even group of this tournament. GAME PREDICTION: Two teams, both favorites to win their opening contests of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, have now found themselves at the bottom of Group H, with a defeat in this one leaving the losing team with almost no chance to squeeze out to the knockout stages. Colombia lost to Japan while playing with 10 men for the majority of the game, while Poland just couldn't deal with the physicality and determination of Senegal, with star striker Robert Lewandowski well contained by the opposing defense. Out of the past five head-to-head games, Colombia has won the very last three and, providing Lewandowski is left with not much breathing space for the second consecutive game, could top the Eastern Europeans, who didn't seem to have much imagination while going forward. 4 COLOMBIA TO WIN (+115) 41ST HALF RESULT - DRAW (+105)

14 MONDAY, 25 JUNE, :00 AM ET VOLGOGRAD ARENA, VOLGOGRAD TWO SIDES, WHICH BOTH HAVE ALREADY BEEN ELIMINATED FROM FURTHER STAGES OF THE CURRENT TOURNAMENT, WILL BE PLAYING FOR PRIDE, AS EGYPT (45TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) WILL BE TRYING TO NOTCH ITS FIRST WORLD CUP VICTORY WHILE FACING OFF AGAINST SAUDI ARABIA (67TH IN THE WORLD) Saudi Arabia Gets Edged By Uruguay After showing a horrid performance in its opening-day fixture against Russia (5-0), Saudi Arabia stepped up big time in the following game, but still failed to record a World Cup victory for the 12th straight outing after dropping a 1-0 decision against Uruguay at Rostov Arena in Rostov-On- Don on Wednesday. The loss, alongside Russia's victory over Egypt on Tuesday, means that the Green Falcons will not be repeating their feat of 1994, when they reached the Round of 16 on their World Cup debut, only to be eliminated by Sweden. Saudi Arabia has now gone D2 L10 in its last 12 contests on the world's biggest stage, having failed to find the back of the net in nine of those matches. Abdullah Otayf (Al-Hilal) kept things going for the team in the middle of the park, registering a total of 103 touches - most by any player on the pitch, giving the Saudis the edge in ball possession (53%). Still, the Green Falcons were outshot 13-8 by Uruguay and managed to deliver just two shots on goal, with Mohamed Kanno (Al-Hilal) and Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab) both hitting the target. Salman Al-Faraj (Al-Hilal), meanwhile, finished the game with a team-high three key passes, winning a game-high two aerial duels. Egypt Loses To Russia On Salah's Return Egypt remained on the lookout for its first ever win on the World Cup stage (D2 L4) after losing its second consecutive game during the current tournament, thus failing to qualify for the Round of 16 with one game still remaining. After a painful 1-0 last-minute fiasco against Uruguay in their opening fixture, the Pharaohs had a nightmare of a second half versus hosts Russia, which rose up to a convincing 3-1 triumph at Saint Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. Coupled with Uruguay's victory over Saudi Arabia, the result has effectively dashed any hopes Egypt might have had about the knockout stages. A clumsy own goal by Ahmed Fathy (Al Ahly) gifted the Russians their opening strike two minutes into the second half, with Sbornaya finding the back of the net on two more occasions until the 62nd-minute mark. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) looked lively despite having just recovered from a shoulder injury, which required a surgery, and being far from 100% fit. He notched four shot attempts and converter from the penalty spot 11 minutes after Russia's third goal, becoming only the third Egypt player to score at the World Cup. Still, it was already too late to host a comeback, with Russia being the better team throughout the whole contest. GAME PREDICTION: Egypt had high hopes for this tournament. Much higher than Saudi Arabia, which did improve its game in the second group outing against Uruguay, but still remains a level below the potential the Pharaohs can reach, providing Mohamed Salah is getting fitter. His absence from the first contest due to his shoulder injury and little game time during Egypts preparations has been one of the main reasons the team has failed in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It still, though, has the opportunity to notch its first ever victory in the tournament. Having gone W4 D1 L1 against Saudi Arabia previously (including a 13-0 win in 1961), expect Egypt to take this one seriously. 4EGYPT TO WIN (-120) 4MOHAMED SALAH TO SCORE ANYTIME (NOT YET AVAILABLE)

15 MONDAY, 25 JUNE, :00 AM ET SAMARA ARENA, SAMARA WITH BOTH TEAMS ALREADY THROUGH TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGES, RUSSIA (70TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) AND URUGUAY (14TH IN THE WORLD) WILL NOW DETERMINE, WHICH SIDE FINISHES FIRST IN GROUP A. Suarez Leads Uruguay To Round Of 16 Uruguay managed to book a place in the World Cup knockout stages for the third consecutive tournament after edging Saudi Arabia with a score of 1-0 at Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on Wednesday. Meeting with a side, which lost its opening fixture 5-0 versus hosts Russia, La Celeste was faced with a much better prepared Saudi Arabia team that controlled 53% of ball possession and even had some scoring chances. Still, Luis Suarez, who played his 100th game for his national team, became the first Uruguayan to find the back of the net in three World Cups, banking the winner following a corner kick after 23 minutes. The goal improved Suarez's all-time top goalscoring record for Uruguay to 52 strikes and was assisted by Carlos Sanchez (Monterrey), who also notched a helper in his team's 1-0 opening-game victory against Egypt five days earlier. Sanchez led the team with five key passes, Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain) registered four attempts and almost scored in the second period, while captain Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid) made three tackles and two clearances at the heart of Uruguay's defense to help his team record its second consecutive clean sheet at the World Cup for the first time since Russia Continues To Score And Qualifies Russia, the hosting nation of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has officially qualified for the Round of 16 after winning both of its opening games of the tournament for the first time since 1966, when, as the Soviet Union, it went as far as to reach the Semi-finals. After thrashing Saudi Arabia on the opening day with a count of 5-0, Sbornaya also dealt with Egypt in the following fixture, beating Mohamed Salah & Co. with a score of 3-1 at Saint Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The eight goals the Russians have scored now in their first two outings is the join-highest amount of snipes any hosting nation has ever managed to net over their opening two games at the World Cup, alongside Italy (1934). Following a fairly uneventful first half, a clumsy own goal by Egypt opened the scoring just two minutes into the second period. Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal) extended Russia's lead with his third strike of the tournament, netting 12 minutes later, while Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula) extended his goal tally to two markers during the ongoing campaign after some neat maneuvers into Egypt's box on the 62nd minute. Salah scored a penalty 11 minutes later to give the Pharaohs some lifeline, but Russia managed to hold on to a well-deserved victory. GAME PREDICTION: Russia might want to win this contest more than Uruguay wants to risk its best players ahead of the Round of 16. As a hosting nation, with Vladimir Putin watching, Sboryana will have enough motivation to play its best soccer. The Russians still, though, would finish 1st in the group if both teams drew. And Uruguay is the most solid team on the defensive end the hosts will be playing against so far in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The previous outing between the two sides, a friendly in 2012, finished with a 1-1 stalemate, and don't be too surprised to see another one here as well. 4DRAW (+195) 4UNDER 2.5 GOALS (-200) 4 CORRECT SCORES OF 0-0 (+450) OR 1-1 (+365)

16 MONDAY, 25 JUNE, :00 PM ET MORDOVIA ARENA, SARANSK WITH A WIN CERTAIN TO GUARANTEE A PASSAGE THROUGH TO THE ROUND OF 16, THIRD GROUP STAGE GAMES DON'T COME MORE CRUCIAL AS THIS ONE BETWEEN PORTUGAL (4TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) AND IRAN (37TH IN THE WORLD) Iran Frustrates Spain, But Loses Having earned three points from its first two fixtures in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Iran can definitely enter the third contest with its head held high. Following a 1-0 injury-time victory against Morocco in the opening game, Team Melli had another tremendous showing in the following contest, despite eventually losing 1-0 to Spain at Kazan Arena in Kazan on Wednesday. Iran set a record of 1,121 minutes without allowing a goal in its qualifying campaign and was a hard nut to crack for the technically superior Spaniards, who controlled 78% of ball possession, but managed just five shots on target. Ronaldo Lifts Portugal Again Looking like a man on a mission, Cristiano Ronaldo was once again the talk of the town at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday, when his captained Portugal sneaked to a narrow 1-0 victory against Morocco, thus eliminating the North African side from the 2018 FIFA World Cup with one more game remaining. Ronaldo's 4th-minute header following a cross by Joao Moutinho (Monaco) made history, as it helped the Portuguese star to break the European scoring record among national teams with his 85th overall strike for his country, overtaking Hungarian forward Ferenc Puskas' achievement (84), which stood for 62 years. One of them, a lucky bounce off striker Diego Costa, eventually found its way past goalie Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis) after 54 minutes, with Iran starting its own offensive surge straight after. Karim Ansarifard (Olympiacos) hit the side netting. Mehdi Taremi (Al-Gharafa) struck two decent headers, with both of them failing to find the target, while Saeid Ezatolahi (Amkar Perm) actually scored, prompting frantic celebration from the Iraqi camp, only for the strike to be disallowed due to an offside call. That decision visibly shrunk Team Melli's incredible spirit, which still is yet to crumble completely. Once again, Ronaldo was Portugal's best player, attempting six of his side's 10 overall shots and drawing a team-high five fouls (unsurprisingly!). The rest of the team, though, didn't have the easiest of afternoons, as the dangerous-looking Morocco kept the ball well, controlling it 55% of the time, while outshooting their opponent 15-10, creating some decent scoring chances along the way. On one occasion, goalie Rui Patricio (Wolverhampton Wanderers) even had to make an incredible, one-handed diving save on a shot that was destined to tie the proceedings at 1-1 in the second period. GAME PREDICTION: Years ago, at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Queiroz were the best of friends. When Portugal was eliminated from the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the Round of 16 by Spain, Ronaldo claimed it was the team's then-coach Queiroz's fault. Allegedly, both haven't spoken ever since, but will finally have a competitive meeting, this time on opposite sides. Queiroz has been instrumental in Iran's recent success, having implemented the team's defensively-minded philosophy to the highest standard. Ronaldo... Well, he IS Portugal! He has had one hell of a start to the current World Cup and will be dying to score against his former friend, coach and person, who, out of all team managers in the current competition, knows him the best. Another hat trick for Ronny is very unlikely. 4PORTUGAL TO WIN (-155) 4UNDER 2.5 GOALS (-165)

17 MONDAY, 25 JUNE, :00 PM ET KALININGRAD STADIUM, KALININGRAD NEEDING JUST A POINT TO QUALIFY FOR THE ROUND OF 16, SPAIN (10TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS) MEETS UP WITH THE ALREADY-ELIMINATED MOROCCO (41ST IN THE WORLD), WHICH SO FAR HAS BEEN PLAYING SOME PRETTY GOOD SOCCER) Spain Sneaks Past Determined Iran A very tough test was in store for Spain in its second outing in Group B, as Iran proved a resilient opponent in what finished with a hardfought 1-0 victory for the 2010 World champions at Kazan Arena in Kazan on Wednesday. Five days after drawing 3-3 with Portugal in its opening fixture, La Furia Roja showed up with its usual blend of technical, possession-based soccer, controlling the ball 78% of the time, completing a total of 805 passes with an accuracy of 90%. That, however, didn't bother Iran one bit, as the Team Melli sat deep, defended in organized manner and held Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), Spain's lone strike, to just 12 touches in the first half. Costa did find the back of the net eventually in the second period due to a lucky ricochet before Iran started its own offensive onslaught, testing Spain on quite a few occasions, with one of their attempts actually crossing the line, only to be cancelled out because of an offside call. Apart from Costa, who has already scored three goals from his very three shots on target during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, David Silva (Manchester City), Gerad Pique and Sergio Busquets (both Barcelona) also recorded attempts on goal, while Isco (Real Madrid) was excellent in Spain's midfield, notching a game-high 138 touches while providing eight crosses - twice as many as any player on the field. Morocco Fails To Beat Portugal Despite Chances Morocco became the first team in Group B to have its fate sealed after it was eliminated from the 2018 FIFA World Cup following a narrow 1-0 defeat against Portugal at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday. It was the second consecutive 1-0 loss for the Atlas Lions, only this time they didn't score a last-second own goal (like against Iran five days prior), but conceded at the very start of the game, with Cristiano Ronaldo tallying following a corner on the 4th minute. After that, it was a Morocco show, with the team once again finding little luck in terms of offensive production, despite controlling 55% of ball possession and outshooting the Portuguese by five shots (15-10), delivering four of them on the target. Captain Mehdi Benatia (Juventus) had four shot attempts, two great chances to score, but just one shot on goal. Still, nothing came close to the header delivered by Younes Belhanda (Galatasaray), with Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio forced to make a matchwinning, one-handed diving save. Hakim Ziyech (Ajax) stood out with a game-high 14 crosses, producing almost three times as many as any other player on the pitch. Alongside Benatia, he led the team with four shot attempts, recording four key passes on top of that. While hardly playing the worst soccer, Morocco has now lost seven of its past nine World Cup games (W1 D1 L7), failing to score in five of them. GAME PREDICTION: The last time both teams met, Spain won a two-legged qualifying play-off for the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, beating Morocco 1-0 in Casablanca before snatching a 3-2 victory in Madrid as well. Over 55 years have passed since that matchup and the stakes are not as high this time around, as Spain only needs a draw to qualify, while Morocco has already been eliminated from this year's tournament, despite showing signs of a team with intent and capability, but lacking any luck whatsoever. Odds of -285 for Spain to win and for a Double chance (Spain/Draw) are too low to even consider them, as Morocco is capable of causing an upset. So either you bank it on a draw (+400, at your own risk), or go with another low-scoring affair involving the Atlas Lions, who have conceded just eight goals in their last 18 contests (0.44 per game). 4DRAW (+400) 4UNDER 2.5 GOALS (-105)