Xcout

some of us north of the border are behind team england. its just the silly commentators that spoil it
better together

The draw looks to conveniente for both teams, I fear that if the score remain scorless pass the 70 minute, the last 20 are going to be stalemate

Nigeria vs Argentina
World Cup 2018
26 June 20:00 hrs (CET Time)
This World Cup has been a rollercoaster of emotions, with many shocking results, as this World Cup has shown that distances have shrunk and winning takes work and effort, there have been the usual weak teams, Panama or Tunisia, but many that were expected to be, Iran and Morocco, have shown dedication and quality and have pushed important teams, as Spain or Portugal, to the last minutes of their matches to secure qualification to next stage. Still plenty group matches to be played and emotions are secured to be extreme.
With 36 matches played, only in 11 matches the difference has been more than 1 goal. The remaining 25 have been either draws, 7 matches,  or victories by just one goal of advantage, 18 matches. Therefore 25 matches has been “close encounters”, more than 50%, which is a very high percentage.
With that in mind and having seen the disastrous performance that Argentina has made on the tournament, where they have seen inoperative,  lack of coordination and overall having Messi being a not show, in the last match GK Willy Caballero had more passes than the Barcelona star, which is a very telling statistic. Even though the team is with no lack of offensive options, but the main player able to set differences by a lot is Messi.
Argentina arrives to this match with a chance to qualify to next stage, thanks precisely to Nigeria that with their 2-0 victory against Iceland, keep up alive Argentina options, who needs to beat Nigeria and expect that if Iceland beats Croatia, is by a lower score than which Argentina beat Nigeria.
For Nigeria a Draw might be enough, but that is if Croatia beats or draw with Iceland, and even if Croatia loses, that the scoreline is not by 2 goals for Iceland. Therefore Nigeria have to do their share of their work and see how the Croatia vs Iceland develops, lest keep in mind both matches are played at the same time.
The tactical snippets
- Nigeria will continue their focus their gameplay with wings attacks with Moses as the first option and relay on counterattacks as the open spaces will be on Argentina defense, and the speed of the African players will be a key asset for them, lets remember  that the offensive players Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Ahmed Musa, Victor Moses, Etebo and Ndidi play in the English Premier League and are used to confronting packed defenses as also having open spaces, together with already having faced Marcos Rojo, Nicolas Otamendi, and Willy Caballero there.
- Argentina is the needed team here and should be expected to dominate the actions and look to generate scoring chances, I expect Messi to return to the midfield, and Di Maria together with Meza or Dybala to take the flanks, I think in front Kun Agüero or Higuaín, or the surprise of both in front, either way you need a player with good ball control as the Nigeria defense will relay on closing spaces and having the ability to create the chances will be key.  Long shoots might be a weapon they should not forget. An unexpected Argentina might be their best chance, but things look bleak for them.
Final Thoughts
Of their previous four encounters in World Cup between them, all have been Argentina victories, all by 1 goal of difference. I consider that Nigeria has a great opportunity to change this as the needed team here is Argentina, therefore the huge advantage of 1 goal is great as is where I see the value together with the opening statement of many close encounters in this World Cup and the physical aspect of Nigeria.
Nigeria +1 AH with 7 units @ 2.08 at Pinnacle

Australia vs Peru
World Cup 2018
26 June 16:00 hrs (CET Time)
Peru arrived at this World Cup with great expectations, and indeed they have deliver great sensations despite the defeats, both have been 1-0, matches where they have shown good defending as against Europeans France and Denmark the team was able to hold them to only one goal, it has been on the front line where the team has lack the needed push, they have used in front Farfan and Guerrero, and despite having a great asset in Raul Ruidiaz he has only played the final minutes of both matches. I sense the team will continue to change in front, and despite their apparent problems on the back zone the same players will be present as they have been able to only allow a single goal each time.
Peru managed to secure their place in this World Cup by beating New Zealand in a double-header, where they draw 0-0 in Auckland and won 2-0 in Lima, New Zealand is the neighbor of Australia, but that’s where the possible similarities end, as Australia has left the OFC to play in the AFC and improved their playmaking, zone where the team has been able to achieve qualification to the World Cup. But despite that, the positive result against New Zeland should backed them here and that they hold New Zealand to zero goals.
Australia is the needed team here, and despite being in a better place in the group and not being on the route home as Peru is, the team has to deliver if they want to stay in the World Cup, the team needs to win this match and expect France to beat Denmark, but that might not happen, as a draw in France vs Denmark would see both of those teams go ahead to next stage, the motivation of Denmark is to beat France to get to 1st place and avoid Croatia in next round, but that results does not help Australia.
Therefore Australia has to focus on their task at hand and get the best possible result, being that the victory. Which force them to go out and dominate the actions to get the scoring chances, but that leave them open spaces in the back that Peru will look to take advantage of. Therefore the value is on Peru, as they will play release of pressure and just enjoy the beautiful game and return home with a positive result in the end.
Peru -0.25 AH with 6 units @ 2.01 at MarathonBet

Australia vs Peru
On Tuesday we are faced with Group C where things could get a little interesting in the final games. Australia play Peru in a 3pm BST kick-off at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi knowing that they must win if they are to stand any chance of progressing to the last 16.
Bert Van Marwijk not only hopes his side can do the business in this last group game against Peru but that they can also then have France do them a favour. A draw or win for Denmark in that game will eradicate any hope Australia have of qualifying for the 2nd Round.
Peru are already confirmed to be eliminated but they have been excellent entertainment in this tournament. It's a shame they have not got the results because in terms of effort and attitude they have been second to none. What the opening two games have shown us is that they have a group of players that have the ability to cause even the best nations problems.
Even though it's Australia who are in the position of still having a chance to qualify I think Peru have a better side than the Socceroos. I've loved watching Peru's style of play and I think Australia have been carried a long way by their superior work rate. I don't think they'll manage that here. Ricardo Gareca's side are my favourites to win this game. Australia want the win to progress. Peru want the win to take something positive away from their first World Cup since 1982.
Peru to win @ 2.50 with Bet365
BTTS @ 1.87 with Betfair

Denmark vs Australia
Every World Cup has a number of games when the draw is made that really make you think "I won't bother tuning in for that one!" and it can be argued that Denmark versus Australia in Group C was one of those matches. Oh, how that has changed after just one game. When both teams meet in a 1pm BST kick-off on Thursday afternoon at the Cosmos Arena in Samara it will be a simple case of their fate at this World Cup being on the line.
Denmark prevailed victorious against an exciting Peru in their opening game. The 1-0 win was one that they will be delighted to have earned. It now means that a win in this game will put them on the brink of qualification. It is now a case of seeing how they approach this game. Does Age Hareide attack Australia to try and get the win or will he play a progressive game similar to that performance against Peru and be satisfied with a point but hope for snatching a win?
Australia were desperately unlucky not to take something from their opening game with France. The VAR controversy over Antoine Griezmann's penalty continues to rage on. It just felt like a game where the luck balance was certainly not in Australia's favour. I saw enough from Australia to make me think they could cause problems for Denmark here if they keep their heads.
The one thing currently favouring Denmark right now is the ability to get results. Their team has got into the habit of grinding opponents down. The ball is also in Australia's court to come at Denmark and that could play into Denmark's hands. The Socceroos will be hanging on by the skin of their teeth if they draw and a defeat could see them eliminated if France don't lose to Peru.
My feeling is that Denmark will sneak this. They have the better set of players and they are in an ideal position going into this game. They will put the initiative with Australia and pick them off with counter attacking play which is when they are at their best. You only need to see how they destroyed Ireland in Dublin in that second leg of the play-offs as proof of that. Correct score of 2-1 or 2-0 to Denmark for me.
Denmark to win @ 2.00 with SunBets
Denmark to score first @ 1.73 with BetStars

Argentina vs Iceland
In terms of a difference in size when comparing the achievements of international football sides it probably doesn't come much more vast than Argentina and Iceland. The two sides go head-to-head this Saturday afternoon in a 2pm BST kick-off at the Otkritie Arena in Moscow to start proceedings in Group D.
It's not been the easiest of starts to the reign of Jorge Sampaoli as Argentina head coach. The former Chile manager was head-hunted to deliver World Cup success after the country's narrow 1-0 loss after extra-time to Germany in 2014 and then lacklustre periods under Gerardo Martino and Edgardo Bauza.
Some might say there has been progress under Sampaoli. He managed to sneak them through the qualification but did so with just 1 win from his 4 qualification games in charge. The team needed a Lionel Messi hat-trick in their final qualification match against Ecuador away after going 1-0 down to secure their spot in Russia. Friendly defeats to Nigeria and Spain plus the controversial last minute withdrawal from the Israel friendly has hampered their preparations. There is just a feeling that something isn't quite right with this Argentine squad.
Iceland shook European football by reaching the 2016 European Championship Quarter-Finals finishing ahead of eventual winners Portugal in their group and then defeating England in the 2nd Round. The Icelandic side has only improved since then so many are tipping them to be a problem in this group. The majority of this squad plays in the top leagues around Europe so they hold a vast amount of experience now.
The only issue that continues to be a problem for Iceland is their goalkeeper. Hannes Halldorsson is prone to an error and 34 years old now. He's playing for Danish Superliga side Randers so will he get shell shocked by the big stage. He's a weakness teams with any sense will look to exploit.
I think Argentina are way short in the defensive department to be considered as serious contenders. They are going to need Sampaoli to crack the code of getting the best out of Messi, Higuain, and Di Maria if he is to combat the defensive frailties. Argentina should have enough to squeeze out a win here. I'm not expecting Iceland to be battered. Heimir Hallgrimsson saw his side finish above Croatia in qualifying so they know how to deal with quality attacking sides. Argentina to win but Iceland will fight for the whole 90 minutes meaning I am not sure there will be too much between these sides at full time.
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.85 with Unibet
Iceland AH +1.5 @ 1.89 with Blacktype

South Korea vs Mexico
The Mexicans have a lightweight team like the Koreans, but I think the Osório team's position is more aggressive, very different from what it was against the German national team. Koreans need the positive result, an hour will have to give way. Even if it is closed for a certain time, Mexico has the resources to wrap up this defense of South Korea that is not the best. I believe in at least two goals for the Mexican team in the match.
Mexico Over 1.5 @1.98  (NetBet) - unit: 1
 

Germany is burning for victory because otherwise it will not be in the hands of qualifying but will wait for the other results of the group. He is definitely better than Sweden and if he is smart he can win
GERMANY vs SWEDEN @@ GERMANY, odds 1.53
Mexico has shown very good racing data and has not been accidentally imposed on Germany, has the potential and is disciplined, can take advantage of its superiority and win the weak South Korea
REPUBLIC OF KOREA vs MEXICO @@ MEXICO, odds 1.75

South Korea vs Mexico
Group F enters its second round of group matches at 4pm BST on Saturday afternoon when South Korea play Mexico at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don. South Korea know a defeat will not end their tournament but it will put them with a very tough task to stay alive. Mexico are certain a win will put them on the brink of the last 16.
Coming into the tournament, I wasn't expecting much from South Korea. This is far from the best team their nation has sent to a World Cup. Merely avoiding finishing bottom of the group would have been seen as a success. Their performance against a solid Swedish side showed glimpses of promise but I still think unless Heung-Min Son has a stormer then they are short on quality performers.
Mexico shocked the world with their superb performance against Germany in their opening group match that resulted in a 1-0 win. It was Mexico's first win in 90 minutes against Germany. It also puts the Mexicans in a great position after one game. Personally, I think we saw enough in that first game to show us that Mexico have what it takes to reach the last 16 and win this game.
This could prove to be an exhilarating game. South Korea know they must take the initiative because a draw or defeat would mean they would likely need a win against Germany. Mexico will be happy to let South Korea come at them and pick them off. The pressure is firmly on the Asian nation here.
Juan Carlos Osorio will need to ensure his players don't under-estimate this South Korean side and he'll also be keen to ensure his players fully recover from their exploits against Germany. A hangover from that game is possible but I think they should win by a goal or two.
Mexico to win @ 1.73 with Betway
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.76 with Blacktype

Day 4
All to play for on the final day, good luck all

Great Analysis @StevieDay1983!

Let's look at the background of the participations in World Cups of the participants in group F of Russia 2018:

Mexico
After being barred from taking part in the 1990 World Cup, the Mexican National Team has had a constant and stable participation that has seen it advance from the group stage in the following six participations, from United States 1994 to Brazil 2014. Except in this case, in the rest, statistics from 1998 onwards are used, because in that year the World Cup was extended to 32 teams.

Conclusion: 100% Effectiveness in moving to the next stage.

Germany
The current world champion, the team managed to qualify winning the 10 games of his qualification. After the prohibition to participate in the World Cup in 1950, the team has participated in all subsequent editions, advancing from the group stage in all of them and winning 4 times the title.

Conclusion: 100% Effectiveness to move to the next round.

South Korea
Frequent participant since 1986 in the World Cup, their best moment was when they were local along with Japan, where they achieved the 4th place. Of its 8 recent participations, only two have passed the group stage, the one mentioned in 2002 and in South Africa 2010, in addition they have remained in the group stage.

Conclusion: 40% Effectiveness to move to the next round.

Sweden
After two editions missed (South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014) the team won the qualification for this edition of the World Cup. In their last two appearances Korea and Japan 2002 and Germany 2006, the team made progress to the next stage.

Conclusion: 100% Effectiveness to move to the next round, however it has only qualify  to 2 of the last 5 editions, so only 40% of reaching the World Cup. Stands out that he is undefeated in the last two World Cups that they have participated.

Based on the previous results, I consider that the group's matches could be as follows:



What indicates that Germany wins the group and advances first, and the second place will be in dispute in the Mexico vs Sweden match, * depending on the result of Sweden vs South Korea, they could get tied in points to this match. Therefore it will be key to the aspirations of both squads and the final positions in the group. Considering the odds, and the antecedents I consider that the value is in Mexico with greater probability and subsequently with Sweden to a respective share of 2.10 and 2.25 in Bet 365 in the Group market - Qualification Yes/No. Considering that one of them advances, it could be considered as a safe bet with a yield of .10 or .25 depending on what happens at the end.
The other market in Bet 365 that gives us some interesting odds the Group - Forecast 1-2, in which the options of: 1st Germany - 2nd Mexico with a 2.87 momio 1st Germany - 2nd Sweden with a 3.25 momio In the same way with a greater probability the binomial Germany-Mexico.
And lastly, the final finishing market in their group, the South Korean option with 1.83 odds, which I think is quite high considering the rivals in the group and although in 3 of the last 5 disputed has avoided the last place , none of its rivals has done so in the analyzed period.

In short, a group that offers intense matches and although there are marked trends, everything is to be defined once the ball rolls.
 
 

Sweden vs South Korea
In what is arguably the least appealing game since the tournament opener between Russia and Saudi Arabia, Group F sides Sweden and South Korea face-off against each other in a 1pm BST kick-off this Monday afternoon at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod... try not to take your teeth out saying that!
Long gone are the heady days of USA '94 for Swedish fans and the 2002 World Cup on home soil for South Korean supporters. The memories of Thomas Brolin et al and the Guus Hiddink-inspired red army are fading with every passing year. These are two countries that have seen better days.
Janne Andersson's team have transitioned well to the post-Zlatan Ibrahimovic era. Nobody gave them a hope of qualifying for this World Cup. Their squad is far from one of the best they have had but they managed to navigate their way into the play-offs from a tough group that included France, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and Belarus. They then defeated Italy 1-0 on aggregate in the play-offs effectively preventing two major footballing nations from attending this year's tournament. Party poopers.
Shin Tae-yong's players made hard work of qualifying from their group in the Asian section. Pipped to top spot by Iran (I say pipped but they were 7 points behind in a 10 game phase!) they then had Iran to thank for holding Syria to a draw with South Korea being held to a draw away to Uzbekistan in their final game. Had Syria won that game then they'd have condemned South Korea to the play-offs and qualified automatically themselves.
A win is a must for both teams here if they want to maintain realistic hopes of making it out of this group. Germany and Mexico are currently the favourites to qualify for the 2nd Round but both of these nations will have something to say about that. Sweden have only lost 3 of their last 10 games compared to South Korea only winning one of their last six matches. I am backing Sweden to do the business here. They are a very cohesive unit now since the retirement of Ibrahimovic and could be a team that relies on its team work and work rate to progress.
Sweden to win @ 2.08 with Unibet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.53 with SunBets

Germany vs Mexico
Group F starts this coming Sunday when reigning champions Germany open their tournament against Mexico in a 4pm BST kick-off at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. This is certain to be a preview that divides opinion with many members' on this forum having polarised views on how they will do.
Germany are the ultimate World Cup team. You only need to look at their performances over the years to see how prolific they are on the biggest stage. Four times winners, four times runner ups, four times 3rd place, and 4th place on one occasion. In fact, they have only failed to reach the quarter-finals at two tournaments and they were all the way back in 1938 and 1978.
Mexico are the veterans of 2nd Round qualification... and elimination. It is now six consecutive World Cups that the Mexicans have exited the tournament in the last 16. Under Juan Carlos Osorio, El Tricolor qualified comfortably for the World Cup finishing 5 points clear at the top of their group and 9 points clear of 5th placed USA.
Both sides have their problems coming into this tournament. German head coach Joachim Low has been criticised for not including the talented Leroy Sane in his squad with many suggesting Low's management has gone stale and he's too conservative to deliver another impressive World Cup performance.
Osorio needs to address the lack of goals his side have scored over recent games. It is now just 1 goal scored in their last 4 friendly games. However, on the plus side, they have managed to produce solid friendly performances against the likes of Iceland, Poland, and Belgium.
Personally, I think you need to be a fool to write off Germany. I've seen some very average Germany sides go to a World Cup before and still do the business. I look at this Germany side and still think they are a class unit. If they don't reach the semi-finals then I will be shocked. They usually start slowly in World Cups though and I wouldn't be surprised to see them held to a draw here. I'm probably just seeing a narrow win but I'm not confident enough to back an outright outcome.
Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.80 with BetVictor
Mexico AH +1.5 @ 1.63 with 188Bet

I started well 0 pts  1-1 lol
 

I will post a full leaderboard every couple of days.
Any probs just let me know via PM and i'll check it out
After 4 games

Yeah. I always pick one underdog for a bet. My mate's wife is Peruvian so I've promised him I'll back them in the absence of Wales. Fancy them to potentially reach the quarters with a bit of luck.

Bookmaker agents. Becareful!!! Check German world cup history since 1919. Have NEVER failed to make it at quarter finals.

All competitions now have PL merchandise to be won as well as cash - you lucky buggers!  

 

19:40 Lingfield Park, Bellevarde @ 3.5 at Bet365

https://www.punterslounge.com/about-punters-lounge - Where we began, how we evolved, what's coming...

https://www.punterslounge.com/privacy - boring shit.

Well done both and congratulations to Carlos Mc who wins the Ko Cup

 
 

Final 
Carlos Mc v Crazy Suzy
Good luck to both
(especially the wife)
 

Marseille vs Atletico Madrid
It only seems like yesterday that these two sides were battling to reach the Europa League Final but the day has already arrived. Ligue 1 club Marseille face La Liga side Atletico Madrid in a 7:45pm kick-off at Parc Olympique Lyonnais tonight.
Someone a lot wiser than me once said there are no favourites in a cup final. The theory being that it is essentially all about what happens on the day. So if ever you want to pick a time to back an underdog then a cup final is the time to do it. In this game, Diego Simeone's side are the favoured winners with the bookies but is anyone foolish enough to rule out Rudi Garcia's men in this match?
It's been an interesting route to this stage of the competition for both teams. Marseille navigated their way past a qualification round and play-off round to reach the group stage. They finished second to Red Bull Salzburg in a group that also included Konyaspor and Vitoria de Guimaraes. They then had to progress past Braga, Athletic Bilbao, Red Bull Leipzig, and Red Bull Salzburg in the knockout phase.
Atletico Madrid initially started their season in the Champions League but suffered elimination from a group that included Roma, Chelsea, and FK Qarabag. The third placed finish in the group ensured a passage into the Europa League knockout stages. Since then, the Spanish club have defeated FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sporting CP, and Arsenal.
There is no doubt that this will be a tough game to call. Marseille are looking for their first major European title win since 1993. They fell just sort back in 2004. Atletico Madrid will be hoping to win this competition for the third time since 2010. Personally, I think it'll take something special for Marseille to upset the odds. Atletico Madrid are a very well-oiled machine under Simeone who have vast experience of European cup finals now. This could be a boring game with the Spanish side prevailing even by just the one goal.
Atletico Madrid to win @ 1.95 with William Hill
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.57 with Betfred
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