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The 2022 World Cup Group stage continues! Here are the latest betting tips, predictions, and recommendations from WorldCup22!
Picks
Japan
To discount the Samurai Blue is to court danger. Japan’s second-half performance against Germany on Wednesday was a shocking turnaround after the team’s tentative first half. Hajime Moriyasu’s squad, on the other hand, is quietly making a name for themselves as a tournament dark horse.
On Sunday, the Japanese will face a Costa Rican team that has been decimated by injuries, and we can expect them to continue where they left off: on the lead foot and in a hurry. They were successful in getting off 12 goals against the Germans and should have similar success here.
Even though Japan’s reputation as a defensive powerhouse won’t be erased by a single exciting half, Doan and Asano’s impressive substitute appearances have provided Moriyasu some selection headaches. This is undeniably a good situation for Japan; we’ll just have to wait and see at the World Cup 2022 free livestream.
Costa Rica
After being easily defeated by the Spaniards, Costa Rica naturally finds itself at a significant disadvantage. It’s hard to argue for an upset based on that performance alone; Keylor Navas in goal would need to have a career game to save this one.
After a humiliating loss to Spain, Luis Fernando Suarez may shake up his starting lineup for Costa Rica in an effort to boost morale.
In their opening loss, Los Ticos had only 18% possession and appeared to be at a loss for defensive strategies. Even if Costa Rica responds with a better performance, it seems unlikely that they have the quality to seriously threaten Japan’s solid back four.
Shuichi Gonda, keeper for the Samurai Blue, had a busy outing against Germany, along with a risky blunder for Germany’s go-ahead penalty, but this second group match should be less taxing.
Belgium
Canada could have taken an early lead if Alphonso Davies had scored on a penalty in the first half, but Thibaut Courtois saved the day for his team, and the wake-up call they received should motivate them to play better against Morocco.
Although Michy Batshuayi’s match-winning goal received much attention, the Red Devils’ postgame remarks made it clear that they are well aware that they could have played better.
The Belgians have more talent in the final third, while Morocco held firm defensively against Croatia and earned a draw despite having only 35% of the ball possession. In spite of Romelu Lukaku’s absence due to a hamstring injury, Kevin De Bruyne, Michy Batshuayi, and Eden Hazard represent a formidable opposition.
Morocco
Batshuayi’s performance against Canada was one of the few times Belgium looked dangerous going forward, and he would be well-suited to exploit the space created by Morocco’s rambunctious fullback, Achraf Hakimi.
Expect a similar approach from Morocco here in an effort to impede De Bruyne and trim off service to Batshuayi, as they did against a talented Croatia midfield in their last match using a 4-3-3 formation that can quickly shift to a 4-5-1. But if Belgium takes the lead, what are the Moroccans’ backup plans? On Sunday, we might have an answer.
After being injured in the match against Croatia, Noussair Mazraoui may not be able to play in this crucial match. The loss of the Bayern Munich defender would be devastating to a Morocco squad that counts on his skill with the ball.
Croatia
Canada came out strong in their Group F opener, making a statement about their intentions, but Croatia played timidly and only managed a scoreless draw, highlighting the team’s age and inequities despite having a world-class midfield trio.
Even though Croatia won the match with a higher xG, it was the African side that appeared to have a better chance of keeping the attack going. Croatia had only five shots on goal while the Atlas Lions had fifteen and were able to only make one save.
Canada
In a high-pressure situation, Canada pressed Belgium, making it extremely difficult for the Belgians to break the press and build attacks. Belgium had the sixth-fewest crosses in the attacking third and the second-most crosses in the defensive third.
Canada kept pressing until they were awarded a penalty kick after only 10 minutes of play. They finished with 2.4 expected goals, nearly double what Belgium managed.
When you consider that Kevin De Bruyne was orchestrating the Belgian attack, the disparity in offensive cohesion between the two teams, 39 Canada’s shot-creating actions to Belgium’s 15, is even more baffling.
Spain
The tournament began with Spain’s opening game against Costa Rica, which they won 7-0 and used to set the tone for the rest of the competition. Spain was a pleasant surprise, as they proved to be much more clinical than we had anticipated in front of the goal.
Sadly, they faced a Costa Rican team that was embarrassingly bad. This team’s current level of development will be clearer after Sunday’s match against Germany.
Spain’s formation emphasized ball possession and a solid midfield. Sergio Busquets, Gavi, and Pedri, a starting trio for Barcelona, have a deep mutual understanding thanks to their regular playing together. Marco Asensio’s performance as a false nine constituted the most remarkable aspect of their victory over Costa Rica. Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo’s directness on the wings enable them to strike the fullbacks.
Germany
In Group E, the two teams got off to very different starts at the World Cup, which you can by the way check at our dedicated World Cup 2022 fixtures Singapore time page. Despite having the lead early on, Germany ultimately lost the opening match to Japan by a score of 2-1. Germany was the better team for long stretches of the game, but they never looked confident in their performance.
Germany’s best chance of beating Spain is to take advantage of their superior attacking players in the center of the field and on the flanks, but despite their superiority in those areas, this German team is not particularly formidable. They have a lot of skill, but so far we haven’t seen anything that indicates they’ll be a threat in this competition.
Predictions
Following such a skewed loss, Costa Rica will likely play better on Sunday, showing more unity, organization, and quality with the ball. However, Los Ticos’ attacking prowess is lacking, especially in the final third. In terms of Japan, a lot of rides on which squad shows up, but we know that Moriyasu will have his players pumped up to continue the momentum from the exciting first game, further proving that their World Cup betting odds 2022 against Costa Rica can speak for itself.
While both Belgium and Morocco’s first group games were close and tense affairs, this one may take a different turn given the abundance of scoring opportunities and the anticipation that both teams will step up their offensive output. The Moroccans didn’t show much cutting edge in the final third in their first game, but they have some serious attacking firepower, which could make for a nail-biting match.
Given everything we witnessed on Wednesday, Canada is probably going to win against Croatia. You can’t rule out the final ball coming back to haunt this young team just yet. Canada’s offensive output was impressive even against a superior Belgian side, and it appears that the earlier worries about Croatia were warranted. Extremely worrying for Canada is the fact that all three members of Croatia’s midfield are performing at an extremely high level.
Finally, both Spain and Germany have excellent scoring potential, and if, say, Germany needs a win in the final 30 minutes to keep its tournament hopes alive but is trailing, it’s safe to assume that they’ll push forward and try to score, leaving themselves vulnerable to a counterattack.And with that, we have exhausted all of the betting advice, selections, and forecasts we had for you today. Don’t forget that Solarbet is currently offering the best World Cup bet offers! You can watch your favorite teams for free on our live stream, too!