The end of the World Cup Group Stage is in sight, and the first four places in the Last 16 are set to be decided in Qatar on Tuesday.
Two groups are playing to the finish and it’s all to play for in both. The action begins with the Netherlands taking on hosts Qatar in Group A, while Ecuador and Senegal could effectively be involved in a play-off in the same group.
In Group B meanwhile, an all-British showdown between Wales and England takes place, and Iran face USA. All four teams have a chance of progressing, and you won’t want to miss a kick!
Bet9ja is offering more than 160 markets on every single World Cup match! Here is our preview for Day 10, with the best odds, tips and analysis.
Group D: Wales vs England
Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium
Tuesday 29th November, 20:00
Fans in the UK will hold their breath as these two teams meet at the World Cup finals for the first time. There is much more than just bragging rights at stake though, with England not yet assured of their place in the Last 16 despite being top of the group on four points, and Wales needing the win just to have a chance of going through.
Wales’ first World Cup since 1958 has not brought a victory so far, following a 1-1 draw with USA and a 0-2 defeat to Iran in their last match. Their fate is likely to be out of their hands on Tuesday, as unless they manage to beat England by at least four goals, they will need to beat England and hope the other match in the group between Iran and USA ends in a draw to finish inside the top two.
While a red card for goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey in the closing stages against Iran did not help before they conceded two late goals, they were unimpressive for most of the match. They had 10 shots at goal, but their opponents managed more than double with 21. They are yet to score a goal from open play in this World Cup and they have not won any of their seven matches they have played since qualifying for the tournament.
Two factors could work in Wales’ favour though. The first is that even if they cannot go through, they will be desperate to hinder the progress of their rivals England. The second is that England manager Gareth Southgate is renowned for taking a cautious approach, as showed in their second game against USA, and Wales could benefit from that.
Following a 6-2 thrashing of Iran in their first game, England were disappointing in their 0-0 draw against USA last Friday, as they never looked like scoring and were on the back foot for sustained periods in the second half in particular. Southgate’s decision not to bring on Phil Foden in the second half has been heavily criticised, as avoiding defeat seemed to be the main priority.
They are still very likely to be in the knockout stages, as they only need to avoid a defeat of at least four goals to make sure of qualification, but a win would seal first place in the group, and they have now secured one win in their last eight matches.
England will of course still be favourites for this one, but given Wales’ need to go on the attack at some point in the game, it may be worth looking at odds of 2.08 on both teams to score with Bet9ja.
England’s Harry Kane, who won the golden boot at the 2018 World Cup, is yet to score in this one, and he is priced at 4.20 to score first and 2.10 to score at any time.
Bet9ja odds (at time of writing): Wales win: 7.80, Draw: 4.30, England win: 1.46
Group D: Iran vs USA
Al Thumama Stadium
Tuesday 29th November, 20:00
The prize in this fixture cannot be understated, as if either team comes out on top, they will be assured of a place in the Last 16. Should the match end in a draw, then USA will be out and Iran will have to hope Wales do not beat England.
Carlos Queiroz’ Iran team were impressive in their last game against Wales, recovering well from their 2-6 humbling by England in their opening game, and they had plenty of good chances in the second half, taking advantage of having the extra man late in the match.
USA can be pleased with their performances so far, and they may in fact have been disappointed to pick up just a point each from their games with Wales and England. They have put themselves under pressure by needing to win this game, but they are unlikely to play an expansive game, unless they need a goal in the closing stages.
Aside from the defeat to England, Iran have been known for being defensively solid, as they only conceded four goals in their 10 qualifying matches. With so much at stake, we would look at 1-2 goals in this game, priced at 1.85.
Bet9ja odds (at time of writing): Iran win: 3.85, Draw: 3.35, USA win: 2.06
Group A: Netherlands vs Qatar
Al Bayt Stadium
Tuesday 29th November, 16:00
Tournament hosts Qatar will be playing for pride in this game, as defeats to Ecuador and Senegal meant they were the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.
They will be unlikely to prevent the Netherlands from booking their place in the Last 16, as they only need a point to seal their progress.
Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal is not known for playing open football though, and his team only managed one attempt on target in their 1-1 draw against Ecuador last time out.
We may not see the Netherlands pushing too hard after taking the lead in this one, but Qatar have already shipped five goals in the tournament. For this reason, a price of 2.30 on the Netherlands with a -2 handicap looks reasonable.
Bet9ja odds (at time of writing): Netherlands win: 1.22, Draw: 6.50, Qatar win: 15.00
Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal
Khalifa International Stadium
Tuesday 29th November, 16:00
This will be a difficult one to call, with just one point separating the teams and the winner being guaranteed a place in the next round. If it ends in a draw, Ecuador will be through and Senegal would be relying on Qatar to beat the Netherlands to have a chance of progressing. Ecuador will hope for the same favour if they lose, and any defeat for Senegal means they are out.
Ecuador seem well set up to at least pick up the point they need, having only conceded one attempt on target in their first two games; albeit that attempt on target was scored by the Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo.
Senegal will likely need to win to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2002, and having won this year’s African Cup of Nations, they will be relying on their recent big-game experience.
With so much to play for, this could be a cagey affair, so the draw at 3.15 looks like a reasonable option.
Bet9ja odds (at time of writing): Ecuador win: 2.45, Draw: 3.15, Senegal win: 3.15
