World Cup Best Bets - July 3 - Round of 32

Spain edged past Uruguay in a bad-tempered final group game as they backed up their 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia with a 1-0 triumph over their opponents. Along with their 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their opener, Spain are yet to concede a goal. While they have looked solid at the back, they have not been great going forward. Their 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia should be taken with a pinch of salt, while they could only hit the target once against Uruguay despite enjoying 68% of the ball. Clearly, defensive solidity is the order of the day for the Spanish, and I back a third consecutive win to nil at the World Cup for the side.

Austria’s place in the Round of 32 is mostly down to their 3-1 win over Jordan in their opening World Cup game. They were then swatted aside by Argentina in a 2-0 loss before they shared the points in a 3-3 draw with Algeria. Without a clean sheet across their opening three, Algeria have clearly struggled to keep the ball out of their own net. While they did hit the back of the net against Jordan and Algeria, they failed to do so against the only top-quality side they faced in Argentina. I expect more of the same in this one as Austria fall out of the World Cup with a whimper.

Portugal have failed to really ignite on the pitch, with their 5-0 win over a weak Uzbekistan side sandwiched between draws with DR Conga (1-1) and Colombia (0-0). A lack of goals outside of their thrashing of Uzbekistan is hurting them, while they were dominated by Colombia in their last group game. Fortunate to come away with a point, Portugal will now take on a very experienced side in Croatia. While the Portuguese are the favourites, this will likely be another tight game. Portugal have struggled to find the back of the net consistently, meaning I do not back a big win.

Croatia have rallied well following their 4-2 loss to England in their opening match of the World Cup, with the side beating Panama 1-0 before taking all three points from Ghana in a 2-1 win. These two victories ensured Croatia would go through second in their group, although their reward is a tough clash with Portugal. The pair have met six times before, with Portugal winning three times, Croatia winning once and two games ending as draws. I predict this match will be a very cagey affair, with neither team in the greatest form. However, with more potential match-winners wearing the Portuguese shirt, I predict that this will be as far as Croatia go at the tournament in 2026.

Switzerland have built well following their hugely frustrating 1-1 draw with Qatar in their opening match with a pair of wins. Beating Bosnia 4-1 was a strong result, but handing Canada a 2-1 loss will be the positive result they look back on as they head into the knockout stages. Their wins over Bosnia and Canada ensured they would go through top of their group, and their reward is an entirely winnable game against Algeria. If the Swiss play their natural game, they should win this one.

Like Switzerland, Algeria have also rallied well following a poor result in their opening game. While losing 3-0 to a strong Argentina side is not a major embarrassment, Algeria would still have hoped for better in their opener. They were then able to edge past Jordan in a 2-1 triumph in their must-win game. Their clash with Austria was a game in which both sides knew a draw would be enough, but this did not stop them from playing out an enthralling 3-3 clash. Now, attention turns to being compact at the back and not allowing Switzerland to get anything easily. While I back a tight encounter in the Round of 32, I do not see Algeria taking their place in the Round of 16.