And then there were eight… JOE looks at the upcoming quarter-finals to see if there is any value in the betting market.
We have reached the business end of what has just been a sensational World Cup. We don’t want it to end, but end it must. There are four matches up for decision this coming Friday and Saturday and JOE casts his beady eye upon the impending duels.
Germany v France
The Maracana hosts the first quarter-final between these two behemoths of European football. This is a mouth-watering tie and it would take a brave man to predict the winner here. Both sides have been impressive on their march to this stage. The Germans have shown a little vulnerability in their last couple of matches and had to give absolutely everything to overcome a brave Algerian side in the last round.
France have looked very slick so far and Didier Deschamps has done a tremendous job in bringing harmony and unity to the French squad. Both sides boast players vying for the Golden Boot in the shape of Karim Benzema and Thomas Muller so we are left with a fascinating prospect. We honestly cannot decide who could win here, so we are going for the draw after 90 mins at odds of 9/4.
Brazil v Colombia
The host nation survived an almighty scare in the previous round against Chile and have Julio Caesar to thank for being the hero in the penalty shoot-out. Colombia on the other hand have been hugely impressive on their march to the quarter-finals with the tournament sensation James Rodriguez leading the way.
Brazil, of course, will be incredibly difficult to beat on home soil, regardless of their performances so far and despite Colombia being an absolute joy to watch so far, their defence looks suspect and we expect Neymar and co to exploit that. Neymar to score any time and Brazil to win is available for 13/8.
Argentina v Belgium
Both sides came through energy sapping tight encounters in the previous round and this week will be all about recovery and focus on this fascinating looking tie. The Messi-led Argentina have flattered to deceive a bit so far, but Messi is always capable of getting them out of a tight hole, he’s just that good.
Belgium came through an absolutely epic match against the USA after extra-time and Marc Wilmots’ clever use of the bench has been a feature of their tournament so far. Both sides have a tendency to score late on and we just feel that it’ll be another tight encounter with the match being decided in extra-time. Both defences to cancel each other out in the 90 minutes and finish 0-0 is available at 7/1.
Netherlands v Costa Rica
Costa Rica have easily been the fairytale story of the World Cup so far and you would have been asked to get your head examined if you predicted they would get this far. They have been a joy to watch and most neutrals will be hoping that they can continue their fantastic run.
The Dutch on the other hand, have been ruthlessly efficient so far. Louis van Gaal has displayed a tactical nous which will have Manchester United fans salivating and we fully expect them to beat Costa Rica. The team from central America looked dead on their feet against Greece in the previous round and we feel they have shot their bolt. Arjen Robben to score at any time and Netherlands to win is available at 6/4.
Or how about a four team accumulator based on our predictions? For France, Brazil, Argentina and Netherlands all to qualify, a tenner will win you just shy of 55 euro.