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World Cup warm up: Senegal's fast break to jilt Japan dreams

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World Cup warm up: Senegal's fast break to jilt Japan dreams While the draw for Group H of the World Cup always looked like being one of the most competitive in Russia this summer, few would have predicted the standings after gameweek one.It was Poland and Colombia, after all, that were the two teams with the shortest odds to progress from the group ahead of ...

Why Loftus-Cheek introduction could be key to success against Panama

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Why Loftus-Cheek introduction could be key to success against Panama It’s been widely reported for some time that Ruben Loftus-Cheek would come into the starting line-up for England this weekend, and the Chelsea star will have his chance to shine against Panama.Coming in for the injured Dele Alli, who will sit out of the match due to a thigh strain, there are a...

Best Bet: England’s midfield runners to pose Panama problems

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Best Bet: England’s midfield runners to pose Panama problems While it may have taken an injury time winner from Harry Kane, and indeed two set piece goals from the England captain to defeat Tunisia last Monday, the early signs from Gareth Southgate’s men were encouraging.The Three Lions came out of the traps at a ferocious pace and created numerous oppo...

World Cup warm up: Sterling to keep place ahead of Rashford vs Panama

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World Cup warm up: Sterling to keep place ahead of Rashford vs Panama After intense speculation following a leaked team sheet from England training last week Raheem Sterling is now set to keep his place for the Three Lions’ crucial second match against Panama.The picture of an apparent starting lineup that was taken and published in the English press had suggest...

Best Bet: End-to-end action expected when France face Peru

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Best Bet: End-to-end action expected when France face Peru While both of these sides will have a keen eye on the earlier kick-off in Group C between Denmark and Australia, Peru will be preparing to go on the offensive against their esteemed opponents today.The South Americans play to their strengths, and that is on the attack, even if they were wasteful in ...

Best Bet: Attack vs defence exercise should end in comfortable Spain win

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Best Bet: Attack vs defence exercise should end in comfortable Spain win After gameweek one in Russia it’s fair to say that few would have predicted that Iran would top Group B but a late Aziz Bouhaddouz own goal has given Carlos Queiroz’s side hope of an unlikely spot in the knockout phase.With three points on the board there’s no question that a stale...

Best Bet: Another off day for Suarez and co. unlikely against Saudi Arabia

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Best Bet: Another off day for Suarez and co. unlikely against Saudi Arabia To say that Uruguay’s display against Egypt was underwhelming would be a real understatement, epitomised by the struggles of star man Luis Suarez.While Oscar Tabarez’s side may have knocked a late winner last Friday, their display in general was stagnant and disjointed. That said, La Cel...

World Cup Stat Leaders - Gameweek 1: England duo impress

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World Cup Stat Leaders - Gameweek 1: England duo impress After an eventful opening round of fixtures at the World Cup in Russia, we run through the stat leaders from the games gone by.After a hat-trick in the Iberian rivalry between Spain and Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo has certainly made his mark in the tournament already. It was the game billed as the b...

The Best Bet: Huge odds on Salah to return with a goal against Russia

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The Best Bet: Huge odds on Salah to return with a goal against Russia Entering the game in very different moods, hosts Russia’s victory over Saudi Arabia may have been expected but the manner and margin of the 5-0 win was a huge boost to both the team and the fans.Egypt, meanwhile, were moments away from an impressive point in their opener with Uruguay and what ...

World Cup Scout: Panama general Godoy out to impress against esteemed opposition

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World Cup Scout: Panama general Godoy out to impress against esteemed opposition All eyes will be on the plethora of talent at Roberto Martinez’s disposal for Belgium in Monday’s evening kick-off against Panama, and the underdogs will need to be at their very best to pull off any sort of an upset.With a front three of Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku, cut...