Poland vs Colombia
Who would have thought that these two countries would be butting heads without any points to their name in the second game of the World Cup 2018 group stage?
Poland and Colombia were heavy favourites to make it out of Group H according to a thorough analysis by the knowledgeable experts at SBOBET. Both nations have talented stars leading them and saw relative success during their last international tournaments.
However, it seems that the crow’s feathers have turned white as the two footballing powerhouses find themselves behind Japan and Senegal. They must now knock the other down if they want to have a fighting chance at making the knockout stages.
Fans of both nations will come in droves to the Kazan Arena to will an all-important victory that will help them fight for their survival until the final day. Meanwhile, a loss means an early exit from the biggest ball in world football.
Will Los Cafeteros redeem the costly red card they made with a victory? Or will the Bialo-czerwoni be able to put together a better defensive performance and let their main man do his thing against the opposition?
Talking Points
The prior World Cup 2018 results have to be discussed prior to this match. Both nations played disappointing football as the nations pegged as underdogs got the better of them. Fans, neutrals and pundits, expect a much better performance from the two stars for completely different reasons.
Colombia got the second-earliest red card in World Cup history after midfielder Carlos Sanchez blocked Shinji Kagawa’s attempt in the opening minutes with an outstretched arm. Referee Damir Skomina instantly slapped him with a red card and awarded Japan with a penalty, setting up an eventual 2-1 triumph for the Samurai Blue.
Meanwhile, Poland were seemingly caught off-guard with the blitzing pace and defence of Senegal as they also fell against the Africans, 2-1. Sadio Mane and the rest of the Lions of Teranga played fantastic football to the point that Senegal coach Aliou Cisse’s celebrations have become an internet sensation.
This situation now puts the two nations into a tricky situation coming into this match. Both Colombia and Poland will be putting their best foot forward in order to trounce their opponents and keep their hopes of qualifying to the knockout stages alive. In order for them to achieve this, they need their respective stars to do the heavy lifting and get them out of the ditch they find themselves in.
Bayern Munich fans will be intrigued to see how James Rodriguez and Robert Lewandowski will play in this game. They know how the other operates through their year-long collaboration for the Bavarians and have passed on every minute detail about each other’s playing styles to their coaches. We can be sure that both Jose Pekerman and Adam Nawalka have come up with ways in order to try and contain the other star.
If we put that into consideration, there should be no doubt that the other players in their respective national teams would have to pull their weight and make the victory happen.
If we compare the roster of the two nations, Colombia would have the more dominant team on paper. Radamel Falcao and Carlos Bacca are very effective attackers that Pekerman could use in order to succeed. Arsenal’s David Ospina and Milan’s Cristian Zapata are also ready to lead the Colombian defence.
Meanwhile, Poland have a huge question mark looming over their heads. There is a huge question mark as to whether this Poland team can play quality football without overly relying on Lewandowski. Kamil Grosicki, Lukasz Piszczek and Wojciech Szczesny must lead the team and lessen the burden resting on Robert’s shoulders.
History
Colombia and Poland have met five times in their history, with the four of them being international friendlies. Colombia currently hold the lead in their head-to-head count, winning their last three encounters.
If we discount their shocking first-round defeats, both nations had somewhat good forms in the lead-up to the tournament. Poland won against Korea Republic and drew with Chile, while the Cafeteros pulled off a thrilling victory against France and drew against Egypt and Australia.
If Colombia manage to discipline themselves and not concede another penalty, they have a good chance of winning this match. Meanwhile, Poland need to get their stuff together and stop the equally speedy Colombians from having their way with the back line.
What are the odds?
SBOBET has interesting odds if you want to bet on this match.
Given the shocking form these two countries are in, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this could end with the two countries splitting the honours. The 1X2 market offers 3.20 for a tie game.
However, there’s a good chance that Poland will still continue struggling to defend against Colombia’s wing attacks. Should that happen, there is a good chance of the South Americans running away with the three points. Putting money on Colombia -0.50 @ 2.29 is not a bad idea.
I think this will be the game where the two Bayern Munich stars rediscover their form and start smacking in goals. There is a huge possibility for this game to be a high-scoring affair, so a punt on Over 2.50 is at 2.26.
If you want to see more World Cup 2018 betting odds on this game, check the SBOBET website today.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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