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World Cup 2018: Guardian writers give their predictions for the tournament

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World Cup 2018: Guardian writers give their predictions for the tournament

Who will triumph in Russia? Which player will be top scorer? Who will be the breakthrough star? How far will England go?

Which two teams will reach the final – and who will win?

My time of selecting Spain to win every tournament is now officially over probably four years too late and Im reverting back to Germany, in a penalty shootout against France. Daniel Taylor

Brazil and Argentina, with Lionel Messi to illuminate the grandest stage, then retire from international football clutching its ultimate prize. Maybe. Dominic Fifield

Notoriously hard to call before a round of games has been played. Brazil beating Germany would be my preference. Barney Ronay

Brazil against Germany – the ultimate test of Brazils temperament and a tale of vengeance in result if not in scoreline. Amy Lawrence

Brazil to beat Germany. Brazil have got everything but, most importantly, balance and a hardier mentality under Tite. Germany remain intimidating and even greater than the sum of their parts. David Hytner

Brazil and Germany, and Brazil will ultimately be champions. Stuart James

France and Germany would not be a massive surprise but a lot depends on which Paul Pogba shows up; the player who dictated a 100m move or the one which has struggled for consistency at Manchester United. Martha Kelner

Brazil and Spain, and Brazil will win. Tites side have been impressive in the build-up to the tournament, have solidity and have rested Neymar. Sid Lowe

The dream final would be France versus Brazil – a repeat of the final from 20 years ago, and hopefully with the same result. Marcel Desailly

Germany against Brazil, and Germany will win. Thomas Hitzlsperger

Im certain Brazil will be in the final. Who will join them is a hard choice to make but it would certainly be interesting, and make for a great match, if Argentina joined them. Marta

Neymar is well rested, in form and ready for revenge on Germany. Photograph: APA-PictureDesk GmbH/REX/Shutterstock

Who will be leading individual scorer?

Neymar is a decent shout and should be particularly fired up bearing in mind the way his last World Cup finished. DT

Neymar, whose goals will propel Tites side to the final and presumably then earn him a long mooted move to Real Madrid. DF

Romelu Lukaku. Or someone else. Ideally a surprise from a minor nation who gets four in one game then goes home. BR

Gabriel Jesus, supplied by Neymar and Roberto Firmino, could fill his golden boots. AL

Luis Surez. Uruguays draw is a dream and they will make the quarter-finals, at least, giving Surez plenty of game-time to do damage. DH

Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian has a good scoring record at international level and is the spearhead of a team that should go far. SJ

Antoine Griezmann could light up this tournament, arriving in Russia on the back of inspiring Atletico Madrid to a Europa League title. His record for France isnt bad, though, with 20 goals in 53 games. MK

Neymar.The Brazilian arrives in Russia with fresh legs and a desire to take his nation all the way. Frances Kylian Mbapp is also a decent shout. SL

Romelu Lukaku. Hes on great form, has everybody playing for him and some great passers to provide him with the ammunition he needs. MD

Gabriel Jesus. I watched him quite a lot last season and really liked his movement, not to mention his scoring rate. Hell get plenty of service playing in the same team as the likes of Neymar and Philippe Coutinho and, given Ive predicted Brazil will get to the final, he should play plenty of games, also. TH

Neymar. He was hurt, played two games and scored in both I cant wait to see him in action. M

Frances Kylian Mbapp and Antoine Griezmann are contenders for the World Cup golden boot. Photograph: Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images

Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?

Switzerland. The Fifa world rankings are not the best way to judge a team, perhaps, but there must be some valid reasons why they are currently sixth (ahead of France and Spain). DT

Serbia. Mladen Krstajics team are unfancied, but boast strength and quality. The key will be ensuring players perform to the same levels they invariably achieve at their clubs. DF

This question contains an internal contradiction. Colombia for the semis, maybe. BR

Uruguay, a mix of renewed confidence and wily old know-how. AL

I see Croatia going deep into the tournament maybe even the semi-finals. Any team with Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic deserves respect. DH

Denmark. Theyre 15 matches unbeaten and this could be the stage for Christian Eriksen to shine. Mind you, their opening game, against Peru, wont be easy. SJ

Peru return to the World Cup after a 36 year absence but they are full of hope, galvanised in part by their captain, centre forward and all time top scorer Paolo Guerrero managing to overturn a 14-month drugs ban just weeks before the world cup. MK

Would it count as a surprise for Egypt and Uruguay to do well? The two sides from group A certainly could do so. Uruguay have their usual qualities, have Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield and a quiet, competitive confidence. SL

Belgium. Technically they are so good, they have so many talented players. I truly think they can bring a new name to the nations that have won the World Cup. MD

England. There is little expectations around the squad but I think they will get to the quarter-finals. TH

Sweden. It is a country that I have a lot of affection for and I want them to do well in this World Cup. M

Denmark are unbeaten in 15 matches and Christian Eriksen makes them tick. Photograph: Lars Ronbog/FrontzoneSport via Getty Images

Who will be breakthrough player of the tournament?

Hirving Lozano of Mexico sounds good fun: talented, fiery and nicknamed Chucky because of his apparent resemblance to the Childs Play doll. Lozano scored 19 goals as a winger for PSV Eindhoven last season and is likened to Luis Suarez, though hopefully he will manage not to bite anyone. DT

Samuel Umtiti. That may sound odd given the French centre-half plays at Barcelona, but he was rushed into the team at Euro 2016, making a senior debut in the quarter-final, and is a far better player now. DF

Hes already at Barcelona and cost 90m but I think Ousmane Dembl could remind everyone exactly why. BR

Kylian Mbapp, who has achieved so much already but in his teens this will be his first major tournament. AL

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The 23-year-old Serbia and Lazio midfielder is tall, dynamic and has an eye for goal. Im looking forward to watching him, together with Moroccos creative midfielder, Hakim Ziyech, who plays for Ajax. DH

Polands Piotr Zielinski. The 24-year-old was a key member of the Napoli team that pushed Juventus all the way in Serie A last season. SJ

Karol Linetty. The Polish midfielders inventive play has seen him glitter for Sampdoria and catch the eye of one or two Premier League clubs. More could take interest if he has a good World Cup. MK

Marco Asensio and Kylian Mbapp. This could be the tournament when they underline just how brilliant theyre going to be. SL

Its difficult to say, but, if pushed, Kylian Mbapp. He has the potential to be a big World Cup star. But will it be at this World Cup? He is still very young. MD

Benjamin Pavard, a young defender I work with at Stuttgart and part of Frances squad. He can play right-back but, for me, is much better suited to being a centre-back. He is calm and composed, good in the air and aggressive when he needs to be. A real talent. TH

Hes still only 19 and there were ups and downs in his first season at Paris Saint-Germain but I feel Kylian Mbapp could make a really big impact for France. M

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

How far will England get?

There is a potential quarter-final against Brazil or Germany looming. Even with the new wave of optimism, surrounding Gareth Southgates team its difficult to see them getting past that stage. DT

The quarter-finals, playing some encouragingly enterprising football along the way. DF

Respectable/brave 2-0 quarter-final loss after narrow squeak to that stage based on discipline and a couple of flukey clean sheets. BR

The usual in all probability, maybe a quarter-final this time. AL

The quarter-finals, where we will lose on penalties to Germany. DH

They will get out of the group but its hard to see them progressing any further than the last 16. SJ

Quarter-finals. This is the minimum target the FA has set and is eminently achievable for a team which seems to have had the shackles removed. MK

Quarter-finals. Am I alone in thinking that England are actually quite good? I like the look of them offensively. SL

It is hard to say as England are short of experience. I feel they will need this tournament to grow as a group of players. MD

The quarter-finals. With a bit of good fortune and good play, they could even make the semi-finals. TH

They will definitely get out of their group and possibly go beyond that. M

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Who will be Englands best/most important player?

Harry Kane. People forget how poor he was in the European Championship, booed by the England fans, but if Kane is on form the team have a striker who can trouble any defence. DT

Harry Kane, making his mark at a major finals. The one player of real pedigree in English ranks. DF

Raheem Sterling. Will bring a dash of Manchester City to things and finally score a couple of goals – hopefully with his gun foot, before suggestively unfurling his sock for the cameras. BR

Harry Kane. Has to be. AL

Kyle Walker. He has a pivotal role on the right of Gareth Southgates back three, where he brings defensive cover and, crucially, pace on the transitions. Confidence is high after his superb debut season at Manchester City. DH

Harry Kane.Englands captain, principal goalscorer and, its fair to say, best player. SJ

Harry Kane is vital to Englands success as one of our few genuine world-class players. The captain has no shortage of motivation, claiming a World Cup victory would be trump winning the Champions League with Tottenham. MK

Marcus Rashford. On the basis he is given continuity, confidence and a certain level of freedom. SL

The guy who has really confirmed his talent on the big stage is Harry Kane and if he gets good service he could be one of the top scorers in Russia. MD

Harry Kane. He needs to score goals and Im sure he will. TH

Harry Kane. He had a great season with Tottenham Hotspur and his goals will make a difference for England. M

Harry Kane

What are you most looking forward to, on or off the pitch?

The final. Its a World Cup final. For a journalist, theres no better moment when it comes to covering the sport. DT

Off the pitch, seeing The Motherland Calls in Volgograd. On it, that jaw dropping contest to match the drama of Belo Horizonte in 2014. DF

Discovering that, in fact, everyday Russians arent all Putin-mad dopes or gumshield-clad football hooligans. Also vodka. BR

Exploring Ekaterinburg and watching football in an unexpected place. Japan versus Senegal in a city known as the gateway to Siberia is what its all about. AL

The best thing about the previous World Cups Ive covered has been the carnival vibe. I hope its the same this time. DH

Seeing Colombia play. I had the pleasure of watching them in Brazil and they were a joy. I also havent forgotten how a few of their fans felt sorry for me when I ordered a table for one in a Brazilian steakhouse four years later and were still in touch. SJ

Im genuinely intrigued to see what sort of World Cup-host Russia will be and if they can succeed in reversing opinions of some visitors that the country is cold and unwelcoming. MK

The same thing you always look forward to at the World Cup loads of fans from loads of places making loads of noise and discovering players and teams..Some random player being brilliant. SL

Im excited to see which teams are going to surprise us AND which teams are going to show from the very outset that they are here to win it. MD

Although I think Germany will win the World Cup this looks like a really open tournament, with quite a few genuine major contenders as well as teams would could cause a major surprise. It should be fascinating. TH

Talking about soccer, watching beautiful and clean games, with sportsmanship, fair plays and no dirty plays. Thats what I hope to see, anyway. M

The Colombia fans were already out in force to cheer on their team at Kazan airport. Photograph: Luis Acosta/AFP/Getty Images

What are you most concerned about, on or off the pitch?

This might be the worst prediction of them all, but I dont think there will be the racism or riots that people fear. We heard similar before Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland, plus other scare stories before the World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, but it tends to be different in the big tournaments. DT

The inevitable shambles and confusion which will be VAR. DF

The only thing any football hack ever really worries about is the wi-fi. Will it be good? Will it come and go? Will it fade at kick-off? Im worrying about it right now. BR

Having been in Marseille for England versus Russia, digging out the old Italia 90 No All Violenza T-shirt and hoping for a peaceful tournament. AL

VAR leading to confusion inside the stadiums and, potentially, killing the emotion of big moments. DH

The battery life on my new mobile phone. Any incomplete answers in here are down to the fact my phone died while trying to file. SJ

That we will spend the next five weeks talking exhaustively about decisions made by Video Assistant Referees. MK

Connection issues and late goals. Long distances. Cyrillic script. On the pitch: teams turning defensive when it gets decisive. SL

That all the talk about security and organisation will overshadow the football. As a Fifa ambassador l have visited many stadiums, met many Russians, and l am confident in the capacity of Russia to run a great tournament. MD

Vladimir Putin and Gianni Infantino appearing on our television screens more often than the actual players. TH

Ugly incidents between supporters. Sport is not a tool for spreading hatred and disagreement but rather love, passion, and unity. M

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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World Cup 2018: Football showpiece set to begin in Russia

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2018 Fifa World Cup Venue: Russia Dates: 14 June-15 July Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, Red Button and iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app; listen on Radio 5 live; follow text updates online.

The 2018 Fifa World Cup gets under way on Thursday when hosts Russia face Saudi Arabia following an opening ceremony at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

Football’s showpiece event features 32 teams, including holders Germany, competing in 64 games over 32 days.

The 21st edition will be played out in 12 stadiums, across 11 cities, spread over 1,800 miles.

England, winners in 1966, are the only team from the home nations to qualify and start against Tunisia on 18 June.

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Germany, who defeated Argentina in the 2014 final, are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since 1962, while Brazil seek a record-extending sixth world title.

The month-long tournament is expected to attract one and a half million fans to Russia and an estimated global television audience of over three billion viewers.

There are eight groups, each containing four teams, with the top two advancing to the last 16. The final takes place at the 81,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium on 15 July (16:00 BST).

What’s on when: fixtures, kick-off times, venues

BBC Sport’s coverage: times and channels

2018 World Cup: venue guide

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Who will win the World Cup?

World Cup holders Germany, five-time winners Brazil, Euro 2016 winners Portugal, 2014 runners-up Argentina, Belgium, Poland and 1998 winners France are among the eight seeded teams.

Hosts Russia are also seeded, even though they are the tournament’s lowest-placed team – 70th – in Fifa’s world rankings.

England, who have won only one of their past eight World Cup matches, are unseeded, as are 2010 champions Spain.

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Germany have reached at least the semi-finals in each of the past four editions of the competition and, after being the only team to progress through European qualifying with a 100% record, are expected to be in the shake-up again. They are in Group F with Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.

“Germany will be hunted like never before,” said head coach Joachim Low. “Only us, as world champions, have anything to lose.”

How can you predict who is going to win the World Cup?

Brazil are the only nation to have appeared at every single World Cup but they have not won the tournament since 2002, while you have to go back to 1958 to the last time they won it on European soil.

Yet the Brazilians will fancy their chances, particularly as Neymar, who cost a world record £200m when he moved from Barcelona to Paris St-Germain in August 2017, has returned to action after a broken foot.

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Spain feature several Champions League winners from Real Madrid in their squad as they look to recapture the magic that saw them crowned world champions eight years ago and European champions in 2008 and 2012.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping for a first World Cup winners’ medal after helping Portugal win Euro 2016, while Lionel Messi is hoping to win a first major trophy with Argentina.

France boast a young, exciting squad which includes 19-year-old forward Kylian Mbappe as well as a number of familiar Premier League names including Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba and Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud.

The coach who has modernised Brazil

‘When you win the World Cup, you could hug the world’

Which players are going to Russia – all the confirmed squads

How are England expected to perform?

The closest England have come to repeating their feat of 1966 is a semi-final appearance at Italia 90.

With an average age of 26 years and 18 days, the Three Lions have the third-youngest squad in Russia.

Only three of Gareth Southgate’s 23 players are aged 30 or over – defenders Gary Cahill and Ashley Young, both 32, and 31-year-old forward Jamie Vardy – while defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is the youngest at 19.

Cahill, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Danny Welbeck and Phil Jones are the only survivors from the squad that finished bottom of their group at the 2014 World Cup under Roy Hodgson.

After their opening game in Volgograd (16:00 BST), England face World Cup debutants Panama in Nizhny Novgorod on 24 June (13:00 BST) before rounding off their Group G campaign in Kaliningrad against Belgium four days later (19:00 BST).

While England comfortably qualified for Russia – and enjoyed friendly victories over Nigeria and Costa Rica in recent weeks – former Three Lions captain Alan Shearer does not believe they will win the tournament.

Current skipper Harry Kane is more upbeat.

“It’s impossible not to dream about lifting the World Cup. I believe we can win it – anyone can,” said the Tottenham forward.

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One thing England will have to address if they want to go far is their poor record at the knockout stage in major competitions.

They have not won a knockout match at a tournament since defeating Ecuador in the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup.

“Yes, we have a great record when it comes to qualifying, but since the 2010 World Cup our record at finals has been poor,” added Shearer, who played alongside Southgate at the 1998 World Cup.

“That’s why we should concentrate on getting out of our group first before we worry too much about who we could face in the next round, because doing that has been difficult enough in the past.”

Five reasons to be optimistic about England’s World Cup chances

How much do you know about the England squad?

Throwback to when England won the World Cup

Who are the new boys?

Panama and Iceland will be competing at their first World Cup, which is held every four years.

With a population of approximately 335,000 people, Iceland are the smallest nation ever to qualify.

They will hope to repeat their exploits of two years ago, when they lit up Euro 2016 by reaching the quarter-finals in their first appearance at a major tournament, humiliating England en route.

Iceland’s first game in Russia is against 2014 runners-up Argentina on 16 June.

A national holiday was declared in Panama after they qualified for the World Cup for the first time.

The Central American country, 55th in Fifa’s world rankings, boast an experienced coach in Hernan Dario Gomez, who was in charge of his native Colombia at the 1998 World Cup and Ecuador at the 2002 edition.

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There are several teams back on the world stage after lengthy absences.

Peru return to the finals for the first time since 1982, while north African nations Egypt and Morocco are back for the first time in 28 and 20 years respectively.

Will an African team reach semi-finals for first time?

However, there are some notable absentees.

Four-time winners Italy, South American champions Chile and African champions Cameroon all failed to qualify.

The Netherlands, runners-up in 2010, also missed out while the United States are absent for the first time since 1986.

Referees to get VAR help

Video assistant referees (VAR) will be making a debut at the World Cup.

The technology will be used to help officials avoid making potentially match-deciding mistakes when it comes to such important issues as awarding goals, penalties or red cards.

VAR has been trialled in some domestic English cup games this season, and has been used in Germany and Italy.

“We wanted to give the referees tools so they can make better decisions, and in the World Cup some very important decisions are made,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

“It’s not possible that in 2018 everyone in their living room knows a few seconds after the play whether a referee has made a mistake and the referee doesn’t.”

VAR was first used at the Club World Cup in December 2016, and trialled in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

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Fan safety and security

Russia is hoping to put on a tournament to remember after beating England – as well as joint bids by Spain and Portugal, and the Netherlands and Belgium – to stage the tournament for the first time.

While about 10,000 England fans are expected to travel to Russia, a number are likely to stay away because of political tensions between the two countries and safety issues.

There were violent clashes when Russian fans charged England supporters in the stadium when the two countries played each other in Marseille at Euro 2016. Trouble was also reported in the city’s streets between England, Russia and France fans.

“One thing supporters need to do when they go is be a good guest, behave themselves,” said Mark Roberts, Britain’s lead officer for football policing.

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Deputy Chief Constable Roberts warned acts of disorder will carry “severe” sentences in Russia although Alexei Smertin, the anti-discrimination chief of Russia 2018, played down concerns and said the atmosphere around World Cup venues will be friendly.

“It definitely won’t be stressful and we let everyone feel comfortable and safe in our country,” said the former Chelsea midfielder, capped 55 times by Russia.

How to follow the World Cup on the BBC

The BBC is the only destination for coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on television, radio and online.

We will have 33 matches televised live while BBC Radio 5 live will provide live commentary of all the games.

England’s first two World Cup matches will be shown exclusively live on the BBC, starting with the game against Tunisia on Monday, 18 June, and then the match versus Panama on Sunday, 24 June.

Before the tournament starts, a World Cup preview show will be broadcast on BBC One at 22:45 BST on Wednesday, 13 June.

Meanwhile, fans will be able to watch the tournament in Ultra HD and virtual reality as BBC Sport trials cutting-edge technology.

Users will be transported to a fully immersive stadium experience, through headsets, as if they are sitting in their own hospitality box.

All 33 matches broadcast by the BBC will be available for free on BBC Sport’s VR 2018 World Cup app, and the 29 matches on BBC One will also be available in Ultra HD.

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Ultra HD TV can be accessed through a high-speed internet connection and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The HD stream will be available from the BBC iPlayer home screen as soon as programme coverage begins but the number of users granted access will be limited to “tens of thousands of people”.

Click here for a comprehensive guide on how to follow the World Cup across the BBC

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visionmpbpl-blog · 6 years

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2018 World Cup: What the last friendlies taught us about contenders

The last time Brazil faced Germany before Tuesday was in Belo Horizonte in the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup. The home team’s starlet, Neymar, was missing due to an injury and the game ended in a 7-1 win for Germany—Brazil’s worst ever defeat.

This week, the game was in Berlin and once more there was no Neymar. Brazil again scored once but they managed to keep the home side scoreless on way to a 1-0 win.

Much has changed since the last World Cup, and one of the definitive transformations have been in Brazil’s fortunes. The team under manager Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, better known as Tite, is stacked with talent in all areas of the pitch, so much so that they can not only cope with the absence of Neymar but also thrive.

An ageing Julio Cesar was the best ‘keeper Brazil could manage in goal in 2014. Now, Tite had to drop one of the best custodians in the Premier League, Ederson Moraes, in favour of Roma’s number 1 Alisson Becker.

Fred became one of the scapegoats of that Belo Horizonte massacre never to play for Brazil again. But in Berlin, Tite could trust Gabriel Jesus—the game’s only goalscorer—and have the luxury of starting Roberto Firmino on the bench.

Brazil now seem well-equipped to bury the ghost of 2014 and make a serious dent in their quest for a sixth World Cup in Russia this summer.

As the South Americans overcame their trauma of the past, their arch-rivals Argentina were left contemplating their own. Lionel Messi couldn’t take any more of the mauling his team were receiving at the hands of Spain in Madrid and as the sixth goal in the 6-1 defeat went in, he made a move away inside the bowels of the stadium, having seen the game from the stands.

Argentine manager Jorge Sampaoli has the difficult task of sorting out his chaotic defence that played like amateurs at times. Willy Caballero, 36, will definitely not cut it as reserve ‘keeper and Javier Mascherano is unlikely to get the kind of rigour that would prepare him for a World Cup assignment in the Chinese league. In his Argentine record 141st cap, the former Barcelona man looked a shadow of his former self.

Reports suggest that Ezequiel Garay is not keen on call-ups for the national team but on the evidence of Tuesday, Sampaoli will need to convince the Valencia defender to accept the call for Russia.

For all the shellacking, Argentina started well and moved the ball decisively, attempting to play a passing game. Had it not been for an inexplicable miss from Gonzalo Higuain, La Albiceleste would have taken an early lead with a beautiful flowing move that started all the way at the back.

It leaves the question of whether Higuain is worth trusting with another important assignment. The script of the 2014 World Cup as well as the last two Copa Americas could have been vastly different had Higuain shown the same finishing capabilities that he does at the club level for Juventus. But his potency seems to desert him whenever he puts on an Argentine shirt.

Sergio Aguero was injured and Diego Perotti remained an unused substitute. But Sampaoli needs to give a serious thought about taking Mauro Icardi and Juventus’ starlet Paulo Dybala to Russia, having dropped the two for the twin friendlies.

Argentina are running short of time to fix their side in time for June.

Spain, on the other hand, look in great shape and are the favourites to add to the title they won in 2010. Manager Julen Lopetegui is blessed with a hugely talented squad that is stacked in all areas of the pitch.

Tuesday’s demolition job was completed without David Silva, Javi Martinez, and Sergio Busquets. There were combined 90 minutes for Andres Iniesta and Saul Niguez, while one of the best defenders in the Premier League, Cesar Azpilicueta, had to contend with a cameo.

The core of the side is well-experienced and the gifted youngsters make Spain a potent force and the team to beat this summer.

One team that would relish the challenge are the reigning world champions Germany. The two teams played out a 1-1 draw in their friendly last week, displaying how evenly they are matched.

There are some similarities between the two sides as well. Germany has plenty of experience in Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, and Mesut Ozil, and some outstanding youngsters in Leroy Sane, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka et al. Although none of these players, Sandro Wagner, Timo Werner and Mario Gomez, give the same potency as a Miroslav Klose of yesteryears.

Belgium, too, have rich pickings in all areas of the pitch but doubts remain about manager Roberto Martinez’s ability to come up with tactics that gets the best out of the talent at his disposal. Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne openly criticised Martinez’s tactics during the November international break. It’s never a good sign when the team’s best payer doesn’t profess full faith in the manager.

The Red Devils do have shortcomings in wide defensive areas and the deployment of Yannick Ferreira Carrasco as left wing-back left them exposed whenever Saudi Arabia attacked that area on Tuesday.

Belgium secured a 4-0 win over the Saudis, but better teams will punish them. They have the squad to challenge for the World Cup but a lack of tournament-winning experience and managerial tactical nous may prove their undoing.

Belgium’s group opponents England also have similar concerns with Gareth Southgate at the helm. The England manager opted for a three-man defence in both the friendlies and employed Kyle Walker as the right-sided centre-back. It stifles the best qualities of the Manchester City defender, who thrives on bombing forward and delivering crosses.

A 1-0 win on Saturday over the Netherlands, who have failed to qualify for the World Cup, was relatively easily secured. But Italy would have won on Tuesday by a handsome margin had Ciro Immobile taken his chances—the 1-1 result flatters England.

The arrival of Harry Kane will shore up the Three Lions’ attack and they do have a serviceable midfield but that defence doesn’t look like it could bring the World Cup back to ‘the home of football’.

The match between reigning European champions Portugal and Egypt was billed as a Cristiano Ronaldo versus Mohamed Salah showdown. The latter seemed to be winning the battle with his 56th minute goal but the Real Madrid star had the last laugh with two headers in the injury time that settled the match in Portugal’s favour.

But Portugal had a calamitous first half against the Netherlands, going three goals down before the referee blew for half-time and eventually lost 0-3.

Portugal’s Euro win in 2016 was down to a collective effort and manager Fernando Santos will do well to rally his troops—especially with important players, including Andre Gomes, Andre Silva and Renato Sanches struggling at their respective clubs—if they are to add the World Cup to their Euro win.

France remain hit and miss. They let slip a 2-0 advantage against Colombia at home to lose 3-2 last weekend before beating a ramshackle Russia 3-1 away on Tuesday.

Didier Deschamps has one of the best squads in world football at his disposal. It’s up to him to find the balance. Paul Pogba has been struggling for consistency at Manchester United but Deschamps seems to trust the midfielder more than the United manager, Jose Mourinho.

The French team are well-equipped in attack with Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann, while the centre-back pairing of Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti—who despite making a rare mistake that gave away a penalty against Colombia—will be hard to get past. It’s the midfield where Deschamps need to get the right balance with a plethora of exciting options to choose from.

France’s game against Russia in Saint-Petersburg ended with reports of alleged racist chanting from the stands which football’s governing body FIFA is investigating. Russia has a history of such nasty stuff in its local competitions as well as European club championships and there were fears that such unsavoury incidents will tarnish the World Cup as well.

Football fans would hope Tuesday’s incidents are just a blip and those fears are not realised on world football’s biggest stage come summer.

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