Before the World Cup started, many expected Japan and Senegal to be the two odd teams out in Group H. Although the group was somewhat wide open, the general consensus was that Poland and Colombia would be the teams to advance. However, that thought was turned on its head after the first day of action. Japan and Senegal each picked up wins, and now the group is wide open. Each team is now in good position to advance, and if one of the teams is able to pick up the victory here, they will almost guarantee themselves a spot in the knockout rounds.
The most anticipated sporting event in the world comes around once every four years, so don’t miss any of the 2018 World Cup. This match will take place at Ekaterinburg in Ekaterinburg at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 24, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX.
World Cup Group Stage Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Senegal +119
Japan +266
Draw +223
Over/Under 2
Last Match
Japan and Senegal both were able to pick up wins in their openers, but both sides were somewhat fortunate in doing so.
For Japan, the fortune came early. Following a turnover, Shinji Kagawa had an open look at goal inside of three minutes. Kagawa put a shot on net, but Carlos Sanchez reached out and stopped the goal-bound attempt with his right arm. Sanchez was shown a straight red card, and Japan got to play the rest of the match up a man after Kagawa slid home the subsequent penalty kick. Still, Japan’s play in that match was not very inspiring. They allowed 10-man Colombia to have some good chances and needed a Yuya Osako goal to come out on top after giving up an equalizer just before halftime.
Senegal was just straight up lucky in their win over Poland. The Teranga Lions opened the scoring after a wild shot caromed off of defender Thiago Cionek and into the back of the net and went into halftime up 1-0. A third of the way into the second half, they scored an even more bizarre goal to double their lead. M’Baye Niang had come off the pitch due to an injury and the referee waved him back on right after there was a contested possession. Grzegorz Krychowiak passed the ball back to central defense, but Niang was waiting and ended up with an easy goal.
Player to Watch
Sadio Mane performed very well in his World Cup debut. There were plenty of questions about whether or not he would rise to the occasion after a breakout season at Liverpool, but he answered them all with aplomb.
Mane was able to make things happen when he had the ball. His pass to Idrissa Gueye set up Senegal’s first goal. He was able to play Gueye into space and it ended up working out even though Gueye’s shot was not great. Mane will look to make his presence felt against Japan as well.
Matchup to Watch
We still don’t know how good Japan are after their first match. The Samurai Blue were greatly aided by being up a man for nearly the entire game against Colombia, but that put them in a weirdly uncomfortable spot. Although they certainly preferred to be up a man, new coach Akira Nishino brought back the team’s traditional counterattacking style. They had to constantly be the aggressor while up a man, but they will go back on the counter against Senegal.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Senegal looked much better than Japan in their first match, and I’m going to go with them to get the win here. Mane will have success on the wings and give his teammates plenty of chances to beat Eiji Kawashima.
World Cup Group Stage Odds: Senegal 2, Japan 1
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
