Tuesday’s World Cup Fixtures
The FIFA World Cup Round of 32 continues with three significant matches scheduled for Tuesday. These games will determine three more teams advancing to the Round of 16. The day kicks off with Ivory Coast against Norway at Dallas Stadium in Texas. Following this, France will face Sweden at New York/New Jersey Stadium. The final match of the day will see co-hosts Mexico compete against Ecuador at Mexico City Stadium.
These fixtures follow a Round of 32 that has already featured unexpected results. Paraguay notably defeated Germany, and Morocco eliminated the Netherlands after a penalty shootout.
Key Match Previews
The match between Ivory Coast and Norway marks their first competitive encounter. Historically, Ivory Coast has found European opposition challenging in the World Cup, while Norway has a strong record against African teams, losing only two of 19 matches across all competitions. The Opta supercomputer predicts Norway as the favourites to advance, winning in normal time in 56.1 percent of simulations, compared to 21.6 percent for Ivory Coast. A draw after 90 minutes occurred in 22.3 percent of simulations.
Norway‘s star striker, Erling Haaland, has been a key player, scoring four goals in two matches during the group stage. Ivory Coast, making their first appearance in the knockout stage, will likely focus on containing Haaland. Their squad includes players like Nicolas Pepe, who has scored two goals, and Amad Diallo and Franck Kessie, each with one goal.
France and Sweden have a long history, having met 23 times, with France holding 12 wins to Sweden‘s six. However, this will be their first meeting in a FIFA World Cup. The Opta supercomputer gives France a significant advantage, with a 75.1 percent chance of winning in normal time in simulations. Sweden‘s victory rate was 9.5 percent, with 15.4 percent of matches ending in a draw after 90 minutes.
France, considered one of the tournament favourites, has shown strong offensive play, scoring at least three goals in each of their group stage games. Key players include Kylian Mbappé, who has four goals and an assist, and Ousmane Dembélé, also with four goals and an assist, including a hat trick against Norway in the group stage. Sweden‘s attack features forwards like Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak.
Mexico and Ecuador have met once before in the FIFA World Cup, with Mexico winning 2-1 in 2002. More recent encounters have been closely contested, with their last three matches ending in draws. The Opta supercomputer gives co-hosts Mexico an edge, predicting a win in normal time in 47.1 percent of simulations, compared to 23.7 percent for Ecuador. A draw after 90 minutes occurred in 29.2 percent of simulations, suggesting extra time is a realistic possibility.
Mexico advanced from the group stage without conceding a goal, scoring six goals through five different players. Ecuador, on the other hand, boasts a strong defence, having allowed only five goals and keeping 13 clean sheets in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying tournament. Their defence includes players like Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapié, and Joel Ordonez, with Moisés Caicedo in midfield. Julián Quiñones, a naturalised Mexican citizen, has been an important player for Mexico, scoring in the wins against South Africa and Czechia.
Teams Advancing and Eliminated
The Round of 32 has already seen several teams secure their spots in the Round of 16. These include Canada, who defeated South Africa 1-0, and Brazil, who beat Japan 2-1. Paraguay advanced after a penalty shootout victory over Germany following a 1-1 draw. Morocco also progressed by defeating the Netherlands 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in extra time.
Morocco‘s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, saved a penalty, and Ismael Saibari scored the decisive spot-kick. Morocco is now set to face Canada in the Round of 16. Germany‘s unexpected exit came after Paraguay‘s 4-3 shootout victory. Paraguay‘s President Santiago Pena declared Tuesday a national holiday to celebrate the team’s historic win.
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Source: aljazeera.com
