Argentina vs Egypt Tip - Back Scaloni's men to progress at the expense of the Pharaohs
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Tuesday, 17:00
Having cruised through the group stage, Argentina narrowly avoided a monumental shock at the hands of Cape Verde. The African nation played with pride and determination, almost taking the holders to penalties. Lionel Scaloni admitted that his side were 'absolutely knackered' after battling for 120 minutes; however, that may not be such a disadvantage in the Round of 16, with opponents Egypt having been taken all the way by Australia just a few hours earlier.
Argentina's so-called 'easy route' to the final has proven to be anything but, and Scaloni reminded fans that there are 'no easy games' at this stage of the competition. Even if the legs are still feeling a little heavy, Argentina have plenty of options on the bench, and there is a potential for rotation here. Leandro Paredes, Nicolas Tagliafico and Julian Alvarez will probably get some minutes, whereas Como's Nico Paz, who comes off the back of a fantastic season at Como may also be considered.
Fans will be pleased to a different player getting their name on the scoresheet with some detractors suggesting that they are a one-man team. Lionel Messi is likely to feature heavily here once again and add to his seven goals so far.
Egypt have won just one of their four matches at the tournament so far, drawing the other three by the same 1-1 scoreline. They are yet to keep a clean sheet at this tournament, and have an xGA of 5.40. They will also be feeling the impact of an additional 30 minutes, but they will be up for the battle.
They gave Belgiuma tough time during the group stage, and should not be underestimated. Their matches tend to be close with very little between the two sides, so I'd expect this one to follow that pattern.
Argentina should squeeze through, but Hossam Hassan's side will give them a stern test.
Back Argentina to Win by Exactly 1 Goal
I've put together a 6/1 Bet Builder for this final Round of 16 encounter. If you bet £10 on this, you can take advantage of our Bet £10 Get £10 on ACCAs or Bet Builders offer, which is available throughout the World Cup.
I've included Lionel Messi to Score, BTTS, but Under 4.5 Goals with Argentina goes through after 90 minutes
Back Argentina to Win, Under 4.5 Goals, BTTS and Lionel Messi to Score Anytime (Bet Builder)
Switzerland vs Colombia Tip - Back this Round of 16 clash to go all the way
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Tuesday, 21:00
For Switzerland, this is about par. It has become a familar site to see the Swiss bowing out at this stage of the competition. They haven't managed to progress beyond the Round of 16 since 1954, but the draw has been relatively kind to them this year and they have been handed a potentially winnable game against Colombia.
They didn't get off to the easiest start with a disappointing 1-1 draw coming amidst speculation about dressing room disharmony, centred around Granit Xhaka's post-match comments, but all of that appears to have been swept under the carpet now.
They have had a fairly trouble-free route and they have benefitted from a kind schedule which granted them a nine-day rest period between the end of the group stage and the start of the knock-outs.
This time around, they've had just shy of an additional 24 hours to prepare for this fixture, and although they two teams have played the same number of games, their squad is likely to be more well-rested.
Colombia have quietly gone about their business with an air of efficiency. The South Americans have conceded just a single goal so far, and have kept three consecutive clean sheets en-route to this stage of the competition.
They've scored five goals from an xG of 6.30 and have averaged almost seven shots on target per match, the joint-fourth highest in the tournament.
Colombia are likely to be a tough nut to crack and Camilo Vargas will be searching for a fourth consecutive clean sheet here.
There is plenty on the line for both sides here, and I don't expect to see an end-to-end, free-flowing content. If you're sitting to watch this one, I'd advise preparing for an additional 30 minutes at the very least. There has been plenty of late drama in the knock-out stages so far, so I'm backing the draw on the Match Odds 90 market, in the event a late winner for either side.
Back Draw (Match Odds 90)