2018 World Cup: Group A Betting Guide, Predictions, Tips & Odds – Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay
About Group A
About Group AHosts Russia have been joined in Group A by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay, in what is perhaps one of the most competitive in the entire tournament. Russia kick things off against Saudi Arabia, however Uruguay’s clash with Egypt is perhaps the most anticipated, with Mohamed Salah potentially going up against the likes of Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani. Russia, Egypt and Uruguay will all harbor hopes of reaching the knockout phase of the competition this summer, making it one of the most difficult to predict groups. Let’s take a closer look at the four teams in Group A, as well as their odds ahead of the tournament.
About Russia
Russia qualified automatically for the Finals when they were announced as World Cup hosts, however their recent results suggest that it could well be a tough tournament for Stanislav Cherchesov’s side. The likes of Aleksandr Golovin, Alan Dzagoev and Fyodor Smolov are among their standout players, although an opening victory against Saudi Arabia is perhaps a must if they are to qualify for the knockout phase of the competition on home soil.
About Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly one of the tournament minnows this time around, with the Middle-Eastern nation ranked 67th in the FIFA world rankings heading to Russia. Experienced boss Juan Antonio Pizzi is in charge of Saudi Arabia, however the Argentine has seen his side suffer warm-up defeats against the likes of Italy and Peru. Striker Mohammad Al-Sahlawi is going to need to be in top form if they are to have any chance of qualifying from Group A, with the 31-year-old having scored an impressive 28 goals from just 39 international appearances.
About Egypt
Egypt are currently sweating on the fitness of star man Mohamed Salah, with the Liverpool man recovering from a shoulder injury suffered during the recent UEFA Champions League final in Kiev. Ranked 45th in the world rankings, manager Héctor Cúper has seen his side draw with the likes of Kuwait and Colombia leading into the tournament, as well as suffering a 3-0 defeat against Belgium. The likes of Mohamed Elneny, Ahmed Hegazi and Ramadan Sobhi will all be familiar to fans of the English Premier League, while Egypt also bring a host of domestic-based players.
About Uruguay
Uruguay qualified for the finals second in the South American standings, with nine wins from their 18 matches. Manager Óscar Tabárez has a wealth of experience to call upon in Russia, including the likes of Diego Godin, Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani. Uruguay are unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions, a run which includes wins over Wales and the Czech Republic.
2018 World Cup Group A Winner Odds
- Uruguay @5/6
- Russia @133/67
- Egypt @7/1
- Saudi Arabia @50/1
Group A Preview & Predictions
As previously mentioned, Group A is perhaps one of the most difficult groups to predict this summer, especially given the fact that it contains the host nation. Uruguay undoubtedly have the best group of players, with the South American’s having made the knockout stages in Brazil four years ago. However, should Egypt have a fully-fit Mohamed Salah to call upon, they could well be a danger too. Our prediction is that both Uruguay and Egypt will qualify from Group A, with Russia and Saudi Arabia disappointing.
2018 World Cup Group A Fixtures
THURSDAY 14TH JUNE
- Russia vs Saudi Arabia 16:00 – Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
FRIDAY 15TH JUNE
- Egypt vs Uruguay 13:00 – Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg
TUESDAY 19TH JUNE
- Russia vs Egypt 19:00 – Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg
WEDNESDAY 20TH JUNE
- Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia 16:00 – Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don
MONDAY 25TH JUNE
- Saudi Arabia vs Egypt 15:00 – Volgograd Arena, Volgograd
- Uruguay vs Russia 15:00 – Samara Arena, Samara