Tomorrow morning (June 28th), Vietnam time, the final six group stage matches will take place: Group L: England-Panama, Croatia-Ghana (4:00 AM); Group K: Colombia-Portugal, Democratic Republic of Congo-Uzbekistan (6:30 AM); Group J: Algeria-Austria, Argentina-Jordan (9:00 AM). Colombia and Argentina have already secured their places in the next round, and Portugal also has a good chance. Except for Group L, which is very unpredictable, the other two groups are fiercely contested for the best second and third place spots.
The final matchday of Group L will determine the outcome of what is considered the most evenly matched group in the tournament. Before the final match, England still holds the advantage to secure first place in Group L if they defeat Panama. Ghana is also in a favorable position, needing at least a draw to advance, while Croatia is forced to play offensively to secure a victory. For Panama, their hopes of progressing are almost gone, but they may still give their all to conclude a memorable World Cup campaign.
England are leading with 4 points and only have to face Panama, who have lost both of their previous two matches. Meanwhile, Croatia's match against Ghana is considered an early knockout for a place in the Round of 32. Having beaten Croatia 4-2 and then drawn 0-0 with Ghana, Thomas Tuchel's team remains the strongest contender for the top spot. Now, England probably need a convincing performance to regain their momentum after the draw against Ghana.
"Ghana is the team with the greatest potential to spring a surprise in the group thanks to their speed, physicality, and cohesion in their play."
Former US national team defender Alexi Lalas
On the other side, Panama has lost to both Ghana and Croatia and has yet to score a goal. Panama is playing with great determination, but the gap in quality with their opponents in the group is very clear. Considering the relative strengths of the two teams, experts are leaning towards a victory for England, to maintain their top position.
The Croatia vs. Ghana match tomorrow morning is the most exciting clash in the group. Ghana currently has 4 points and only needs one more to have a strong chance of advancing. Carlos Queiroz's team has shown disciplined play in defense and is very dangerous in their transitional phases.
Former US national team defender Alexi Lalas assessed: “Ghana is the team with the biggest potential to spring a surprise in the group thanks to their speed, physicality, and cohesion in their play.” Croatia will have to win if they want to secure their own fate in the next round. Despite losing to England in their opening match, Zlatko Dalić's team bounced back with a narrow victory over Panama.
★ In the final matchday of Group K, the clash between two continental footballing schools, Colombia and Portugal, is the focal point of the battle for the top spot. Colombia has already secured a place in the knockout round with 6 points. In tomorrow's match, if Colombia loses to Ronaldo and his teammates, Portugal will take first place in the group. Conversely, Seleccao will retain second place unless the Democratic Republic of Congo (goal difference -1) wins convincingly against Uzbekistan (goal difference +5) to gain 4 points and surpass Portugal on goal difference.
Therefore, the final match is a major challenge for both Colombia and Portugal, but experts still favor the European team with their more balanced squad, better control of the game, and especially with Ronaldo having rediscovered his goal-scoring form and being expected to shine like Argentina's Messi.
Regarding the remaining match, Uzbekistan (goal difference -7), with no points, has little hope of advancing because it will be very difficult for them to overcome the Democratic Republic of Congo, a team that held Portugal to a 1-1 draw and only lost 0-1 to the South American team. A victory with a minimal score would give the African representative hope of securing a third qualifying spot.
★ Group J is almost decided with Argentina winning both of their two matches, securing their place in the next round and guaranteeing them first place in the group. Two consecutive victories against Algeria and Austria helped Lionel Scaloni's team achieve their goal early, and also allowed them to rotate their squad for the final match against Jordan, a team with no motivation left after being eliminated early.
Meanwhile, the spotlight of the group will be on the clash between Algeria and Austria, where the remaining direct qualification spot is still up for grabs. Austria currently holds the advantage with three points, the same as Algeria, but is ahead on goal difference. The European side only needs a draw to secure second place in the group, while Algeria must win if they want to determine their own fate in the next round.
The North African team entered the match in high spirits after their comeback victory against Jordan, a 2-1 win – their first World Cup win after falling behind. However, Vladimir Petkovic's side also faced difficulties as their main striker, Mohamed Amoura, was not yet in his best physical condition.
As for Austria, despite their 0-2 loss to Argentina, they have shown consistency with their opening match victory against Jordan and will enter the game with a certain psychological advantage. Unless an unexpected event occurs, Algeria is likely to defeat Austria to secure a direct spot in the knockout round alongside Argentina.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/cuoc-dua-quyet-liet-cuoi-cung-post971837.html
