It’s now or never for the Confederations Cup hosts: one game to go and they face a daunting uphill battle to progress to the last four.
Saturday brings two Group A football games with contrasting moods; high tension in one, high hopes for entertainment in the other. Defeat to Portugal has left the Russians’ qualification hopes hanging by a thread, with few football betting tips pointing to a happy ending.
Russia vs Mexico
An opening 2-0 win over New Zealand didn’t really say much about the strength of the Russia side, but defeat to Portugal in the second match did. The European Champions dominated much of the game, and a 1-0 half-time deficit was flattering to the hosts. But Stanislav Cherchesov’s team seemed to wake up in the last 15 minutes, and they need to play that way for 90 against Mexico, a team which matched Portugal and swept New Zealand away with a strong second-half comeback.
Striker Fyodor Smolov is Russia’s best hope, while Mexico’s Oribe Peralta could spoil the home fans’ night.
Portugal vs New Zealand
Portugal hope to have done the hard work in navigating games against Mexico and Russia, but there’s still a job to be done to qualify. New Zealand will be in no mood to roll over so this could be a great game. The All Whites were by no means outclassed by Russia and put up a brave fight against Mexico, so they certainly have the passion and will to cause an upset. Sadly for them, Cristiano Ronaldo’s left leg is more valuable than the entire New Zealand squad, so an upset it would certainly be!
For the latest sports update, promotions and betting picks with SBOBET get social with our official Twitter, Google+, YouTube and Facebook accounts. Visit SBOBET and join us now. Start placing your bets today!
Click for more football betting options.
