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Ivory Coast v Norway 

Norway have seen this selection land in all three of their World Cup games so far, winning 4-1 against Iraq and 3-2 against Senegal before falling to a 4-1 defeat to France with a heavily rotated side.

Norway have seen BTTS in each of their last 10 matches with only two of these games ending in a draw. They have a constant goal threat through Erling Haaland who has already scored four goals across his two starts in the competition.

Ivory Coast have seen this selection land in one of their three matches so far as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Germany in their second group game. That clash is the most comparable to the threat they face from Norway here, and a similar result could be on the cards in Ivory Coast’s first ever knockout game at a World Cup.

Ivory Coast have only drawn one of their last 10 matches, seeing BTTS in five of these games - including a 2-1 win over France. 

France v Sweden 

Sweden saw BTTS in all three of their group games, with just one ending in a draw as they shared points with Japan in their final group game. 

Sweden have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 14 matches, so they will know that they need to score here as keeping France out for 90 minutes is unlikely with their attacking quality.

France won all three of their group games, with two of these games seeing BTTS. They obviously have a very strong attacking setup, but their backline can be got at and will be tested by the likes of Gyokeres, Isak and Elanga who can all provide a decent threat to France in this fixture. 

France have only drawn one of their last 10 matches, seeing BTTS in eight of these games. They clearly trust their superior scoring power compared to most other nations and should be able to come away winners here in another entertaining contest. 

I find it difficult to split these two sides, but I do think this will be an entertaining Round of 32 tie between two nations who will have plenty of momentum following their positive group stage performances. 

Norway have seen BTTS in all three of their matches so far and look a little light at the back. I think they’ll be exposed at times by the speed of this Ivory Coast side in transition, but you can’t rule out Norway getting on the scoresheet, given that they have Erling Haaland within their ranks, who has scored four goals across his two starts so far.

Ivory Coast managed to score against Germany in an unlucky 2-1 defeat to Naglesmann’s side, and I think they can cause another European side problems here in what should be an end-to-end game.

I think this will be quite an open game between two sides who could easily go on a bit of a run at this World Cup, following on from their promising displays in the group stages of the competition.

Norway are yet to keep a clean sheet so far, having conceded against France, Iraq, and Senegal in battling to second place in their group. Nyland has been forced into making two saves across his two starts, with both of these stops coming against Senegal as Norway came away 3-2 winners over the African side.

Nyland was forced into making 17 saves during qualifying for Norway (2.12 per 90) with a save percentage of 77.3%. I think he gets called into action at least twice here, with Norway’s backline being the weakest part of their side and the Ivory Coast offering a decent attacking threat.

Erling Haaland was rested for Norway’s final group game against France, but should come back into the starting lineup here as one of the best finishers at the tournament so far.

Haaland has scored four goals across his two matches from 10 shots (5.00 per 90), seeing seven of these efforts find the target (3.50 per 90). This Norway side is built to feed him chances, and two shots on target for Norway’s top scorer during qualifying looks achievable in this clash.

Haaland scored 16 goals across eight starts in qualifying for Norway from 41 shots (5.23 per 90), seeing 28 of these efforts find the target (3.57 per 90). He’s also got a ridiculous record in international football more widely having netted 59 goals across 52 caps.

David Moller Wolfe was also rested for Norway against France last time out but should come back into the fold here to line up at left-back, where he’ll be faced up by Amad Diallo.

Moller Wolfe has committed 2+ fouls in both of his World Cup matches so far, committing three fouls in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq. He had a pretty unremarkable domestic campaign during the 25/26 season for Wolves, but did commit fouls pretty consistently with 10 across his 11 starts in the Premier League (0.86 per 90).

He also averaged 1.45 fouls committed per 90 during qualifying, so he is very consistent when it comes to committing fouls, and his main opponent here in Amad Diallo has won two fouls across 154 minutes of action at the World Cup so far and averaged 1.46 fouls won per 90 during the 25/26 campaign for Manchester United.

Frank Kessie has started all three games for the Ivory Coast at the World Cup as captain and has been aggressive across these games, with five fouls committed so far.

Kessie was shown a yellow card in his opening game of the tournament as he committed three fouls against Ecuador, and he should have plenty of work to get through here against an organised and complete Norwegian midfield. 

Kessie plays his club football in Saudi Arabia for Al Ahli and committed 34 fouls across 26 starts during the 25/26 campaign (1.41 per 90). I expect him to commit at least one foul here, as he has done in each of his three matches at the World Cup so far.

Martin Odegaard is such an important player for Norway and has a particularly strong relationship with Erling Haaland, which makes him a good option to register an assist in this clash, having already set up two goals at the tournament.

Odegaard was also afforded a rest against France last time out, so he should enter this game refreshed. He’s set up a goal in each of his two games so far, from two chances created, showing the benefit of having a player as clinical as Haaland one the end of the chances he sets up for the striker.

Odegaard set up seven goals during qualifying across five starts from 25 chances created (5.01 per 90). Norway’s set up involves Odegaard and Haaland linking up as often as possible - and Odegaard’s role on set pieces for Norway also aids this selection.

As I've mentioned already, I think the Ivory Coast will cause Norway problems in transition. They have a lot of speed at the top end of the pitch, and their wide players in particular can be really threatening, with the duo expected to be Yan Diomande and Amad Diallo.

Of those two wide players, I think Diallo is a slightly bigger shot threat. Diomande is incredibly talented and will get a big move over the next few weeks, but he’s been featuring in more of a creative role for the Ivory Coast so far and is yet to get on the scoresheet. 

On the other hand, Diallo has already scored at the World Cup with a crucial winning goal against Ecuador to ensure that the Ivory Coast finished second in the group. He’s taken six shots across his two starts (3.51 per 90), finding the target twice with these efforts (1.17 per 90).

There was a moment in Canada v South Africa a few days ago where Sphephelo Sithole charged into a Canada player in the first half and quite literally shoulder barged him to the ground. He wasn’t given a yellow card on that occasion, which is a scenario that sums up card betting at the World Cup so far.

The referees have been extremely lenient when reaching for their pockets, even those referees who are usually quite card-happy, but I see this changing in the knockout stages, as the constant threat of elimination usually leads to more card-heavy games.

Ibrahim Sangare is a prime candidate for caution here, having collected five yellow cards across 25 starts for Nottingham Forest during the 25/26 campaign.

He hasn’t got that stuck in at the World Cup yet, but he is quite an industrious player and should get caught up in a competitive midfield battle here with not much at all to split these two sides.

France have enough quality to win this tie, and I think they’ll do so comfortably with the attacking options they have on the pitch against a Swedish backline that I really don’t trust.

We saw France take apart a second string Norway side last time out, scoring three goals in the first half in an eventual 4-1 victory for Didier Deschamps’ side. They looked really confident in the final third with Mbappe and Dembele linking up particularly well, which is a balance many questioned before the tournament started.

France won all three of their group matches and look like the most complete side at the World Cup so far. They’ve scored 3+ goals in all of these matches, and I don’t think Sweden will be able to live with that level of firepower.

Sweden have been pretty good when it comes to getting shots and shots on target away, but like with all of Graham Potter’s sides, they struggle to convert these chances.

This has been an issue for Graham Potter since his time at Swansea. He often constructs teams that are really good between the boxes, but lack the cutting edge to put away chances or keep sides out of their own goal.

Mike Maignan is a very solid keeper and has had to make five saves at the World Cup so far (1.67 per 90), with a save percentage of 71.4%. Sweden have averaged 6.70 shots on target per game so far; only four sides have found the target more often than Graham Potter’s side.

Kylian Mbappe comes alive at the World Cup, and this tournament has been no different, with the striker scoring four goals and registering two assists across just three starts.

He’ll have his eye on another Golden Boot after clinching the accolade back in 2022 as France battled to the final in Qatar. He’s taken 16 shots at the World Cup so far (5.41 per 90), seeing nine of these efforts find the target (3.05 per 90).

France look really balanced in forward areas at the moment, with the front four of Olise, Doue, Dembele, and Mbappe complementing each other really well. Mbappe should be full of confidence again here and will get chances against a Sweden backline that is far from secure and has conceded in all three of their games so far.

Sweden may be vulnerable at the back, but they have the individual quality to pose a threat in forward areas - namely through Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, who can both be dangerous even with limited service.

Gyokeres has taken 11 shots across his three starts at the World Cup so far (3.67 per 90), finding the back of the net once with these efforts. He’s seen five of these attempts find the target (1.67 per 90). He scored four goals across six starts for Sweden during qualifying, maintaining an average of exactly 1.00 shots on target per 90.

Gyokeres is the type of striker who will relish an individual battle with Upamecano and his centre-back partner, and actually tends to be at his best when he’s playing for a side that will feed him down the channels when Sweden can get the ball forward in transition.

Upamecano has been pretty solid for France at the back so far, but I still think he has a mistake in him and will have to be alert to the threat of Sweden’s front two, as well as Anthony Elanga, who can be a real asset to Graham Potter’s side in transition.

Upamecano has committed three fouls across his three starts at the World Cup so far, committing one in each game. His main battle here will be with Viktor Gyokeres, who has been fouled three times across his three matches so far, and maintained an average of 1.33 fouls won per 90 for Sweden during qualifying. 

Upamecano wasn’t really tested during qualifying, with France having a relatively kind qualifying group, but did average 0.75 fouls committed per 90 across his 21 starts for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga during the 25/26 campaign

Michael Olise has registered the joint-most assists at the World Cup so far, setting up three goals from seven chances created (2.83 per 90).

It’s clear that Deschamps wants Olise in more of a creative role. Dembele and Mbappe are the two main finishers in the side, with Olise operating in a more central role compared to the wider role he plays for Bayern Munich, where he’s much more of a shot threat cutting in on his left foot.

Olise created 22 chances across just five starts for France during qualifying (4.64 per 90) and was very unlucky not to register an assist. He registered 28 assists for Bayern Munich across the 25/26 campaign, his highest ever tally in a single season as a professional footballer.

Alexander Isak had a really tough season, mainly due to injuries, but now looks to be building back towards the player we saw for large spells of his time at Newcastle.

He’s scored one goal at the World Cup so far from six shots (2.01 per 90), being pretty clinical with these efforts as five have found the target (1.67 per 90). He managed 11 shots across just 226 minutes of action during qualifying (4.38 per 90), seeing five of these efforts find the target (1.99 per 90). 

I think Sweden will get chances in transition here. Only four sides have had more shots on target than Graham Potter’s side at the World Cup so far, and that tally is mainly down to the effectiveness of Gyokeres and Isak as Sweden’s front pairing.

Yasin Ayari is a really talented player, and I think he will eventually earn a move to a top side as another product of the never-ending conveyor belt of talent that comes through at Brighton.

He can be a bit overly aggressive with his challenges and has already collected a card at the World Cup, with that caution coming against Japan. He collected one card across his seven starts in qualifying, and also averaged 2.15 fouls committed per 90 across those matches.

He’ll be up against Olise here, who is now operating more centrally for France. Olise has won five fouls across his three starts at the World Cup (2.02 per 90), and this is a consistent part of his game, having won 11 fouls across five starts in qualifying (2.32 per 90).

I took this angle when France lined up against Senegal in their opening game of the World Cup, and it landed on that occasion with Upamecano being up against Nicolas Jackson.

I think Upamecano has another favourable opponent for him to win a foul here, with the centre back likely to be in a real tussle with Viktor Gyokeres, who has committed four fouls across his three starts at the World Cup so far, and is as short as 1.33 to commit a foul in this contest.

Upamecano does have a mistake in him; on the whole, he’s a solid centre back, but Gyokeres and Isak will be aware that he can flounder under pressure, and they may overstep the mark at times when trying to force a mistake from the Bayern Munich centre back.

Ivory Coast have scored in each of their last 12 matches, netting against the likes of Germany, France, Ecuador and South Korea during this run. Norway failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their three group matches, and have only kept one clean sheet across their last 10 matches.

France scored 3+ goals in all three of their group matches and have scored 2+ goals in 15 of their last 16 matches. Sweden have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 14 matches and look vulnerable against the attacking setup of this France side.

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Norway have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their three World Cup matches so far, including conceding to Iraq.

Ivory Coast have qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup for the very first time.

Ivory Coast struggled a little with the quality of Germany in their second group game, losing 2-1 to Naglesmann’s side and I think this game will take on a similar pattern. 

Erling Haaland has scored four goals across his two starts at the World Cup so far, and has 59 goals across 52 caps for Norway more widely.

France won all three of their group games, scoring at least three goals in all of these matches.

Kylian Mbappe has scored four goals across his three starts at the World Cup so far, and won the Golden Boot back in 2022 as France reached the final.

Sweden have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their World Cup matches so far, conceding five in one of these games as they fell to the Netherlands.

France have scored 3+ goals in seven of their last 10 matches, but have also only kept two clean sheets across these games.

I am also siding with the aforementioned Moisés Caicedo to attempt a minimum of one shot.

The Ecuador midfielder regularly pushes forward to support attacking moves, as shown across his three group stage outings, where he registered one shot in each game.

He was also reliable when it came to pulling the trigger during World Cup qualification, averaging 0.84 shots per 90 while attempting at least one shot in four of the five friendly fixtures that followed.

It is also worth noting that Caicedo registered seven shots across his final eight Premier League appearances for Chelsea last season.

While Mexico progressed to the knockout stage with three wins from three, they were outshot by both South Korea and the Czech Republic, which further strengthens the case for Caicedo to get an effort away.

Back Moises Caicedo to commit at least two fouls against Mexico. The Ecuadorian midfield enforcer committed four fouls across his three group stage appearances, including three against the Ivory Coast. 

That is nothing new. Caicedo averaged 2.06 fouls per game during World Cup qualifying and carried that trend into Ecuador's pre-tournament friendlies, committing at least two fouls in four of those five warm-up matches.

Caicedo is likely to be at the heart of a fiercely contested midfield battle against Brian Gutierrez and Erik Lira, who drew a combined four fouls across their two group stage appearances. The Mexican duo are likely to come in for plenty of close attention from Caicedo.

A minimum of three corners should be well within range for Ecuador when they go up against Mexico on Wednesday.

The South Americans forced at least three corners in each of their three group stage matches. A closer look at those figures shows La Tri earned five against the Ivory Coast, eight against Curacao, and won the corner count 3-2 against Germany in their final group stage fixture.

Ecuador averaged 3.95 corners per 90 during qualification, so here we are effectively looking for just one fewer than that. 

What’s more, Mexico lost the corner battle in two of their three group stage games, including conceding five against the Czech Republic last time out. The co-hosts were also forced to defend 3+ corners in friendlies against both Ghana and Australia in the weeks leading up to the World Cup.

Ecuador look worthy of support to collect at least two yellow cards against Mexico.

Sebastian Beccacece’s side will be really up against it here, given they are playing Mexico in their own backyard. Moreover, Ecuador come into this encounter having picked up three yellow cards to Germany’s one in their final Group E assignment.

While Ecuador received an average of 1.34 yellow cards per game during World Cup qualification, they had players sent off in two of their final three fixtures, against Peru and Argentina. 

Adding further weight to the case is the fact Mexico drew multiple bookings from two of their three group stage opponents. Notably, South Africa received two red cards at this venue during the World Cup curtain-raiser.

Look for Piero Hincapie to be fouled at least once against Mexico. 

The Ecuadorian defender featured in all three of Ecuador’s group stage matches and was drawing an average of 1.08 fouls per game.

Moreover, Hincapie was being fouled consistently ahead of the World Cup, being brought down twice in four friendly outings, while he also won free kicks in all four of his Copa America appearances a couple of years ago. 

On top of that, he was fouled a combined eight times across his final 10 Premier League appearances for Arsenal last season.

Hincapie is likely to find himself in similar areas of the pitch to Mexico duo Roberto Alvarado and Jorge Sanchez, with the former committing two fouls against South Africa, while the latter was penalised against South Korea and the Czech Republic.

France against Sweden is another enticing round of 32 matchup, and they will face off at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Alexander Bernhardsson is expected to start in a right wingback position for Sweden, meaning he will be up against Kylian Mbappe.

Bernhardsson plays his football for Holstein Kiel in the German second division, so this will be a significant step up in quality from the opponent he is used to facing, but the 27-year-old has proven how he can be quite a frustrating opponent to play against. Bernhardsson has been fouled at least once in all three of his World Cup appearances so far.

His average of 2.42 fouls drawn per 90 for Holstein Kiel was one of the highest figures in the squad this season, and he also averaged 2.07 fouls drawn per 90 during Sweden's World Cup qualifying campaign.

With Yan Diomande out injured, Guela Doue looks set to start at right back against Norway here. The 23-year-old had a tough time against Ecuador in round one - he committed three fouls and was booked. Doue was then benched against Germany in the next match, but he still managed to record a foul despite only playing the final eight minutes. The full back blanked on fouls against Curacao in the final group game, but Ivory Coast dominated that match and registered just six infringements as a team.

Doue will now be directly up against Antonio Nusa - an incredibly direct and technical winger who has been in great form this tournament. The RB Leipzig man averaged 2.59 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season domestically, which shows just how difficult he can be to contain. Meanwhile, Doué had an average of 1.79 fouls per 90 for Strasbourg this term.

Norway suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against France in their final group stage game, but it is worth noting that they opted for significant rotation with qualification already secured. Alexander Sorloth was one of several key Norwegian starters who did not feature at all, so he should come into this clash against Ivory Coast well-rested.

Sorloth typically plays out on the right wing for his national side, which gives him slightly more involvement in terms of having the ball at his feet, and contesting duels against opposing fullbacks. He committed three fouls in Norway's opening victory against Iraq to land this selection.

Standing at 6’5, Sorloth is a very physical player who looks to use his physicality to retain possession - he can often be overly aggressive though. He had an average of 1.57 fouls per 90 for Atletico Madrid this season. 

Maxim De Cuyper scored just twice from his 30 Premier League appearances for Brighton this season, which doesn't quite show just how much he contributes going forward. He had an average of 2.36 shots per 90 across his six qualifying starts for Belgium, with two of those efforts finding the back of the net. 

De Cuyper is afforded plenty of attacking freedom by Rudi Garcia, who likes his full backs to be front-footed and push into advanced positions. The Brighton man only featured from the bench against Egypt in round one of the World Cup, but he had five shots against Iran in the proceeding match, and four of those hit the target. Even against New Zealand last time out, De Cuyper landed this selection as one of his two efforts forced a save from the opposing goalkeeper.

Ismaila Sarr was also on the scoresheet against Iraq, as he managed three shots, and two hit the target. Prior to that, he scored a brace against Norway, meaning Sarr is currently the top scorer for Senegal at this World Cup. 

Sarr has been able to carry forward his impressive form for Crystal Palace into this tournament, after scoring 21 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions. He is one of Senegal's most in-form attacking players at the moment. 

Sarr accounted for three of Senegal's six shots against France in round one, but was unfortunate that none of those efforts found the target. Still, he was able to find some promising positions, and that should be the case again here. 

Brandon Mechele had an average of just 0.85 fouls per 90 for Club Brugge this season, which is nothing to write home about, but his role for Belgium is considerably different to what is asked of him at club level. The centre back is tasked with being a lot more aggressive in his duels, which has translated to five fouls committed in his three World Cup appearances so far.

Mechele has so far been fortunate to escape without a booking in any of those appearances, but this upcoming clash against Senegal looks set to be his toughest test yet. He will have to deal with the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr.

On the opposite side, Moussa Niakhate has been a bit more reserved in terms of fouls, with just three to his name, but he has been adept at drawing contact throughout the tournament. The 30-year-old has actually drawn the joint-most fouls of any Senegal player at this World Cup so far, which has been useful to alleviate the pressure on his side.

He tends to go down quite easily when he does feel contact, which makes Niakhate quite a frustrating opponent to come up against. There should be plenty of pressure for him to absorb against Belgium, so this market is one to target for him again.

Senegal squeezed through to the knockouts after beating Iraq 5-0 in their final group stage game, which made their goal difference good enough to rank in the top eight of the 3rd-placed teams. The Lions were helped by an early red card for Rebin Sulaka, but Senegal still needed to be clinical in the final third.

Prior to that, Senegal were far from convincing - they were beaten 3-1 by France in their opening game, before losing 3-2 against Norway in their next match. Goals have been aplenty whenever Senegal are involved, and their defensive record should give Belgium confidence.

The Red Devils also ended their group stage campaign on a high, thrashing New Zealand 5-1 in a dominant display which highlights just how strong they are going forward.

Both Senegal and Belgium have looked a lot more comfortable going forward, than they have when defending. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see chances available at both ends of the field here, which makes corners a target. 

Belgium cleared this line on their own against New Zealand, finishing that game with exactly eight corners. With Jeremy Doku back in the first team picture, Belgium’s threat from wide areas has increased significantly. 

Senegal are averaging 11.34 corners per game at the World Cup so far, with 6.67 for and 4.67 conceded, and this selection has landed in all three of their World Cup matches so far.

Kevin De Bruyne had four shots against Egypt, then five against Iran, so he was unfortunate not to find the back of the net in those matches. The former Man City man finally opened his account at this World Cup against New Zealand last time out, firing one into the bottom corner from outside the box to score Belgium’s third of the game. He recorded seven shots in total, with two hitting the target, meaning De Bruyne has already racked up 16 shots at the World Cup so far. 

Even at 34 years old, this Belgium attack is still built around De Bruyne, and the Red Devils will be relying on their attacking midfielder to provide a moment of inspiration against Senegal.

Pape Gueye was the standout performer for Senegal against Iraq last time out, bagging himself a brace. Both of his goals were both screamers which nestled into the top corner, so he should come into this clash full of confidence. 

Pape Gueye only featured for the final 30 minutes off the bench as well, but that was also enough time for him to pick up a yellow card. The 27-year-old is a combative presence in midfield, and he had an average of 2.78 fouls per 90 for Senegal during their AFCON campaign, picking up two yellow cards from his five starts. He also had an average of 1.49 fouls per 90 across all competitions for Villarreal this season.

Pape Gueye should find duels against Youri Tielemans in midfield, and that is a matchup to keep a close eye on. The Aston Villa midfielder has landed this selection in all three of his World Cup appearances so far, with a total of seven fouls drawn across those games. In fact, he also landed this selection in each of his four starts for Belgium prior to the World Cup, which shows just how consistently he has been able to clear this line. 

Tielemans typically sees a lot of the ball for Belgium in midfield, and he is adept at using his body to buy free kicks when pressed. Senegal like to be aggressive in their duels, particularly in midfield, which makes this market one to target again.

The market has caught up with this angle now, but it’s still worth taking as part of a bet builder given the expected gamestate. 

DR Congo will play in a very similar way to Ghana and Panama in this clash, knowing that a toe to toe battle with England will only end one way given the talent in Tuchel’s side.

DR Congo have the facilities to frustrate England and make them wait for an opener. They held Portugal to a 1-1 draw on Matchday 1, and also limited Colombia to just one goal and an xG of 0.98 despite the South American side having 20 shots. 

Their low block will inevitably lead to England racking up the corner count again, the Three Lions have covered this corner line in all three games so far with at least seven corners in each clash.

This is another angle that I’ve come back to throughout England’s campaign so far and it’s landed in two of England’s three games with the exception of their 0-0 draw with Ghana. Panama got real joy in transition against England, managing 13 shots and drawing two saves from Jordan Pickford.

DR Congo have the attacking players to carry that kind of threat when England lose possession in central areas. The front pairing of Wissa and Bakambu can be strong and hold up the ball well to allow the African side to get up the pitch and test Pickford on at least one occasion, as he has been in two of his three matches so far. 

DR Congo have drawn a save from the opposition goalkeeper in all three of their matches so far and won’t be afraid to take on speculative efforts, they’ve had 4+ shots from outside the box in all three of their matches so far - managing 6+ shots from outside the box in two of these games. 

There aren’t many better bets you can have on England right now than Kane to find the target twice. He’s been remarkably consistent this season in front of goal and this team is set up to get the most out of the Bayern Munich striker.

He scored and had two shots on target against Panama last time out, taking his overall tally to 13 shots across his three starts (4.43 per 90), seeing six of these efforts find the target at the World Cup (2.05 per 90).

This is a small sample size, but Kane’s numbers stay consistent when you widen the pool with the striker scoring eight goals across eight starts in qualifying from 16 shots on target (2.11 per 90). Kane also maintained an average of 2.53 shots on target per 90 in the Bundesliga and 2.17 shots on target per 90 in the Champions League during the 25/26 campaign.

England’s backline has looked vulnerable in transition in all three games at the World Cup so far and Thomas Tuchel’s side have been fortunate not to concede more goals with Panama having a goal ruled out and Ghana being very unfortunate not to get a penalty. 

Yoanne Wissa has been very impressive at the World Cup so far with three goals to his name from nine shots (3.00 per 90). He’s been clinical when he’s found the target with all three of his efforts on goal ending up in the back of the net. He’s played in the Premier League for the last five seasons so he’ll be familiar with most of his opponents here.

Wissa scored three goals across eight starts in qualifying for DR Congo and should be able to offer an outlet for the underdogs who will have noted England’s struggles against Ghana last week and set up in a similar low block with the aim of feeding Wissa in transition. 

Noah Sadiki is a really impressive player and will have to be at his best here to contain a midfield of Rice, Anderson and Bellingham. Sadiki will be a familiar face to Sunderland fans who will be well aware of his key abilities, the main one being his energy and willingness to eat up ground for his side.

Sadiki has surprisingly only started one game at the World Cup so far, but really impressed in that start against Uzbekistan in which he committed a foul and was shown a yellow card. I expect him to start again here on the back of that solid display and have a particular instruction to keep an eye on Bellingham and Anderson who have been two of England’s most influential players so far. 

Bellingham and Anderson are really strong when it comes to winning fouls, drawing 13 between them so far (4.91 per 90). This confirms that Sadiki will have a lot of work to get through in this game as one of DR Congo’s central midfielders in an expected 4-4-2 shape. Sadiki averaged exactly 1.00 fouls committed per 90 across his 33 starts for Sunderland during the 25/26 Premier League campaign.

Haaland has taken 10 shots across his two starts at the World Cup (5.00 per 90), seeing seven of these efforts find the target (3.50 per 90). He scored 16 goals across eight starts during qualifying, averaging 3.57 shots on target per 90.

Odegaard has been fouled in both of his starts for Norway at the World Cup so far. He was fouled 11 times across five starts for Norway during qualifying (2.20 per 90), which is a significant increase on his record for Arsenal across the 25/26 Premier League season (0.59 per 90).

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Erling Haaland has been brilliant in his first ever World Cup campaign so far, netting two goals in each of his two starts.

He was rested for Norway's final group game against France so should come into this clash really refreshed. He's got a ridiculous record at international level with 59 goals across 52 caps and scored more goals than any other European player during qualifying (16).

He could turn provider too, Haaland set up two goals during qualifying with an average of 0.89 chances created per 90. This is a part of his game that has improved over the last year with his 10 assists for Manchester City last year being the best tally he's registered since joining the club.

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Norway have taken the lead in two of their three World Cup games so far, striking first against Senegal and Iraq. They failed to lead against France, but did make 10 changes for that game with this clash in mind.

Ivory Coast conceded first in their 2-1 defeat to Germany in the group stage which is the most comparable assignment to the test they face here. Norway won all eight of their qualifying matches, being one of only two sides to do so from Europe.

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Erling Haaland has been brilliant in his first ever World Cup campaign so far, netting two goals in each of his two starts.

He was rested for Norway's final group game against France so should come into this clash really refreshed. He's got a ridiculous record at international level with 59 goals across 52 caps and scored more goals than any other European player during qualifying (16).

He could turn provider too, Haaland set up two goals during qualifying with an average of 0.89 chances created per 90. This is a part of his game that has improved over the last year with his 10 assists for Manchester City last year being the best tally he's registered since joining the club.

You can back Erling Haaland for a goal or assist @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇