Croatia v Brazil – Half Time Draw

Brazil might be favourites to win the 2022 World Cup, but Croatia will pose a different threat to Tite’s side than they have faced at the tournament so far. The likes of Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic and Luka Modric will look to control the match in the centre of the pitch which could overwhelm the Brazilian midfield.

Croatia are an ageing team, but they have experience at tournament level having made the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. That experience has come to the fore in Qatar where Zlatko Dalic’s side have overcome Canada and Japan as well as drawing against a Morocco team that has also made the final eight.

The form book shows Croatia will be a difficult team to break down and so there is good value on backing a draw at half time of this quarter-final tie. Brazil might have the attacking quality to ultimately break them down, but the Selecao will have to be patient.

Netherlands v Argentina – Lionel Messi To Score First

Friday’s quarter-final clash between the Netherlands and Argentina has the potential to be a 2022 World Cup classic. Both teams have played somewhat within themselves at the tournament in Qatar to date, but the sparkling individual talent on display could be beyond anything we have seen so far.

Lionel Messi produced one of the best individual performances of the 2022 World Cup in Argentina’s 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16. The 35-year-old has scored three goals in four appearances for La Albiceleste and is once again proving himself as his country’s primary difference-maker when it matters most.

Messi has scored the first goal in three of Argentina’s four matches at the 2022 World Cup so far and is almost certain to have opportunities against the Netherlands on Friday. Whether or not the Paris Saint-Germain playmaker is sharp enough in front of goal will be one of the things that determines the outcome.

Netherlands v Argentina – Under 1.5 Total Goals By Netherlands

The Netherlands found the back of the net three times as they saw off the USA in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, but that match was something of an anomaly for Louis Van Gaal’s team. Indeed, the former Barcelona and Manchester United boss has faced questions over his side’s lack of attacking threat at the tournament.

Before the round of 16, the Netherlands had charted just 1.17 Expected Goals (xG) over their three games at the 2022 World Cup – and 0.8 of that came against Qatar. This trend is unlikely to change against an Argentina team that has kept two clean sheets in four matches. The Dutch might find it difficult to create opportunities.

Of course, star forward Cody Gakpo, who has scored three goals in four games in Qatar, has the individual brilliance to create something out of nothing, but Argentina will feel confident about their chances of containing the Netherlands’ attack. This is a match that could be decided by a single goal.

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