Colombia to Get the Job Done
Group favourites Colombia go into their first game against underdogs Japan.
Colombia
I’m really liking the look of the squad that Colombia has sent to Russia this year and they clearly have the best team on paper, but Poland are their greatest challengers to taking top spot in the group. They go into this match against Japan as strong favourites but we shouldn’t underestimate the Japanese at any rate.
Having said that, Colombia are clearly better man for man and it’s really when we look at their attack that you can see their quality. Colombia have strength in depth up top with players such as Falcao, James Rodriguez, Cuadrado and Muriel, for example. Even their backline looks strong with two young centre backs in Sanchez and Mina. Even their two wing backs in Fabra and Mojica are underrated.
Their weak spot has to be their centre midfielders Aguilar and Sanchez who don’t match up to the rest of the team in terms of quality, but they will be key players against Japan nonetheless.
Colombia’s potential start 11: 4-2-3-1
- Ospina
- Arias - Sanchez - Mina - Mojica
- Sanchez - Aguilar
- Cuadrado - Rodriguez - Muriel
- Falcao
Japan
Asia’s best team are still going into this one as underdogs in Group H, and should probably be considered as the worst team. A lot of money is being wagered against the Japanese, and even their star player Okazaki has some questions surrounding him.
Japan often have problems when it comes to scoring and they struggle for quality in the attacking department and Colombia are without a doubt the strongest team here in terms of attacking potential.
Japan’s potential start 11: 4-2-3-1
- Kawashima
- Sakai - Makino - Yoshida - Nagatomo
- Oshima - Hasebe
- Honda - Kagawa - Yamaguchi
- Inui
Betting Tip
I’m going to have to go with the favourites here even though I’m aware the odds have taken a hit since the start of the tournament. Like I’ve said, Colombia are much better than Japan. The odds seem to be sticking at around 7/10 and the way I see it Colombia probably have a 60% chance of getting the job done. That’s why I think odds of 7/10 with Bethard are pretty good value at the moment and that’s what I’m going with.
