Portugal
Odds to Qualify from Group: 2/9
Qualification: Portugal wiped the floor with the majority of their qualification group, though it has to be said, they were facing far from quality opposition. After a concerning 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the first game, they pipped them to first place after beating them in Lisbon. This was their ninth consecutive win, including 6-0 drubbings of Andorra and Faroe Islands. Ronaldo was in typically scintillating form, but Milan forward Andre Silva was impressive too and the pair combined for 24 goals in Portugal’s march to Russia.
Injuries and Team News: Many of the Euro 2016 heroes have been left out of Portugal’s World Cup squad, including Lazio midfielder Nani and Lokomotiv Moscow forward Eder, who grabbed the winner in the final against France. Danilo Pereira was not considered due to injury and neither was Fabio Coentrao, who surprisingly told boss Fernando Santos not to call him up as he’s coming off a very tiring season with Sporting CP.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
The two up front seem nailed on. Bernardo Silva, Joao Mario and William Carvalho appear set to start but Bruno Fernandes may make way for versatile Monaco midfielder Joao Moutinho. Only Bruno Alves is a rotation risk at the back; the 36 year-old’s place looks under threat from talented but uncapped Benfica defender Ruben Dias. Many fans have been encouraging the manager to switch from 4-4-2 to a more attacking formation in order to get the best out of the talented Bernardo Silva.
Fantasy Potential: 3.5/5. It’s likely Ronaldo’s last chance at a World Cup – he’s fit and firing. He’ll be one of the first names in anyone’s fantasy team. If you’re looking for an attacking differential from Portugal, either Silva look a good bet. Andre has formed a fantastic partnership with Ronaldo and Bernardo has been brilliant when he’s been given chances at Manchester City. They will both come in at a much kinder price. There are numerous routes into the Portuguese defence – clean sheets look possible against Morocco and Iran. However, err on the side of caution when selecting any of their assets as they face off against Spain in the first fixture. It may be best to adopt a wait and see approach on Portugal and draft in their players using free transfers if they look impressive against the group favourites.
Prediction: I think the bookies are fairly spot on with those odds. Portugal should qualify comfortably, whether that is in 1st or 2nd will likely be dependent on that first game against Spain.
Odds to Qualify from Group: 2/9
Qualification: Portugal wiped the floor with the majority of their qualification group, though it has to be said, they were facing far from quality opposition. After a concerning 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the first game, they pipped them to first place after beating them in Lisbon. This was their ninth consecutive win, including 6-0 drubbings of Andorra and Faroe Islands. Ronaldo was in typically scintillating form, but Milan forward Andre Silva was impressive too and the pair combined for 24 goals in Portugal’s march to Russia.
Injuries and Team News: Many of the Euro 2016 heroes have been left out of Portugal’s World Cup squad, including Lazio midfielder Nani and Lokomotiv Moscow forward Eder, who grabbed the winner in the final against France. Danilo Pereira was not considered due to injury and neither was Fabio Coentrao, who surprisingly told boss Fernando Santos not to call him up as he’s coming off a very tiring season with Sporting CP.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
The two up front seem nailed on. Bernardo Silva, Joao Mario and William Carvalho appear set to start but Bruno Fernandes may make way for versatile Monaco midfielder Joao Moutinho. Only Bruno Alves is a rotation risk at the back; the 36 year-old’s place looks under threat from talented but uncapped Benfica defender Ruben Dias. Many fans have been encouraging the manager to switch from 4-4-2 to a more attacking formation in order to get the best out of the talented Bernardo Silva.
Fantasy Potential: 3.5/5. It’s likely Ronaldo’s last chance at a World Cup – he’s fit and firing. He’ll be one of the first names in anyone’s fantasy team. If you’re looking for an attacking differential from Portugal, either Silva look a good bet. Andre has formed a fantastic partnership with Ronaldo and Bernardo has been brilliant when he’s been given chances at Manchester City. They will both come in at a much kinder price. There are numerous routes into the Portuguese defence – clean sheets look possible against Morocco and Iran. However, err on the side of caution when selecting any of their assets as they face off against Spain in the first fixture. It may be best to adopt a wait and see approach on Portugal and draft in their players using free transfers if they look impressive against the group favourites.
Prediction: I think the bookies are fairly spot on with those odds. Portugal should qualify comfortably, whether that is in 1st or 2nd will likely be dependent on that first game against Spain.
Spain
Odds to Qualify from Group: 1/16
Qualification: Similarly to Portugal, Spain dominated their group with 9 wins and a draw, their only dropped points coming against Italy, who they impressively disposed of later in the campaign to essentially secure qualification.
Injuries and Team News: David Silva will train with Spanish third-tier side Navalcarnero to ensure he’s as fit as possible after missing many of Manchester City’s final games due to personal reasons. Alvaro Morata has been left out of the squad after dwindling minutes for Chelsea and a lack of form. There are no apparent injury concerns to report from the Spanish camp.
Projected XI (taken from ESPN):
The world-class back five should be rotation free. Spain yet again have a plethora of brilliant midfield options, making it slightly more difficult to predict which are nailed on. Thiago and Marco Asensio will be pushing for starts, but David Silva, Sergio Busquets and Isco look fairly secure in their respective positions. The centre-forward position is surely up for grabs here. Diego Costa has missed a lot of football this year, while boss Julen Lopetegui has toyed with a false 9 in previous outings.
Fantasy Potential: 4.5/5. Spain are one of the best teams in the competition. Personally, I think Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos, David Silva and Isco are the best picks here. The two defenders are nailed-on and have shown consistency in providing both defensive and attacking returns for their respective clubs as well as their country. In a recent friendly with Russia, Alba scored first before Ramos converted two penalties – if he’s on spot-kick duties, he looks even more enticing. Silva has had another stellar season at Manchester City – like Iniesta he’s part of the Spanish old guard but will likely play often and contributes much in direct attacking returns. Isco bagged a hat-trick for ‘La Roja’ in a recent 6-1 friendly drubbing of Argentina but was as impressive throughout qualifying, most notably scoring two in a 3-0 victory over Italy.
Prediction: Spain are rightful favourites to win the group and should at the very least get through to the next 16 with relative ease.
Odds to Qualify from Group: 1/16
Qualification: Similarly to Portugal, Spain dominated their group with 9 wins and a draw, their only dropped points coming against Italy, who they impressively disposed of later in the campaign to essentially secure qualification.
Injuries and Team News: David Silva will train with Spanish third-tier side Navalcarnero to ensure he’s as fit as possible after missing many of Manchester City’s final games due to personal reasons. Alvaro Morata has been left out of the squad after dwindling minutes for Chelsea and a lack of form. There are no apparent injury concerns to report from the Spanish camp.
Projected XI (taken from ESPN):
The world-class back five should be rotation free. Spain yet again have a plethora of brilliant midfield options, making it slightly more difficult to predict which are nailed on. Thiago and Marco Asensio will be pushing for starts, but David Silva, Sergio Busquets and Isco look fairly secure in their respective positions. The centre-forward position is surely up for grabs here. Diego Costa has missed a lot of football this year, while boss Julen Lopetegui has toyed with a false 9 in previous outings.
Fantasy Potential: 4.5/5. Spain are one of the best teams in the competition. Personally, I think Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos, David Silva and Isco are the best picks here. The two defenders are nailed-on and have shown consistency in providing both defensive and attacking returns for their respective clubs as well as their country. In a recent friendly with Russia, Alba scored first before Ramos converted two penalties – if he’s on spot-kick duties, he looks even more enticing. Silva has had another stellar season at Manchester City – like Iniesta he’s part of the Spanish old guard but will likely play often and contributes much in direct attacking returns. Isco bagged a hat-trick for ‘La Roja’ in a recent 6-1 friendly drubbing of Argentina but was as impressive throughout qualifying, most notably scoring two in a 3-0 victory over Italy.
Prediction: Spain are rightful favourites to win the group and should at the very least get through to the next 16 with relative ease.
Morocco
Odds to Qualify from Group: 4/1
Qualification: Morocco went into the last game of qualifying needing a point against rivals Ivory Coast to book their plane to Russia. Nabil Dirar and Mehdi Benatia converted two goals in quick succession midway through the first half to finish the job in style after a close campaign.
Injuries and Team News: Manager Herve Renard does not take kindly to players with disciplinary issues and so omitted Southampton midfielder Sofiane Boufal from his world cup squad – he had a run in with club manager Mark Hughes after refusing to warm up in a match against Chelsea. In-form Nimes striker Rachid Alioui injured his hamstring on the final day of the league season so was unfortunately removed from contention.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
There shouldn’t be too many surprises in this team. When fit, the projected 11 usually start and through qualifying were almost ever-present. Younes Belhanda may start more central than Hakim Ziyech but other than that, don’t expect many of these players to miss out.
Fantasy Potential: 2.5/5. Morocco have some decent talent in their side. Juventus centre-back Benatia is the big name and carries a goal threat, though it’s difficult to see Morocco keeping out Portugal or Spain. Belhanda has been a highly touted talent in previous years, but Ajax creative force Ziyech might be the key to Morocco’s group stage. He’s currently linked with both Liverpool and Everton after scoring 9 goals and assisting a staggering 17 in the Eredivisie in the 2017/18 campaign. His returns have translated to the international stage too – Ziyech has 7 goals in 13 appearances for Morocco and looks an interesting differential as they first play big group underdogs Iran in the first game.
Prediction: Morocco have a lot to play with here and could spring a surprise. Unfortunately, Spain and Portugal look a little too strong and I expect them to bow out in 3rd place.
Odds to Qualify from Group: 4/1
Qualification: Morocco went into the last game of qualifying needing a point against rivals Ivory Coast to book their plane to Russia. Nabil Dirar and Mehdi Benatia converted two goals in quick succession midway through the first half to finish the job in style after a close campaign.
Injuries and Team News: Manager Herve Renard does not take kindly to players with disciplinary issues and so omitted Southampton midfielder Sofiane Boufal from his world cup squad – he had a run in with club manager Mark Hughes after refusing to warm up in a match against Chelsea. In-form Nimes striker Rachid Alioui injured his hamstring on the final day of the league season so was unfortunately removed from contention.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
There shouldn’t be too many surprises in this team. When fit, the projected 11 usually start and through qualifying were almost ever-present. Younes Belhanda may start more central than Hakim Ziyech but other than that, don’t expect many of these players to miss out.
Fantasy Potential: 2.5/5. Morocco have some decent talent in their side. Juventus centre-back Benatia is the big name and carries a goal threat, though it’s difficult to see Morocco keeping out Portugal or Spain. Belhanda has been a highly touted talent in previous years, but Ajax creative force Ziyech might be the key to Morocco’s group stage. He’s currently linked with both Liverpool and Everton after scoring 9 goals and assisting a staggering 17 in the Eredivisie in the 2017/18 campaign. His returns have translated to the international stage too – Ziyech has 7 goals in 13 appearances for Morocco and looks an interesting differential as they first play big group underdogs Iran in the first game.
Prediction: Morocco have a lot to play with here and could spring a surprise. Unfortunately, Spain and Portugal look a little too strong and I expect them to bow out in 3rd place.
Iran
Odds to Qualify from Group: 11/2
Qualification: Led by well-respected coach Carlos Queiroz, Iran went through qualification undefeated and finished 7 points clear of South Korea in 2nd place. In the process of an impressive campaign, they broke the record for the most consecutive clean sheets in World Cup qualifiers with 12.
Injuries and Team News: Charleroi striker Kaveh Rezaei was a surprise omission from the squad after scoring 16 goals in 39 games domestically. Ehsan Haji Safi and Masoud Shojaei made the squad despite potential life bans for political reasons.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
Hosseini is nailed-on at the back for Iran – the 36 year old boasts over a hundred caps for his country. Iran have been experimenting a great deal with their line-up in recent friendlies, so expect goalscorer Mehdi Taremi and Heerenveen attacker Reza Ghoochannejhad to push for starting places further up the field.
Fantasy Potential: 1.5/5. Rubin Kazan forward Sardar Azmoun has scored 23 goals in 31 appearances for Iran and was vital in qualifying. At 23 years old, he should only improve from here and will be raring to go in his first big international competition. Likely coming in at a budget-friendly price, the ‘Iranian Messi’ (a description generally levelled by British media) could free up funds and pop up with a goal or two.
Prediction: If Iran can keep it tight at the back, they might give themselves a chance. But in a strong group Azmoun will have to be clinical and few mistakes can be made defensively. It seems likely Iran will be in a fight with Morocco for 3rd and may just miss out.
Odds to Qualify from Group: 11/2
Qualification: Led by well-respected coach Carlos Queiroz, Iran went through qualification undefeated and finished 7 points clear of South Korea in 2nd place. In the process of an impressive campaign, they broke the record for the most consecutive clean sheets in World Cup qualifiers with 12.
Injuries and Team News: Charleroi striker Kaveh Rezaei was a surprise omission from the squad after scoring 16 goals in 39 games domestically. Ehsan Haji Safi and Masoud Shojaei made the squad despite potential life bans for political reasons.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
Hosseini is nailed-on at the back for Iran – the 36 year old boasts over a hundred caps for his country. Iran have been experimenting a great deal with their line-up in recent friendlies, so expect goalscorer Mehdi Taremi and Heerenveen attacker Reza Ghoochannejhad to push for starting places further up the field.
Fantasy Potential: 1.5/5. Rubin Kazan forward Sardar Azmoun has scored 23 goals in 31 appearances for Iran and was vital in qualifying. At 23 years old, he should only improve from here and will be raring to go in his first big international competition. Likely coming in at a budget-friendly price, the ‘Iranian Messi’ (a description generally levelled by British media) could free up funds and pop up with a goal or two.
Prediction: If Iran can keep it tight at the back, they might give themselves a chance. But in a strong group Azmoun will have to be clinical and few mistakes can be made defensively. It seems likely Iran will be in a fight with Morocco for 3rd and may just miss out.
UPDATE (5/06/18): Iran – One potential fantasy asset I forgot to mention the first time around is AZ Alkmaar winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who won the Eredivisie's Golden Boot with 21 goals. Another budget option to consider.