Poland
Odds to Qualify from Group: 4/7
Qualification: Poland topped their qualifying group with 8 wins, a draw and a loss. Robert Lewandowski converted 16 goals, twice as many as the next highest goalscorer in the group (Christian Eriksen with 8). However, things were not tight at the back for this Polish side through qualifying – they conceded 14 in 10 games, including 4 in a defeat to Denmark, and more than any winner of a European group. This is the first time Poland have qualified for the World Cup since a disappointing showing in 2006 and they will look to improve significantly this time around.
Injuries and Team News: Manager Adam Nawałka has no current injury concerns. Ipswich Town goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski impressed again this season and earned a well-deserved call-up to the provisional squad.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny should claim the number one spot ahead of Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski. The line-up is fairly predictable. However, if Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik sneaks into the team, then winger Kamil Grosicki will be benched and Piotr Zielinski will shift to the wing in a 4-4-2.
Fantasy Potential: 2/5. Poland’s main fantasy asset is of course Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski, who was again prolific at both club and international level this season and takes spot kicks. However, there isn’t much to be excited about behind him. This is not to say that there isn’t talent in this Polish side – Zielinski is full of potential, while Jakub Blaszczykowski is an experienced head on the right-side. Regardless, such players haven’t offered much in relation to direct goal contributions. Things are even less inspiring at the back after some shoddy defensive performances during qualifying. Kamil Glik does offer some aerial threat from set-pieces so appears to be the most enticing of Poland’s backline.
Prediction: Lewandowski will be the key to Poland’s progress this summer. If he shows up in a big way, Poland could go through, but I’m not sure they have enough in other positions to make it very far and they might be dumped out at the first stage.
Odds to Qualify from Group: 4/7
Qualification: Poland topped their qualifying group with 8 wins, a draw and a loss. Robert Lewandowski converted 16 goals, twice as many as the next highest goalscorer in the group (Christian Eriksen with 8). However, things were not tight at the back for this Polish side through qualifying – they conceded 14 in 10 games, including 4 in a defeat to Denmark, and more than any winner of a European group. This is the first time Poland have qualified for the World Cup since a disappointing showing in 2006 and they will look to improve significantly this time around.
Injuries and Team News: Manager Adam Nawałka has no current injury concerns. Ipswich Town goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski impressed again this season and earned a well-deserved call-up to the provisional squad.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny should claim the number one spot ahead of Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski. The line-up is fairly predictable. However, if Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik sneaks into the team, then winger Kamil Grosicki will be benched and Piotr Zielinski will shift to the wing in a 4-4-2.
Fantasy Potential: 2/5. Poland’s main fantasy asset is of course Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski, who was again prolific at both club and international level this season and takes spot kicks. However, there isn’t much to be excited about behind him. This is not to say that there isn’t talent in this Polish side – Zielinski is full of potential, while Jakub Blaszczykowski is an experienced head on the right-side. Regardless, such players haven’t offered much in relation to direct goal contributions. Things are even less inspiring at the back after some shoddy defensive performances during qualifying. Kamil Glik does offer some aerial threat from set-pieces so appears to be the most enticing of Poland’s backline.
Prediction: Lewandowski will be the key to Poland’s progress this summer. If he shows up in a big way, Poland could go through, but I’m not sure they have enough in other positions to make it very far and they might be dumped out at the first stage.
Senegal
Odds to Qualify from Group: 5/4
Qualification: Senegal booked their ticket to Russia by topping their group, but it wasn’t always a smooth ride. After losing 2-1 to South Africa in late 2016, it emerged that referee Joseph Lamptey was attempting to fix the match in South Africa’s favour. FIFA banned Lamptey for life, the result was annulled and the game replayed. On this occasion, Sadio Mane shined as the Senegalese won 2-0.
Injuries and Team News: Surprisingly, Anderlecht defender Kara Mbodji was named in the 23-man squad despite not playing since December due to injury. He’s confident he’ll be fit in time for the tournament. Ex-Premier League star Demba Ba has not been selected, however. He scored 7 goals in 13 games for Turkish side Goztepe after joining in January, but his late surge was not enough to earn him a call-up. Other notable players missing are Everton’s Oumar Niasse, Crystal Palace’s Papa Souare, and Newcastle’s Henri Saivet.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
There is quite a bit of unpredictability surrounding Senegal’s first 11. Khadim N’Diaye is nailed on in goal, but it gets cloudier in front of him. Kalidou Koulibaly will start, but his partner could be either one of Salif Sane or Mbodji. Saliou Ciss will compete with Lamine Gassama at left-back. Cheikhou Kouyate and Idrissa Gueye will play with either Alfred N’Diaye or Badou Ndiaye in the midfield three. Liverpool’s Sadio Mane is a shoo-in in the front three, but Keita Balde Diao, Mame Biram Diouf, Moussa Sow offer further competition to the projected frontline here.
Fantasy Potential: 2/5. Koulibaly hasn’t scored for his country but grabbed 5 goals from the back for Napoli this season – he offers a safe route into the Senegalese defence. The midfield three don’t offer much going forward, but Mane is a great option on the wing and seems to be on penalty duty. He picked up 20 goals for Liverpool this season, including one in the recent Champions League final. He’ll be full of confidence and key to Senegal’s chances of progression.
Prediction: I’m going to take Senegal to finish second. Poland have an ageing squad and despite the bookies much preferring their chances to qualify from the group, this Senegalese side has a solid midfield and a dangerous mix of talent in the forward positions.
Odds to Qualify from Group: 5/4
Qualification: Senegal booked their ticket to Russia by topping their group, but it wasn’t always a smooth ride. After losing 2-1 to South Africa in late 2016, it emerged that referee Joseph Lamptey was attempting to fix the match in South Africa’s favour. FIFA banned Lamptey for life, the result was annulled and the game replayed. On this occasion, Sadio Mane shined as the Senegalese won 2-0.
Injuries and Team News: Surprisingly, Anderlecht defender Kara Mbodji was named in the 23-man squad despite not playing since December due to injury. He’s confident he’ll be fit in time for the tournament. Ex-Premier League star Demba Ba has not been selected, however. He scored 7 goals in 13 games for Turkish side Goztepe after joining in January, but his late surge was not enough to earn him a call-up. Other notable players missing are Everton’s Oumar Niasse, Crystal Palace’s Papa Souare, and Newcastle’s Henri Saivet.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
There is quite a bit of unpredictability surrounding Senegal’s first 11. Khadim N’Diaye is nailed on in goal, but it gets cloudier in front of him. Kalidou Koulibaly will start, but his partner could be either one of Salif Sane or Mbodji. Saliou Ciss will compete with Lamine Gassama at left-back. Cheikhou Kouyate and Idrissa Gueye will play with either Alfred N’Diaye or Badou Ndiaye in the midfield three. Liverpool’s Sadio Mane is a shoo-in in the front three, but Keita Balde Diao, Mame Biram Diouf, Moussa Sow offer further competition to the projected frontline here.
Fantasy Potential: 2/5. Koulibaly hasn’t scored for his country but grabbed 5 goals from the back for Napoli this season – he offers a safe route into the Senegalese defence. The midfield three don’t offer much going forward, but Mane is a great option on the wing and seems to be on penalty duty. He picked up 20 goals for Liverpool this season, including one in the recent Champions League final. He’ll be full of confidence and key to Senegal’s chances of progression.
Prediction: I’m going to take Senegal to finish second. Poland have an ageing squad and despite the bookies much preferring their chances to qualify from the group, this Senegalese side has a solid midfield and a dangerous mix of talent in the forward positions.
Colombia
Odds to Qualify from Group: 4/11
Qualification: Colombia finished 4th after Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina to grab the final automatic place in South American qualifying. It went down to the final game, but Colombia held off Peru (in controversial fashion as we touched upon in an early preview) and Brazil beat Chile to secure Colombia’s spot in this summer’s tournament. They had a mixed campaign, only winning 7 of their 18 games. James Rodriguez picked up 6 goals, but Edwin Cardona scored some vital late winners.
Injuries and Team News: Boss Jose Pekerman had more or less no concerns when picking his squad for this year’s World Cup. He has a talent-rich squad that includes Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado and Radamel Falcao. His final 23 will include Premier League trio David Ospina, Davinson Sanchez and Jose Izquierdo.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
The defence is fairly settled. In midfield, Carlos Sanchez could be partnered by the experienced Abel Aguilar, but the talented Wilmar Barrios or Mateus Uribe will compete for this spot too. Last World Cup’s destructive duo of Cuadrado and Rodriguez remain nailed-on in their respective positions. Cardona is a creative force on the left but if Pekerman prefers to play another striker with Falcao, then he’ll be the man sacrificed.
Fantasy Potential: 3/5. Centre-back Yerry Mina offers a threat from the back, with 3 goals in 10 caps for his country. Rodriguez is the star pick of the attacking midfield three – he has a great goal scoring record for his country and provided 14 assists at club level this season. He has taken penalties for Colombia but missed a couple in qualifying. Radamel Falcao had a great season for Monaco, scoring 18 in 26 Ligue 1 games. He’s nailed-on up top and should be involved in the goals.
Prediction: Colombia have a mixture of experience and talent – that bodes well for their chances in Group H. I fancy them to win the group, but they may not have enough in the latter rounds of the tournament.
Odds to Qualify from Group: 4/11
Qualification: Colombia finished 4th after Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina to grab the final automatic place in South American qualifying. It went down to the final game, but Colombia held off Peru (in controversial fashion as we touched upon in an early preview) and Brazil beat Chile to secure Colombia’s spot in this summer’s tournament. They had a mixed campaign, only winning 7 of their 18 games. James Rodriguez picked up 6 goals, but Edwin Cardona scored some vital late winners.
Injuries and Team News: Boss Jose Pekerman had more or less no concerns when picking his squad for this year’s World Cup. He has a talent-rich squad that includes Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado and Radamel Falcao. His final 23 will include Premier League trio David Ospina, Davinson Sanchez and Jose Izquierdo.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
The defence is fairly settled. In midfield, Carlos Sanchez could be partnered by the experienced Abel Aguilar, but the talented Wilmar Barrios or Mateus Uribe will compete for this spot too. Last World Cup’s destructive duo of Cuadrado and Rodriguez remain nailed-on in their respective positions. Cardona is a creative force on the left but if Pekerman prefers to play another striker with Falcao, then he’ll be the man sacrificed.
Fantasy Potential: 3/5. Centre-back Yerry Mina offers a threat from the back, with 3 goals in 10 caps for his country. Rodriguez is the star pick of the attacking midfield three – he has a great goal scoring record for his country and provided 14 assists at club level this season. He has taken penalties for Colombia but missed a couple in qualifying. Radamel Falcao had a great season for Monaco, scoring 18 in 26 Ligue 1 games. He’s nailed-on up top and should be involved in the goals.
Prediction: Colombia have a mixture of experience and talent – that bodes well for their chances in Group H. I fancy them to win the group, but they may not have enough in the latter rounds of the tournament.
Japan
Odds to Qualify from Group: 2/1
Qualification: Japan edged out Saudi Arabia and Australia to top their qualifying group. After losing to the United Arab Emirates in their first game, the Japanese picked up form and gained 20 points from the next 8 games, losing in Saudi Arabia at the end of their campaign.
Injuries and Team News: Vahid Halilhodzic was sacked as manager of the Japanese side recently and replaced by Akira Nishino. Nishino has selected Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa, who will hope to have a less injury-hit World Cup than he had domestic season this year. Gent striker Yuya Kubo is a surprise absentee despite playing a lot of minutes during qualifying. Leicester forward Shinji Okazaki and Southampton centre-back Maya Yoshida are the two Premier League representatives in the squad.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
Nishino managed his first game a few days back, deploying a new formation in a loss to Ghana. Makoto Hasebe slotted into a back 3, while Yuto Nagatomo and Genki Haraguchi were used as wing-backs. Kagawa started from the bench. Due to a new manager, predicting Japan’s line up is no easy feat. However, Yoshida and Tomoaki Makino should be nailed at the back and Keisuke Honda, Haraguchi and Kagawa are very important going forward. Yuya Osako was given the nod up top but Okazaki will offer competition.
Fantasy Potential: 2/5. Yoshida has 10 goals for his country so looks the best bet if you are confident in Japan’s defensive ability. Haraguchi was Japan’s top goalscorer in qualifying, but if you’re looking for more familiar assets, Honda is likely on penalties and Kagawa averages more than a goal or assist every other game for his country. No Japanese striker boasts a prolific record for club or country and all risk rotation – they don’t look worth the investment.
Prediction: Japan come into the tournament as somewhat of an unknown entity. They don’t boast the star players of Poland and Colombia and have no current identity under new management. If I had to pick a team to finish bottom of their group, it would be this one.
Odds to Qualify from Group: 2/1
Qualification: Japan edged out Saudi Arabia and Australia to top their qualifying group. After losing to the United Arab Emirates in their first game, the Japanese picked up form and gained 20 points from the next 8 games, losing in Saudi Arabia at the end of their campaign.
Injuries and Team News: Vahid Halilhodzic was sacked as manager of the Japanese side recently and replaced by Akira Nishino. Nishino has selected Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa, who will hope to have a less injury-hit World Cup than he had domestic season this year. Gent striker Yuya Kubo is a surprise absentee despite playing a lot of minutes during qualifying. Leicester forward Shinji Okazaki and Southampton centre-back Maya Yoshida are the two Premier League representatives in the squad.
Projected XI (Taken from ESPN):
Nishino managed his first game a few days back, deploying a new formation in a loss to Ghana. Makoto Hasebe slotted into a back 3, while Yuto Nagatomo and Genki Haraguchi were used as wing-backs. Kagawa started from the bench. Due to a new manager, predicting Japan’s line up is no easy feat. However, Yoshida and Tomoaki Makino should be nailed at the back and Keisuke Honda, Haraguchi and Kagawa are very important going forward. Yuya Osako was given the nod up top but Okazaki will offer competition.
Fantasy Potential: 2/5. Yoshida has 10 goals for his country so looks the best bet if you are confident in Japan’s defensive ability. Haraguchi was Japan’s top goalscorer in qualifying, but if you’re looking for more familiar assets, Honda is likely on penalties and Kagawa averages more than a goal or assist every other game for his country. No Japanese striker boasts a prolific record for club or country and all risk rotation – they don’t look worth the investment.
Prediction: Japan come into the tournament as somewhat of an unknown entity. They don’t boast the star players of Poland and Colombia and have no current identity under new management. If I had to pick a team to finish bottom of their group, it would be this one.
UPDATE (5/06/18): Poland – Kamil Glik suffered a shoulder injury this week and is a big doubt to feature for Poland in the tournament. Colombia – Deportivo Cali midfielder Abel Aguilar has made the 23 despite missing a warm-up draw with Egypt over fitness concerns.