With Belgium already through to the next round, it will be a battle royale between Russia, Algeria and South Korea to decide who takes the coveted second spot in Group H and this final group game between Russia and Algeria on June 26 will determine who advances to the next round of play.
Algeria stormed to their first World Cup victory in 32 years on Sunday, beating South Korea at Estadio Beira-Rio 4-2 and in the process climbing into sole possession of second place with three points in two games. Another win against Russia in their final group game would send Algeria to their first-ever entry in the knockout stages of World Cup while a Russian victory will all but ensure their passage to the round of 16.
Read on for more information regarding this match, including tiebreaker scenarios in Group H, and check out our preview of Belgium vs. South Korea to get the full picture of how this group will play out.
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Algeria vs. Russia, World Cup 2014, Group Stage Betting Preview and Prediction
A win for Algeria in this match will ensure their qualification to the round of 16. A win for Russia, on the other hand, would eliminate Algeria from the proceedings with South Korea the only other viable threat to the Russians advancing to the next round of play.
For Russia to advance, they would need to beat Algeria and South Korea to lose to the Belgians. If South Korea and Russia win, it will come down to which of the two teams has the better goal differential.
Betting on Russia
Ahead of their hosting the 2018 World Cup, this Russian side will hope that this is finally the tournament that will end their 28-year absence from the knockout stages of international football’s biggest competition.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]After their first two games, it looks like their barren run is set to continue. They labored against South Korea in their opening match, relying on leading scorer Aleksandr Kerzhakov’s equalizer in the 74th minute for them to salvage a point against the South Koreans.
Their performance slightly improved against a young Belgian side showing so much promise in this World Cup. But their gameplay was not rewarded this time around as Belgium snatched a late winner thanks to 19-year-old substitute Divock Origi that sent the Russians into this must-win clash with Algeria.
Before this World Cup started, hopes were high that poster boy Aleksandr Kokorin could finally lead the Russian National Team past the group stages and into the knockout rounds for the first time since 1982. Tagged as the future of Russian football, the 23-year-old Dynamo Moscow striker has been in fine form leading the Moscow club in scoring with 10 goals in last season’s Russian Premier League.
So far, Kokorin has been a disappointment, firing blanks while leading a listless Russian attack which has registered a solitary goal in their two games in the competition. Kokorin himself was guilty of spurning a golden opportunity against Belgium in the first half, skewing a chance wide. He was left to rue that miss as Belgian teenager Divock Origi snatched a late winner that sent the Russians into this must-win game against the Algerians.
It’s safe to say that manager Fabio Capello’s favored 4-2-3-1 formation isn’t working right now. His conservative approach, with players packing the midfield to control possession, has held the opposition to just two goals in the tournament, but in return the Russian attack has suffered, registering just once while obtaining one point in two games.
In such a big game, adding another striker in the form of Russia’s leading scorer Aleksandr Kerzhakov could boost the Russian attack. When the palms get sweaty, the experience of Kerzhakov could play a key part in Russia’s make-or-break game.
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Betting on Algeria
The Algerians came to life in their second World Cup 2014 game, leaving the South Koreans in disarray after their Group H encounter.
Led by man of the match, Islam Slimani, the Desert Foxes zoomed to a 3-0 advantage in a first half in which they scored three goals in a span of 12 minutes. After sustaining a pushback from the South Koreans, the Algerians completed a 4-2 victory and in the process ended their run of seven World Cup matches without a victory.
Known for their defensive prowess, the Algerians showed they can finish as well, scoring more goals in this match (four) than their previous seven World Cup matches combined. Against the offensively-challenged Russians, an even half-decent attacking effort in this game could be enough to push them through to the next round.
Making his debut for the Algerian National Team in May 2012, Slimani has been in fine form for the Desert Foxes ever since netting 11 goals in 23 appearances. He has brought this form to the biggest stage of all, providing the class and inspiration for an Algerian side looking to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time.
Key to Algeria’s renaissance as well has been the tactics employed by their manager Vahid Halilhodzi who has transformed Algeria’s dour play from before (no goals in the 2010 World Cup group stages) to one with such an attacking intent.
Writer’s Prediction
Don’t be fooled by Algeria’s mammoth win against South Korea. Knowing that they probably will only need a point against Russia, they will probably park the bus, sit deep and stifle the Russian attack. But that lack of offensive purpose will hurt them: the Russians are better defenders and will prove it in a 1-0 win in what promises to be a tight and pulsating affair. Take them to win at +104.
