Group B of the World Cup in Russia will be headlined by a pair of European rivals, Spain and Portugal. Morocco and Iran will be trying to make some noise with a big upset.
Spain
Odds To Win Group B: 1.48
Spain won it all in 2010, but then crashed out of the 2014 World Cup in the group stage. They won their group in UEFA qualification to get here, and four players scored five goals to lead the way. Spain’s strength is in its balance, but it’ll be interesting to see who makes the plane going to Russia. Diego Costa should be there, if he can stay out of trouble, but Alvaro Morata might be a better option. What about Isco and Koke, a pair of midfielders who will be 26 years old? Andres Iniesta will be 34 by the time the World Cup is kicked off. Captain Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique should lead the defense, while David DeGea is the #1 keeper. Spain is deep, but this isn’t the team that ruled the world from 2008 to 2012.
Portugal
Odds To Win Group B: 2.8
Portugal went out at the group stage in 2014, and their best finish at the World Cup was a third-place run in 1996. They also finished fourth in 2006, just before Cristiano Ronaldo became captain. He’ll be 33 by the next World Cup, and he scored 15 goals in qualification to fire Portugal to the top of their group. Portugal has some solid players coming up like Bernardo Silva and Andre Silva, but both are still 23 and 22 years old, respectively. But they’re still very reliant on Ronaldo, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2016. This could be his last World Cup, so Ronaldo will want to put on a show, but his teammates have to step up in order to give them a chance to win it all.
Morocco
Odds To Win Group B: 15
Morocco qualified for the World Cup for the fifth time and the first since 1998, winning their CAF group to qualify. Khalid Boutaib scored four goals in qualification, but he’ll be 31 by next summer and more importantly, he is going to need some help. They could go for it a little against Iran, but against Spain and Portugal, Morocco is likely going to have to sit back and absorb pressure and try to hit back on the counterattack. Morocco made it to the Round of 16 in 1986, but it would be a massive upset if they did again.
Iran
Odds To Win Group B: 29
Iran qualified for the World Cup for the fifth time by winning their group in AFC, but they have never made it out of the group stage. Striker Sadar Azmoun is a promising player who turns 23 in January, and this will be a good experience for him. Fellow strikers Reza Ghoochannejhad and Mehdi Taremi are also fine players. But like Morocco, Iran will be hard-pressed to do anything but counterattack against Spain and Portugal, so don’t expect much from them in Russia.
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