It is on to Group B for the World Cup, where Spain and Portugal should battle for the top two spots in the group. That means Morocco and Iran will battle to stay out of the basement, and Iran should pull that off.
Spain
Odds To Win Group B:1.31
Spain aren’t the juggernaut that they used to be, but they’re still a threat to win the World Cup. David De Gea might be the best goalkeeper in the world now, and he has Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique in front of him. This will likely be the last international tournament for midfielder Andres Iniesta, who can still control a game, even if not for the full 90 minutes. If Spain has a weakness, it is up front. It looks like Diego Costa will lead the line, and Lucas Vazquez is available off the bench. Spain’s possession-based style can run into problems scoring goals, and that will be the aspect to watch when it comes to the 2010 World Cup champions.
Portugal
Odds To Win Group B: 2.68
Portugal are next and they’re still powered by Cristiano Ronaldo, who was off to a slow start during the season, but he has come around. Andre and Bernardo Silva (no relation) are young players who had excellent qualification campaigns, but they need to step up at the highest level to help out Ronaldo. Winning the European Championships in 2016 will be a boost to Portugal, who won the final against a favored French team that was playing at home, and Ronaldo left in the first half with an injury. That will show them that they can compete at this level, and they could absolutely steal first place from their Spanish rivals. Keep an eye out for this Portugal team as they progress further in the World Cup.
Morocco
Odds To Win Group B: 15.00
Morocco might not get a point at the World Cup and they’re going to be in tough to find the back of the net. Midfielder Hakim Ziyech is a talented player, but he doesn’t have much help in midfield or up front. Morocco are going to defend behind the ball and try to get out on the counterattack, but that is a tiring way to play and eventually, they’ll be broken down. That being said, their match against Iran looks like it’ll be entertaining because both teams know that is their best chance for a point.
Iran
Odds To Win Group B: 29.00
Iran should be able to finish in third place and if they managed to fall into Group A, for example, they could have gotten to the round of 16. Alireza Jahanbakhsh has had an excellent season with AZ Alkmaar and a good tournament could land him a move to a bigger club. Iran are also very solid at the back and they’re not going to be an easy out for the likes of Spain and Portugal. They should beat Morocco easily enough, and then lose to Spain and Portugal, but one of those games will come down to the final moments. Iran will be able to be proud of this team.
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