World Cup betting tips: Best bets for Japan v Poland & Senegal v Colombia

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, our transparent tipping record

Scenario: Japan need only draw with Poland, who have been eliminated, to progress to the next round. Senegal and Colombia play off with the winner qualifying, while a draw will be enough for the African side.

Predictions

  • Japan 2-1 Poland
  • Senegal 1-3 Colombia

Best Bet:

Opta Stats

  • Japan have won each of their two encounters against Poland, winning 5-0 in February 1996 and 2-0 in March 2002.
  • Poland’s only World Cup meeting with an Asian side came in 2002 – losing 2-0 in the group stages against South Korea.
  • Poland became the first European nation eliminated from the 2018 World Cup when they lost to Colombia – this is the third consecutive World Cup tournament they’ve gone out at the group stage (also 2002 and 2006).
  • Takashi Inui has scored three goals in his last three games for Japan; this after scoring just two in his previous 26 matches for the national team.
  • Japan haven’t gone undefeated in three consecutive World Cup games since 2002 – those three unbeaten games were all in the group stage as they qualified for Round 2.
  • Poland haven’t kept a clean sheet at the World Cup since winning 1-0 against Portugal in 1986, conceding 23 goals across 10 games since then.
  • Japan have scored four goals at the 2018 World Cup, double the amount they managed in 2014; in only one previous tournament have they ever scored more, netting five in 2002 when they were joint-hosts with South Korea.

Senegal v Colombia (1500 BST - BBC One)

Best Bet:

Opta Stats

  • Colombia’s first World Cup match against African opposition came in 1990, losing 2-1 in extra-time to Cameroon – since then, they’ve won both such meetings, in 1998 against Tunisia and 2014 against Ivory Coast.
  • James Rodriguez has been involved in 10 goals in seven World Cup appearances for Colombia (6 goals, 4 assists).
  • Colombia registered their joint-biggest World Cup win in their 3-0 victory over Poland, also winning by three-goal margins against Greece (3-0) and Japan (4-1) in 2014.
  • Moussa Wagué became the first African teenager to score a World Cup goal in Senegal’s 2-2 draw with Japan (19y 263d).
  • James Rodriguez has been involved in 10 of Colombia’s last 14 World Cup goals, with six goals and four assists.
  • Sadio Mané found the net against Japan, the 15th different match he’d scored in for Senegal – they are yet to lose any of those (W9 D6).
  • Colombia have scored four goals from seven shots on target at the 2018 World Cup, scoring three goals from four shots on target in their 3-0 win over Poland.
  • Since keeping a clean sheet against France in their first ever World Cup match in 2002, Senegal haven’t recorded a shutout in any of their last six, conceding three goals from just seven shots on target faced at this year’s tournament.

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Odds correct at 1300 BST on 27/06/18

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