The World Cup has officially arrived, and the Ladbrokes blog is your one-stop shop for daily tips ahead of all the key games. From the Group Stages, right through to the World Cup Final, check back each day to find out who our football expert is backing!
Round Of 32
South Africa vs Canada Predictions – Round of 32 (Match 1)
The respective second placed sides from Group A and B meet in Monday’s standalone fixture, and it’s shaping to be a memorable one after South Africa pinched the unlikeliest of points last Thursday with a shock 1-0 win over Korea.
For Canada, it’s been a rollercoaster ride for fans of the co-hosts, a 1-1 draw against Bosnia & Herzegovina was followed by a 6-0 thrashing over Qatar, before Switzerland scored two goals in quick succession to down the Canucks 2-1.
The Canadians have been one of the quicker sides we’ve seen this year in terms of counter attacking, and they aren’t afraid to install a high press to force their opponents into mistakes.
They’ve lacked the execution at times in front of goal, but creating chances hasn’t been a problem for Jesse Marsch’s side.
South Africa always deserved a mulligan after suffering two red cards in their opener against Mexico, but we haven’t seen them really take control of the game and show much class in the final third – at least up until Thursday’s moment of brilliance against Korea.
Canada is potentially a little too short in betting, but with better overall pace and attack from out wide, they should get the job done here.
Prediction: Canada to Win & Over 2.5 Goals
Value: Half-Time/Full-Time: Canada/Canada @ $2.60