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!
World Cup Semi-Finals Tips
England vs Argentina Predictions – Semi-Finals (Match 2)
Decades of pain and misery will be front of mind on Thursday when England looks to progress to the final for the first time since 1966.
Standing in The Three Lions’ way is a juggernaut Argentina team that has showed no mercy over the last four weeks, staging a breathtaking comeback last week against Egypt after falling behind by a pair of goals.
The Harry Kane vs Lionel Messi matchup has been analysed to death in the days leading up, but it’s likely this game will boil down to whether England can use their width through Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden to try and create room up front for their striker to score.
Argentina, ont he other hand, love to slow the game down and control possession, patiently waiting for Messi to find a pocket of space. We’ve seen Argentina score quickly when needed, so any minor lapse of defensive concentration from England could be punished.
At the same time, England has the pace to force Argentina to play a different brand of football, and you could argue the writing was on the wall when they played Egypt last week – at least in the first half.
This Three Lions team feels different to year’s past, and although this figures to be a slog for both sides at times, it’s easy to see why the bookies are leaning towards England.
Prediction: England to Win @ $1.83
Value: Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.25
Player Pick: Harry Kane 2+ Shots on Target @ $2.05