FIFA World Cup: Quarter Final Analysis

32 began, and only eight remain. The first break in the tournament sees a two-day interval before we head into the meat of the tournament. The Quarter Finals are here, and what a set of matchups they have produced. Here we take a look at each of the four games in turn, comparing the sides according to several key metrics using data presented by newbettingsites.uk, in an effort to determine who will make the final four.

Croatia vs Brazil – Friday 9th December 3pm

Finalists in 2018, Luka Modric and co look to take a step closer to repeating the trick four years on. However, they have a formidable obstacle to overcome, in the shape of the tournament favourites Brazil. Croatia have endured the slightly tougher route to this stage, but other than that all of the stats favour the highest-ranked side in the world. The experience of this Croatian squad, particularly in what is a stellar midfield, shouldn’t be underestimated, and they surely won’t adopt the type of suicidal formation employed by South Korea in the Last 16. Brazil are a solid defensive side in their own right though, and if this comes down to one or two moments of magic, the samba stars should hold the edge.

Netherlands vs Argentina – Friday 9th December 7pm

This looks extremely tough to call. Argentina are the better side according to FIFA, but given the youth in the Netherlands squad, they must fall into the improving category and could be closing the gap. The two sides have experienced identical routes in terms of the average quality of opponent, but the stats suggest that Argentina have performed better overall in both the attacking and defensive sides of the game - despite what the total goals column suggests. Both sides have their x-factors. For Argentina that is clearly the magical Messi, whilst the Netherlands’ most potent weapon will be sitting in the dugout as, in Louis van Gaal, they may have the most tactically astute coach remaining in the competition. An intriguing matchup.

Morocco vs Portugal – Saturday 10th December 3pm

The most one-sided of the Quarter Finals in terms of the FIFA World Rankings. However, having already beaten the second-ranked Belgians in the Group Stage, and dumped world number seven Spain out in the Last 16, Morocco likely won’t care a jot about those rankings. The Atlas Lions have now kept a clean sheet in six of their last seven internationals, and at least seem likely to put up sterner resistance than the beleaguered Swiss defensive unit. The offensive stats however strongly favour the Portuguese who simply looked like a different side with Ronaldo relegated to the bench. A similarly creative display seems likely to get through in the end, but it likely won’t be easy.

England vs France – Saturday 10th December 7pm

The best is saved until last in this Saturday evening sizzler between two or the top five sides in the world. The xG numbers are remarkably similar across the board here, suggesting this may be as close as those FIFA World Rankings imply. If adjusting those figures according to the quality of opposition faced, England would look to hold a decent edge, but on the other hand, France have the most mercurial player on the pitch in Kylian Mbappé - a man capable of changing the course of a game in the blink of an eye. France start favourites meaning, in such a statistically tight encounter, any betting value may lie with the Three Lions, but overall these look mightily tough to split.

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