Whether you’re using a Wildcard or just normal transfers going into Matchday 3, your transfer targets may hinge on what’s left to play for in the final set of group-stage games.
The three sides already qualified for the last 16 may decide to rest a few key assets ahead of the knockout rounds, while the two nations already eliminated could opt to give squad players a run-out ahead of the flight home.
Here we take a group-by-group look at what’s left to play for.
GROUP A
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Ecuador | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Senegal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Qatar (E) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
Qatar are out, while the team they face in their final group game, the Netherlands, are through with a mere draw against the hosts.
Senegal or Ecuador will qualify with a win, with the latter progressing if their head-to-head clash on Tuesday ends in a draw – so expect risks to be kept to a minimum by the South American side.
GROUP B
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | Iran | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 3 |
| 3 | United States of America | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Wales | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
All four sides can still qualify for the round of 16 going into Tuesday’s matches.
Wales’ choices are to win by a four-goal margin against England and qualify at the Three Lions’ expense, or chalk up a victory of any kind and hope that Iran draw with the USA.
Winner takes all in the Iran v United States game, while Gareth Southgate’s troops would have to capitulate spectacularly to be on the next plane back home. Only a win will ensure top spot and a likely meeting with Ecuador or Senegal, however.
GROUP C
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Argentina | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Mexico | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
For Group C, read Group B.
Poland will go through with a draw or a win against Argentina, while it’s very feasible that they still qualify with a loss, providing they can keep the score down. We can likely expect the Poles to again opt for a pressure-soaking exercise and rely on the odd counter-attack, following their defence-first tactics in the opening two matches.
Argentina and Saudi Arabia both need wins to ensure progression, while a victory may still not be enough for Mexico – they will likely need to win handsomely against Saudi Arabia (unless Argentina can thump Poland), so we could be in for an open game in that match.
GROUP D
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2 | Australia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 3 | Denmark | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Tunisia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
The situation is fairly straightforward in Group D, where France are already through and, barring a four-goal swing for Australia, as group winners to boot.
Might we see Didier Deschamps rest some key players for the midweek clash with Tunisia, then? As we’ve reported elsewhere, L’Equipe certainly think so.
Australia themselves know that a win ensures their progression to the round of 16, while they will qualify with a draw if Tunisia don’t beat France.
It’s win or bust for Denmark and Tunisia in their respective games on Wednesday, so expect the Danes to come out and go for the jugular against the Socceroos.
Tunisia needing a victory could open things up nicely for France’s second string, should Fantasy bosses be wishing to punt on a Matchday 3 differential from Deschamps’ squad.
GROUP E
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| 2 | Japan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Costa Rica | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 3 |
| 4 | Germany | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
It’s all to play for in Group E, mainly thanks to Costa Rica’s win over Japan.
The top three know that a win ensures progression to the knockout stages, while a Germany victory over Costa Rica would very likely do similar for Die Mannschaft – only a freak Japan result against Spain would jeopardise that.
GROUP F
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | Morocco | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Belgium | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Canada (E) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
Morocco would have to really shoot themselves in the foot to miss out on qualification now, with a point against already eliminated Canada enough to see them into the last 16. Even a narrow defeat would be enough if Belgium fail to beat Croatia.
The fact that Roberto Martinez’s side will likely need all three points could really open up gaps in their creaking defence for Croatia to exploit, just as the Group F leaders did when putting a game-chasing Canada to the sword on Sunday.
GROUP G
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Cameroon | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Serbia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 1 |
Brazil are through to the last 16 and head coach Tite may very well decide to rest a few key bodies in Matchday 3, as his nation’s probable round-of-16 clash with Uruguay, South Korea or Ghana follows exactly 72 hours after Thursday’s meeting with Cameroon.
If you’re on a Wildcard, keeping a spot open for a Brazil attacker mightn’t be a bad ploy as they’ll be facing a Cameroon side who have to win to stand any chance of joining Selecao in the knockout stages.
Wildcarders have the advantage of making unlimited ‘unlocked-to-unlocked’ transfers, so sticking Richarlison ($7.5m) in your side in the knowledge that you can easily change him to a starting teammate in the event of his benching does appeal.
Serbia similarly must win against Switzerland, so the Swiss could really make hay on the break against a Serbian defence that has allowed more shots on target than any other defence in Qatar.
GROUP H
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Ghana | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Korea Republic | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Uruguay | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
Portugal became the third team to qualify for the knockout rounds on Monday evening and they’ll very likely be going through as Group H winners.
We highlighted in our Suspension Tightrope article that the in-form Bruno Fernandes ($9.5m) might well be in line for a breather as he is one booking away from missing Portugal’s last-16 tie, and it seems folly to risk him in what is a dead rubber from a Portuguese perspective.
Uruguay have to do what they couldn’t manage in Matchdays 1 and 2 and score; a draw or a loss to Ghana and they’ll be on their way home. The defensive 3-5-2 set-up against Portugal will surely give way to more attacking tactics on Friday.
Ghana’s matches have featured 10 goals so far in Qatar (only Iran can match that), so it’ll be interesting to see how they approach the Uruguay game knowing that a point will suffice.
South Korea’s best hope is probably that Portugal are sufficiently weakened by rotation, as only a will win do for the East Asian nation.
(E) = Eliminated
(Q) = Qualified
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