B/R Experts: Confederations Cup Predictions, June 17-19
The practice run for next year's FIFA World Cup is upon us, with the 2017 Confederations Cup taking place in Russia.
Over the course of the tournament, featuring World Cup winners Germany and European champions Portugal, our experts will give their views on the games and look to point you the way of the winners.
Read on for the views on the opening set of fixtures.
Russia vs. New Zealand
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Adam Digby
Home side Russia are heavily favoured to win their opening encounter in Group A, the tournament hosts expected to make easy work of New Zealand on Saturday afternoon.
This will be the final competitive games for Stanislav Cherchesov’s men ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup. New Zealand come into this competition as Oceania champions but have failed to score in four of their last five matches while Russia have won each of their last five outings.
Therefore the best value for fans betting on this clash may lie in backing the hosts to take all three points from this curtain-raising clash without conceding a goal.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Aleksandr Bukharov
Dean Jones
Russia need to make a statement, and with just one defeat from their last five fixtures, this should end in a victory. The home side will most likely use a three-man back line but with instructions for the wing-backs to push on more than they usually might.
Fyodor Smolov is the star striker expected to lead their line, as he has been prolific for FC Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League. New Zealand, meanwhile, regularly struggle to find the net.
Prediction: 3-1
First goalscorer: Fyodor Smolov
Karl Matchett
Realistically, both these nations need to win this opening match if they have hopes of getting out of the group phase, but the pressure will be all on the hosts. They’ve had a horrid time of things over the last few years, from the ineptitude of Fabio Capello’s reign to the short-lived Leonid Slutsky era, and they've generally looked as though they have no plan or identity during much of that period.
A lot of changes over the last year means the squad is relatively inexperienced compared to previous tournaments, and goalscoring is a real worry—nobody in the squad has more than six at international level.
New Zealand are relative minnows, though, so they’ve given themselves the best possible chance of opening positively.
Prediction: Russia 1-0 New Zealand
First goalscorer: Fyodor Smolov
Portugal vs. Mexico
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Adam Digby
Having won Euro 2016, Portugal will be hoping to continue their superb recent run against a Mexico side they have beaten in each of their last two meetings.
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to lead the way for them and the Real Madrid star showed he’s in fine fettle with a double in the 3-0 win over Latvia in last week's World Cup qualifier. He will be ably supported by Andre Silva, the newest AC Milan striker likely to be in the mood to prove his quality against opponents that lack the firepower of Fernando Santos' strong squad.
Prediction: 2-1
First goalscorer: Andre Silva
Dean Jones
Cristiano Ronaldo is hoping to add yet another trophy to his haul, and Portugal are fancied to push all the way towards the final.
Since winning Euro 2016, they have lost just twice—to Switzerland and Sweden—and will be intent on making a statement with this fixture.
The frightening combination of Ronaldo and Andre Silva should become one of the highlights of this competition. Mexico drew 1-1 with the United States last time out and have Chicharito to give them hope.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Andre Silva
Karl Matchett
This game has a shout for being the fixture of the tournament, no matter what lies ahead.
Portugal should be supremely confident; they have most of the squad that won Euro 2016, but importantly, a few younger players have enjoyed a good year of progress since then, including Andre Silva, finally a goalscorer to shoulder the burden with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mexico’s squad is strong, experienced, tactically versatile and with a few individuals capable of moments of genius. They always seem to just fall short when it comes to playing Europe’s finest, though, and that’ll be the case again here.
Prediction: Portugal 2-1 Mexico
First goalscorer: Andre Silva
Cameroon vs. Chile
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Adam Digby
Chile will arrive at this tournament with much to prove, the South American side look like interesting contenders in Group B but have failed to win any of their last five World Cup qualifiers away from home.
Losing four and drawing one of those games, this trip to Russia presents them with an opportunity to show they can thrive on the road, while any team boasting Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal always has a chance.
The recent form of the Arsenal man makes him favourite to open the scoring, with Cameroon struggling against teams from the Americas of late. Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay and Colombia have all found joy against the Indomitable Lions, and that run is likely to continue here.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Alexis Sanchez
Dean Jones
Cameroon's back line was all over the place as they were thrashed 4-0 by Colombia recently.
Alarmingly, their marking was slack and there seemed to be a real lack of defensive structure.
They won the Africa Cup of Nations, but Chile are likely to take advantage of their weaknesses.
The Copa America holders lost 3-2 to Romania most recently after throwing away a two-goal lead, but that was largely due to Gary Medel's first-half red card.
Defence-splitting passes and sharp interplay in the final third will prove decisive.
Prediction: 0-3
First goalscorer: Eduardo Vargas
Karl Matchett
Chile have struggled away from home since winning the Copa America, only winning one game on the road in their World Cup qualifying section so far.
Cameroon, on the other hand, are struggling to qualify at all, four points off the pace in their group with only top spot reaching the finals.
The feeling might be that neither has the Confederations Cup as their priority right now, which means pure individual talent could be the defining factor in the opening game rather than solid tactical foundations—and that means a Chile win.
Prediction: Cameroon 0-2 Chile
First goalscorer: Arturo Vidal
Australia vs. Germany
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Adam Digby
It will be interesting to see how Germany fare in this competition, with coach Joachim Low selecting a surprisingly inexperienced squad.
His desire to learn about the next generation of the national team will be a major source of uncertainty as this tournament progresses, but they will almost certainly have too much ability for their first opponents.
Australia Coach Ange Postecoglou seems determined to persevere with his 3-2-4-1 formation, but he does so with limited options and their notoriously weak central defence.
The last meeting between them ended in a 2-2 draw back in 2015, but Germany should have the ability to overcome them in this encounter.
Prediction: 3-1
First goalscorer: Lars Stindl
Dean Jones
A 4-0 hammering from Brazil will have done little for Australia's confidence, and they will probably get another hiding here.
One name to look out for is Aaron Mooy, so impressive for Huddersfield Town on their promotion charge to the Premier League last term.
Germany have an experimental squad in Russia for this tournament but will most likely still reach the latter stages.
Joachim Low will expect young players to use this as a platform to elevate themselves and, in true German fashion, they are sure to rise to the challenge.
Timo Werner, who plays for RB Leipzig, is not currently a favourite among fans, but this is the type of competition that could turn around that feeling.
Prediction: 0-4
First goalscorer: Julian Draxler
Karl Matchett
Probably the biggest mismatch in the opening round of games, Germany have a far superior squad to Australia even though Low has left out many star names.
There’s huge depth in the German squad, and the only real question mark is whether they need, and have, a regular source of goals.
There’s plenty of offensive quality to create, though, and they’re likely to find space against an Australia defence that has switched between a back three and back four with regularity of late—neither variation which has been providing a solid platform for the team.
Prediction: Australia 0-4 Germany
First goalscorer: Sandro Wagner
