Egypt take the pitch for World Cup group play for the first time since 1990 when they face Uruguay on Friday. The key for this match, from their side, will be the health of Mohamed Salah. He injured his shoulder while playing for Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final, when Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid pulled him to the ground. Salah broke the fall by extending his right arm, and he hit his shoulder on impact and had to leave the game. Salah represents the best chance that Egypt have on offense, and they will need him against a Uruguay team that has depth and experience, having made it all the way to the semifinals in 2010 and having won the Copa America in 2011. Obviously, you’ll want to review the latest injury reports on Salah before locking in your online betting for this match, as he remains questionable. Take a look at our preview for this game, along with the latest World Cup odds.
Egypt vs Uruguay 2018 World Cup Betting Preview
When: Friday, June 15, 2018, 8:00am ETWhere: Ekaterinburg Arena, Yekaterinburg, RussiaTV: FS1Radio: NoneLive Stream: Live Soccer TV2018 World Cup Odds: Uruguay 7/11, Egypt 13/2, Draw 37/13
Why should you bet on Egypt?
If Salah is on the pitch, he makes Egypt dangerous in group play. He scored 32 goals in 38 English Premier League games this year, breaking the record that such titans as Harry Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez (who plays for Uruguay) have held in the past. We see that he is indeed vital to their chances, though, as he had to miss the friendlies for Egypt leading up to the World Cup. Egypt scored just one goal in 270 minutes in those three matches, in a 1-1 draw against Kuwait. They took Colombia to a 0-0 draw and then took a 3-0 beating from Belgium. The draw against Colombia showed a strong defense, as Colombia had their “A” lineup on the pitch for that match.
If you like Egypt, you see them having the ability to limit the offensive chances of Uruguay, much like they did against Colombia. However, they are not likely to find much offense if Salah cannot make it onto the field, as Uruguay’s defense is much stiffer than the Kuwaiti unit that permitted that goal in the friendly. Without Salah, a draw is an interesting proposition, but it will be hard to keep a clean sheet against Uruguay for 90 minutes.
Why should you bet on Uruguay?
Uruguay’s best player is Luis Suarez, and he has a reputation for stretching the rules to his advantage. He had to serve a two-game World Cup suspension in the past as part of a sanction for biting opposing players, and he also earned a red card for a handball against Ghana in 2010, keeping a ball out of the net. Ghana failed to convert the penalty, and Uruguay won that match. Muslera, Uruguay’s goalkeeper, has posted four shutouts in 10 World Cup matches. Look for Edinson Cavani to make noise up front, as he has at least 10 goals in each of his last 10 club seasons. This past season, playing for Paris St-Germain, he tallied 28 goals in 32 matches. In CONMEBOL qualification, he had 10 goals, leading the entire region.
If you like Uruguay, you see that offense emerging against an Egyptian side that is glad to be here and (especially if Salah cannot play) will be holding on for dear life from the opening whistle. Uruguay has the offensive sophistication to find cracks in the Egyptian defense, and they also have the midfield and the back line to keep Egypt at bay — perhaps either way.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
In a year when a lot of the self-styled international powers of soccer missed out on the World Cup, Egypt posted a major accomplishment by qualifying for the tournament. However, against Uruguay, I don’t see them with the depth on either side of the ball to win — and without Salah, things could get ugly quickly. I predict a final score of Uruguay 3, Egypt 0.
