Published Jun 4, 10:33am ET by
Demilade Adelekun - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jun 4, 10:33am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Jun 4, 10:33am ET
Czechia and South Africa meet on matchday 2 of Group A at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with both sides fresh off their opening fixtures against South Korea and Mexico, respectively.
Czechia return to the World Cup for the first time in 20 years with genuine attacking quality up top.
Czechia's first World Cup in 20 years isn't built on sentiment. Patrik Schick has 25 goals in 52 appearances for the national side and came into the tournament as one of the Bundesliga's top scorers at Bayer Leverkusen. Behind him, Tomáš Souček controls the middle of the pitch the way he has at West Ham for four seasons: physical, late into the box, dangerous from set pieces. Pavel Šulc adds creativity from his time at Lyon and in the Champions League with Leverkusen. This is a squad that has spent years playing at the top level in Europe, and they know how to grind results in tight games.
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South Africa isn't here to make up numbers. Hugo Broos has built a compact, organized side around goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who saved four penalties in a single AFCON shootout in 2023. Lyle Foster leads the line and brings 10 international goals, but he missed several chances in a recent 1-1 friendly draw against Panama and arrives with questions around his finishing. Nineteen of their 26 players ply their trade domestically. The squad has identity and discipline. Against Czechia's technical midfield, that may not be enough.
The edge is quality in the final third. Schick and Šulc operate at a level South Africa's defence hasn't faced in a competitive fixture. Bafana Bafana can absorb pressure and hit on the counter, but that only works if Foster converts. He hasn't looked sharp. Czechia at flat money is fair value for a side with a clear advantage in the positions that decide games.
Pick: Czechia +100.
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Czechia +100
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