2026 World Cup Predictor: Day 4
Well then, the World Cup Predictor got a bit more tricky yesterday, didn't it?
There weren't too many goals about, but there was plenty of drama as the opening round in Groups B, C and D got wrapped up.
Here is your Day 4 World Cup piece, going over what happened yesterday and looking ahead to what could be one of the entertaining days of this entire group stage.
'You're never safe with a 1-goal lead' is often said in football and this was an absolutely textbook demonstration of that fact. After being under siege for almost the entire match, Qatar kept themselves in the game and then hit Switzerland with the ultimate sucker punch as defender Boualem Khoukhi headed home at the back post.
Clearly, Switzerland should have won the game, but I found myself quite disappointed with them as I expected a lot more. The stats they racked up show they should have won by 3 or 4, but it never felt like the Swiss were quite as connected in attack as they should have been and they've now made Group B very hard work for themselves as this was their easiest game on paper by a distance.
A game of two halves in the sense that the first was very entertaining and the second really wasn't. Morocco looked the far stronger side in my opinion and I'm frustrated with myself for backing Brazil largely just because it's Brazil at a World Cup because it always felt logical that they would struggle in midfield. Casemiro was far from his best, whereas in the Morocco midfield, Ayyoub Bouaddi lived up to the hype with a very tidy display and Azzedine Ounahi picked up where he left off at the 2022 World Cup despite not doing a lot in the years between.
The drop-off from both teams in the second half was probably a combination of a few things. A draw is absolutely fine as a result for both of them, but the momentum of what started as such a good game was undoubtedly affected, like all other matches, by these frustrating hydration breaks. Fundamentally changing the format of football matches into quarters is going to annoy a lot of us all tournament so apologies if I go on about it a fair bit 😁 Clearly, drinks breaks when it's actually hot are fine, but scheduled 3-minute breaks in every match is ridiculous. Especially in the second half when they're often taken 20 seconds after a different 2-minute break for 5 subs to be made.
A massive result for Scotland as they picked up their first win at a World Cup since 1990. It wasn't particularly pretty, and Haiti probably did enough to earn a point in the second half, but it's three crucial points for the Scots who will now look to scrap as hard as they can against Morocco and Brazil, even just on a goal difference basis, to try and reach the Round of 32.
Scotland's best performer was probably their fans to be fair (what an anthem!) but holding on for a clean sheet was a big achievement. After only winning 1-0, it's still going to be tricky to make the knockouts as they have two very tough remaining games, but I think most Scotland fans would have taken three points regardless of the scoreline and performance ahead of kick-off last night.
Finally, what a result for Australia! They were always going to spend the majority of this match without the ball, but Tony Popovic deserves huge credit for how this match played out. First of all, assuming he was fit, dropping captain Mathew Ryan for young goalkeeper Patrick Beach was a huge call that paid off because Beach was excellent. Then, the opening goal from Nestory Irankunda was a superb counter and exactly the kind of attack the Socceroos were going to be reliant on for success.
Türkiye had some nice passages where they created good chances and they still have time to turn things around in this group, but the defence of the few chances that Australia had was poor. For the second goal in particular, Connor Metcalfe should never have had the time and space that he did and it was almost as if Türkiye were just waiting to be given the ball back so they could continue to trying to score the goals that would earn them the win they clearly expected.
Today's schedule:
Netherlands vs. Japan should be great fun so that's the other one to build your sleep schedule around.
For match previews for each game (and all others in the tournament), upgrade to Superbru Premium.
How many goals are we expecting Germany to score in the opener? Is there any chance whatsoever of Curaçao pulling a Qatar? I personally worry that could be a bit of a cricket score, but I was wrong yesterday.
As always, good luck to all.
There weren't too many goals about, but there was plenty of drama as the opening round in Groups B, C and D got wrapped up.
Here is your Day 4 World Cup piece, going over what happened yesterday and looking ahead to what could be one of the entertaining days of this entire group stage.
🇶🇦 Qatar 1-1 Switzerland 🇨🇭
Outcome predicted by 6% of users | Scoreline predicted by 3.6% of users'You're never safe with a 1-goal lead' is often said in football and this was an absolutely textbook demonstration of that fact. After being under siege for almost the entire match, Qatar kept themselves in the game and then hit Switzerland with the ultimate sucker punch as defender Boualem Khoukhi headed home at the back post.
Clearly, Switzerland should have won the game, but I found myself quite disappointed with them as I expected a lot more. The stats they racked up show they should have won by 3 or 4, but it never felt like the Swiss were quite as connected in attack as they should have been and they've now made Group B very hard work for themselves as this was their easiest game on paper by a distance.
🇧🇷 Brazil 1-1 Morocco 🇲🇦
Outcome predicted by 13% of users | Scoreline predicted by 6.2% of usersA game of two halves in the sense that the first was very entertaining and the second really wasn't. Morocco looked the far stronger side in my opinion and I'm frustrated with myself for backing Brazil largely just because it's Brazil at a World Cup because it always felt logical that they would struggle in midfield. Casemiro was far from his best, whereas in the Morocco midfield, Ayyoub Bouaddi lived up to the hype with a very tidy display and Azzedine Ounahi picked up where he left off at the 2022 World Cup despite not doing a lot in the years between.
The drop-off from both teams in the second half was probably a combination of a few things. A draw is absolutely fine as a result for both of them, but the momentum of what started as such a good game was undoubtedly affected, like all other matches, by these frustrating hydration breaks. Fundamentally changing the format of football matches into quarters is going to annoy a lot of us all tournament so apologies if I go on about it a fair bit 😁 Clearly, drinks breaks when it's actually hot are fine, but scheduled 3-minute breaks in every match is ridiculous. Especially in the second half when they're often taken 20 seconds after a different 2-minute break for 5 subs to be made.
🇭🇹 Haiti 0-1 Scotland 🏴
Outcome predicted by 90% of users | Scoreline predicted by 13.6% of usersA massive result for Scotland as they picked up their first win at a World Cup since 1990. It wasn't particularly pretty, and Haiti probably did enough to earn a point in the second half, but it's three crucial points for the Scots who will now look to scrap as hard as they can against Morocco and Brazil, even just on a goal difference basis, to try and reach the Round of 32.
Scotland's best performer was probably their fans to be fair (what an anthem!) but holding on for a clean sheet was a big achievement. After only winning 1-0, it's still going to be tricky to make the knockouts as they have two very tough remaining games, but I think most Scotland fans would have taken three points regardless of the scoreline and performance ahead of kick-off last night.
🇦🇺 Australia 2-0 Türkiye 🇹🇷
Outcome predicted by 12% of users | Scoreline predicted by 1.6% of usersFinally, what a result for Australia! They were always going to spend the majority of this match without the ball, but Tony Popovic deserves huge credit for how this match played out. First of all, assuming he was fit, dropping captain Mathew Ryan for young goalkeeper Patrick Beach was a huge call that paid off because Beach was excellent. Then, the opening goal from Nestory Irankunda was a superb counter and exactly the kind of attack the Socceroos were going to be reliant on for success.
Türkiye had some nice passages where they created good chances and they still have time to turn things around in this group, but the defence of the few chances that Australia had was poor. For the second goal in particular, Connor Metcalfe should never have had the time and space that he did and it was almost as if Türkiye were just waiting to be given the ball back so they could continue to trying to score the goals that would earn them the win they clearly expected.
Today
A David vs. Goliath battle, followed by two really even looking encounters, followed by Sweden vs. Tunisia where Graham Potter will hopefully still be wearing his cowboy hat. That man seems to be loving life after such a difficult couple of years in the Premier League and I'm pleased for him.Today's schedule:
- 🇩🇪 Germany vs. Curacao 🇨🇼 (Group E) | Kick-off 12:00 local, 18:00 UK, 19:00 CET/CAT
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands vs. Japan 🇯🇵 (Group F) | Kick-off 15:00 local, 21:00 UK, 22:00 CET/CAT
- 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador 🇪🇨 (Group E) | Kick-off 19:00 local, 00:00 UK, 01:00 CET/CAT
- 🇸🇪 Sweden vs. Tunisia 🇹🇳 (Group F) | Kick-off 20:00 local, 03:00 UK, 04:00 CET/CAT
Netherlands vs. Japan should be great fun so that's the other one to build your sleep schedule around.
For match previews for each game (and all others in the tournament), upgrade to Superbru Premium.
How many goals are we expecting Germany to score in the opener? Is there any chance whatsoever of Curaçao pulling a Qatar? I personally worry that could be a bit of a cricket score, but I was wrong yesterday.
As always, good luck to all.
Superbru on X
I am looking forward to Netherlands-Japan. I am thinking 2-2, or 2-1 either way. Two fairly evenly matched sides - as the odds reflect, with Netherlands slight favourites.
It's a difficult group Curacao are in though with Ecuador and Ivory Coast too. 14 Jun 19:41
Netherlands-Japan and Ivory Coast-Ecuador
Netherlands have strong defenders and Van De Ven should maraud forward on the left. Their attacking options look weak, though. Japan are a very high energy attacking side with a lot of pace and tricky wide players, even without Mitoma, and I think they can really give the Dutch a game.
The Ivorians have a lot of pace in attack and should be vertical. Ecuador are streetwise with a lot of pace and good in midfield, and also seemingly strong defensively. They're one of the teams under the elite I think can do well in this tournament (as are Japan),
It's very hard to call but think I am gonna lock in another slight upset here. I was deliberating between 2-2 and 2-1 either way, as said above, but gonna go 2-1 Japan. I will go 2-1 or 2-0 Ecuador in other game.