Russia put on a strong performance to beat Egypt 3-1 in the opening game of the Matchday 2 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and if Uruguay expectedly beat Saudi Arabia, Sbornaya will qualify for the knock-out phase, while the Pharaohs will go home after the group stage. Sbornaya satisfied the odds at -105 with a convincing display, also covering the spread at -1.5 with the wages at +265, while the clash was finished in the over of the total of 2.5 goals at +140.
Game Recap
After a goalless first half where neither side couldn’t find the right attacking rhythm, we saw a bunch of goals in the second 45 minutes, and it all started with an own goal in the 47th minute when Egypt’s captain Ahmed Fathy’s clumsy reaction gave Russia a 1-0 lead. It was the crucial moment of this match, as Russia dominated Egypt in the next 15 minutes, scoring a couple of goals more to seal the victory at -105, while Pharaohs looked totally stranged on the field.
In the 59th minute, Denis Cheryshev scored the second goal of the game, his third of the tournament, so he’s now a +2000 favorite to win the 2018 Golden Boot. Three minutes later, the striker Artem Dzyuba made it 3-0 with a terrific individual effort inside the box. Until the end, Egypt managed to score a consolation goal, as Mohamed Salah netted from the penalty kick in the 73rd minute to glad the bettors who wagered on both teams to score at +110.
The Pharaohs had the ball on their feet for 54% of the time, taking 13 shots towards Igor Akinfeev, but only Salah’s penalty went on target. On the other side, Russia took 11 shots, three on target, so in this game, each shot of target finished in the back of the net. Hereof, the bettors who wagered on the over 2.5 goals are certainly happy with the wages at +140, while those who bet on the over 3.5 goals at +350 are surely ecstatic at the moment.
After this victory, Russia has almost certainly qualified for the last 16, and the odds on Sbornaya to beat the 2018 World Cup on a home soil are +3300 on BetDSI Sportsbook, while the price on Egypt to finish bottom of the Group A is +350. On the Matchday 3, the Pharaohs will meet Saudi Arabia as -150 favorites to win the game, while Sbornaya will face Uruguay as a slight +235 underdog in the match that would define who will top the Group A, and who’ll finish the second.
