Uruguay VS Saudi Arabia Match Prediction
2018-06-20
15:00:00
Uruguay
VS
Saudi Arabia
Our Prediction Tip
Uruguay will win this match.
2018-06-2015:00:00 Uruguay will win this match.
This will be the third time these two countries have met but the first time in a competitive fixture. Surprisingly, Uruguay are yet to beat Saudi Arabia - they lost 3-2 in their first ever friendly in March 2002 before Saudi Arabia grabbed a last-minute equaliser in their most recent meeting in 2014.
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Saudi Arabia are without a win in their last 11 World Cup finals matches – a run stretching back to USA 1994
Saudi Arabia have lost their last four matches in a row, having gone into the tournament on the back of three friendly defeats before their loss on the opening day
Uruguay have failed to beat Saudi Arabia in their two previous attempts, but this is the first competitive fixture between the two nations
Uruguay have kept clean sheets in their last four matches (all won) and five of their last six in total
Uruguay were frustrated against Egypt in their opening game but were also guilty of wasting chance – Luis Suarez especially. Saudi Arabia’s defensive frailties were exposed by Russia in their opening match, however – and that will be a worry with Suarez and Edinson Cavani ready to take advantage.
The Saudis did not even manage a shot on target in reply, and with Uruguay in good defensive form that is unlikely to change in their second match – which now looks a real mismatch after the opening day.
Uruguay were already clear favourites for this match, against one of the lowest-ranked sides at the World Cup, but now they could win by a large margin too.
Certainly if they create as many chances as they did against Egypt and Saudi Arabia concede as many chances as they did against Russia, Uruguay could boost their goal difference significantly.
Saudi Arabia were below-par in that opening game, but there are no positives to take from that – the Uruguay game is their toughest in the group whereas Russia was supposed to be one of the easiest. That is very ominous for Juan Antonio Pizzi’s side.
You will struggle to find a meaningful price on a Uruguay win and that is little surprise when you consider the gulf between the two teams. Bet365 and Betfair are both offering 1/7 on the South Americans.
Uruguay left it late in their opening match, against Egypt, but they will hope to start stronger this time – a Uruguay/Uruguay half-time/full-time bet only improves your odds to a best price of 6/10 with Ladbrokes but it is still worth backing.
Saudi Arabia failed to muster a shot on target against Russia, meanwhile, and come up against a team with five clean sheets in their last six matches. A Uruguay win to nil is 4/7 with Ladbrokes and you can bet against both teams to score at 3/7 with 10Bet and 888sport.
After seeing Russia put five past Saudi Arabia on the opening day, Uruguay will hope to fill their boots too - especially with such a quality, experienced striking duo as Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez. Paddy Power and Betfair will payout at 10/3 if Uruguay win by four or more goals.
Unsurprisingly, given Uruguay’s expected dominance, both Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez are odds on to score at any time, meanwhile – they are both 11/21 with 888sport.
1) Uruguay to win by four or more goals at 10/3 with Paddy Power
2) Uruguay to win to nil at 4/7 with Ladbrokes
3) Edinson Cavani to score at any time at 11/21 with 888sports
Uruguay have won four games in a row without conceding a goal, while Saudi Arabia have lost four on the spin, including a 5-0 defeat to Russia in their opening match. If they give up those same chances to Uruguay, boasting Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez up front, it could be at least five again.
Carlos Sanchez and Cristian Rodriguez both stepped off the bench to make a telling impact in the opening game against Egypt, and could return to the starting line-up to face Saudi Arabia. Nahitan Nandez and Giorgian de Arrascaeta could be the two to miss out as a result. Experienced full-back Maxi Pereira missed out for the opening match despite starting the final warm-up, with Guilermo Varela preferred at right-back – the only change from the team that beat Uzbekistan in Montevideo.
While neither could find a way past Egypt in their opening game, there is little doubt Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez are Uruguay’s star players. The striking duo have scored 93 international goals between them, with Cavani – the top scorer in South American World Cup qualifying - winning his 102nd cap against Egypt, while this will be Suarez’s 100th.
Egypt 0-1 Uruguay (Gimenez)
Uruguay left it late to beat Egypt in their opening match – Jose Gimenez heading in the only goal of the game in the 89th minute. Luis Suarez had earlier missed some big opportunities to give Uruguay team the lead and Edinson Cavani’s free-kick hit the post, but the Uruguayans’ persistence paid off as they ensured a winning start to the 2018 World Cup.
Uruguay have won each of their last four matches without conceding a goal, and have kept five clean sheets in their last six matches in all – Austria, in a 2-1 win in November, are the only team to have found a way through in that time. Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez both netted in a 2-0 win against Czech Republic at the China Cup, before the former’s winner against Wales in the final. A 3-0 win against Uzbekistan set them up for the World Cup in winning fashion, before Jose Gimenez’s late goal against Egypt in their first group game in Russia.
Saudi Arabia football team are likely to make changes for the match against Uruguay, having been humbled on the opening day by Russia. Juan Antonio Pizzi has some big decisions to make, with full-back Mansour Al Harbi among those pushing for a recall. Forward Fahad Al-Muwallad only featured as a second-half substitute and could start against Uruugay, meanwhile.
Mohammad Al-Sahlawi was the joint-top scorer in the entire World Cup qualifying – of any continent – with 16 in total. His impressive international strike rate has dropped during his recent goal drought, however. La Liga loanees Yahya Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari both started against Russia, having both scored in Saudi Arabia’s World Cup warm-up matches.
Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia failed to even muster a shot on target as they were blown away by tournament hosts Russia on the opening day of the 2018 World Cup. Though they enjoyed plenty of possession, they had nothing to show for it and were punished for mistakes in key areas. An early goal set Russia on their way, before a second just before half-time. They added a third after the break and two more in stoppage time added gloss to the final scoreline.
Defeat to Russia on the opening day of the World Cup was Saudi Arabia’s fourth consecutive defeat. Their last win came during their training camp in Spain, outside of the FIFA fixture calendar, where they beat both Algeria and Greece 2-0. Defeats to Italy, Peru and Germany followed before their crushing 5-0 loss to Russia.
Uruguay will look to make it two wins from two when they face a Saudi Arabia team who sit bottom of Group A after their opening-day thrashing at the hands of Russia. Uruguay beat Egypt in their opening match, and will now bid to beat Saudi Arabia for the first time at the third attempt - though this is the first competitive fixture between the two nations. The match takes place on Wednesday June 20 at the Rostov Arena and kicks off at 6pm local time.
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