We have now reached the knockout stage of the Olympics football tournament, with the men’s quarter-finals due to be held on Friday.
France, the favourites for gold with the UK betting sites, finished top of Group A with maximum points, with the USA advancing as runners-up. Morocco won Group B ahead of Argentina, who finished second.
Egypt finished first in Group C, bumping Spain down to second spot by beating them 2-1 on matchday three. Finally, Japan won Group D with a 100% record as Paraguay finished second.
Gambling.com’s experts on The Panel have checked out the latest odds on all of Friday’s games and picked out a tip for each of them.
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Men’s Olympic Football Predictions:
Morocco Vs USA: Friday, 2pm
Morocco’s 2-1 defeat of Argentina on matchday one set them on their way to first place in Group B. It also alerted the rest of the tournament to their potential, and no one will be taking them lightly from hereon in.
The USA were soundly beaten 3-0 by France in their opening encounter, but that was always going to be a difficult match against the hosts.
The Americans bounced back well, beating New Zealand 4-1 and Guinea 3-0 to qualify for the knockout phase.
Both teams will fancy their chances of making it through to the semis and moving to within one win of a podium finish.
It is possible to make a case for either side on football betting sites, but on balance we feel Morocco may prove too strong for the USA over 90 minutes.
The Panel Tip 1: Morocco To Beat USA – 13/10 With Ladbrokes
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Japan Vs Spain: Friday, 4pm
The 2-1 loss to Egypt last time out has landed Spain a tough tie in the quarters, although they are still the favourites to get the better of Japan in this quarter-final.
However, they won’t have everything their own way. Spain may have won their first two matches in France, but neither the Dominican Republic nor Uzbekistan provided much of a challenge.
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Spain are expected to be at full strength after naming a weakened side for the Egypt match, but their confidence may have been knocked by that loss.
Japan were excellent in Group D, winning all three games while scoring seven goals and conceding none.
They should be able to breach a Spain backline that is yet to keep a clean sheet in this tournament, but we also expect Japan to concede for the first time.
The Panel Tip 2: Both Teams To Score – Evens With BetMGM
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Egypt Vs Paraguay: Friday, 6pm
Egypt’s stunning 2-1 victory over Spain saw them take top spot in Group C, handing them a kinder tie (on paper at least) for the quarter-finals.
The Pharaohs were not overly impressive in a 0-0 draw with the Dominican Republic and a slender 1-0 triumph over Uzbekistan, but they saved their best for Spain on matchday three.
Paraguay were thumped 5-0 by Japan in their first outing, a defeat from which many felt they would not recover.
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But the South Americans got back on track with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Israel, scoring twice in second-half stoppage time, before a 1-0 win against Mali sent them through to the last eight.
This is unlikely to be a classic. We anticipate a hard-fought and dogged affair, but one which will probably lack goals.
We are going for a draw at the interval as Egypt and Paraguay feel each other out in the opening 45 minutes in Marseille.
The Panel Tip 3: Egypt Vs Paraguay – Draw At Half-Time – 23/20 With Unibet
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France Vs Argentina: Friday, 8pm
France breezed to first place in Group A, winning all three games, scoring seven goals and conceding zero.
Despite that, there were a few grumblings about Thierry Henry’s tactics, especially after an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Guinea.
Argentina only finished second in Group B, but they still have the potential to hand France an early exit in what many are calling a grudge match.
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Javier Mascherano’s men defeated Iraq and Ukraine without too much trouble and even the loss to Morocco in their opener was somewhat unfortunate.
The World Cup final between these two senior sides in 2022 was a classic, albeit a slow-burning one.
Argentina ultimately triumphed on penalties on that occasion, and at the odds available on new betting sites, it could be worth a punt on this one being decided on spot-kicks.
This time, though, home advantage makes us favour France at the Stade de Bordeaux.
The Panel Tip 4: France To Beat Argentina On Penalties – 9/1 With Bet365
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