The Two Robbies Daily: Quarter-final predictions | Argentina & Spain in focus
The Robbies preview the last eight, debating Argentina's emotional edge, Spain's meeting with Belgium and France's heavyweight clash with Morocco as the road to the semi-finals continues.
Video Transcript
Welcome to the Two Robbies Daily, where we get down to the interesting stage of the quarterfinals.
Okay, Rob.
the first of the quarterfinals, Spain versus Belgium, very interesting.
Yeah.
Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites.
They've won every game apart from the first one.
They haven't conceded a goal yet in the tournament- Correct against a Belgium side that looks to me they're improving.
Made changes against USA.
Yeah.
More energy.
Th- they're improving.
I think they've won the last three games, Belgium, so they'll feel pretty confident as well.
Yeah.
How do you, how do you see this game?
Well, it's a Spanish team that maybe apart from Oyarzabal up front, the goals have come from, from other areas.
Merino, again, an important- Yeah goal last time against Portugal.
It's a Belgian team that, Rob, I said w- was creaking, and to be fair, the manager's got a bit of oil, 'cause the creakiness is, is, is, is gone a little bit.
He's, he's not played Doku.
He, he's not played Kevin De Bruyne, and the team's gone on, and, and Lukaku's been somebody off the bench.
Yeah.
It's a really interesting game, and, and I just feel like at this stage, your strikers, your center forwards could be key.
And so looking at this one, Oyarzabal to score, he's got four goals already in the tournament, and Spain to win is plus 147, which I think, isn't a bad bet for, for a team that many think are second favorites.
Well, I dunno.
I mean, I think the odds show you there that this game is pretty much in the balance.
I, I would slightly favor Spain given the, kind of the, what we've seen so far in the tournament, but Belgium dangerous, 'cause they've got a lot better.
Absolutely.
I mean, France versus Morocco is about as mouthwatering as it gets.
the French, most people's favorite, with Mbappe at the top end of the pitch, and all the threats o- over- Yeah the park.
Yeah.
With a Moroccan team, Rob, that, have got to semifinals, that know their way around the, in this competition, and I think will, will believe that they have a chance to, to, to get some, to get through this.
Absolutely got a chance to get through it.
I think of the games, this might be my favorite one- that I'm looking forward to seeing.
To get more questions, on France.
Morocco are durable.
Yeah.
They're tough.
They're strong.
They can win in different ways.
They've got great spirit and attitude and compactness.
playing a little bit differently now with a different coach.
They've got a little bit more expansion, but I, I think it's a, another great test.
In terms of bets, what have we got here?
under 2.5 goals, Mbappe to score, and France to win is plus 419.
Obviously a few things to come together there.
Yeah.
A- and it's a difficult one to predict- Difficult to call because, because it, it could be really, really tight.
I, I see this one actually going to extra time, Rob, like, and possibly- Wow even penalties.
Wow.
Yeah, do you think France, though, you still favor them?
Still have to favor France just with what they can do and what can come off the bench.
Yeah.
Okay, Argentina versus Switzerland.
My goodness, the emotions around Argentina- and Messi and that game against Egypt.
Does that drag you down, Rob, after a little while?
Just thinking about another matchup- Yeah, yeah another game against Switzerland that will be rugged, that will be tough.
Can Argentina just go again?
Is that what champions do?
Well, I, I think for normal players, the emotion could be a bit much.
It, it, you know, they've had two games now where they, they've been drained.
They were in tears against Egypt at, at the end to get through.
But there's something about the spirit of this group.
There's something about the, the, the band of brothers.
They said they haven't come to, to win, win this tournament.
They've come to retain this tournament.
They've got it already, and they're gonna- Yeah do everything to hang on.
But I would say against a Swiss team that will have confidence from the, the penalty, win against Colombia- Yeah, yeah well set up, good organization, difficult to play against, they might just feel they've got a chance.
They've shown us that they, throughout this tournament, they find ways to win.
Not in a spectacular fashion, and we all knew this, this previous game was gonna be tight, but they found a way to win.
Yeah.
So in that regard, Switz Let's go for a little outsider here.
Yeah.
Switzerland to advance, both teams to score, plus 421 is good value.
Maybe a little- Ooh, a good one unexpected- but it's a, a sneaky good bet given what we've seen Argentina in previous rounds, that they score, they concede, and they might not make it through this one.
