When Colombia and the Ivory Coast meet, look for two teams that are fairly equally matched to battle it out in the midfield. Colombia can attack quickly using the pace of their wingers and strikers, but the strength of “Les Elephants” in the midfield could cause them some problems. Colombia come into their game against the Ivory Coast after beating a tough Greek team 3-0, while the Ivory Coast will be looking to build off of their 2-1 comeback win against the Japanese.
It will interesting to see how both teams come out. Colombia is the faster team and can use that to their advantage. The likes of Juan Cuadrado, Teofilo Guitierrez and James Rodriguez will surely cause the back line of the Ivory Coast some problems. Jackson Martinez, who has scored 46 goals over the last two years for Portuguese side Porto, came into the Greece game in the 76th minute. If “Los Cafeteros” go down early, look for him to come and try to liven up the Colombian attack. Despite bolstering a blistering offensive threat, the Colombian back line should not be overlooked. Mario Yepes, whose appearance will give him the honor of representing his country for the 100th time, will most likely anchor the central part of their defensive line and will be key in stopping the likes of Drogba, Bony and Gervinho.
There was widespread confusion when Didier Drogba was left out of the starting lineup when they faced Japan. Don’t look for that to happen again as his entrance in the 60’ immediately swung the momentum into their favor. He will most likely pair up front with Wilfried Bony, who enjoyed an excellent campaign for Premier League side Swansea. Behind those two will be Yaya Toure, who seemingly controls everything that comes his way in the middle of the pitch. He will need to be at the top of his game to try and stop the likes of Gutierrez and Rodriguez coming forward as there have been many questions concerning the defensive prowess of the Ivory Coast.
Look for this game to primarily take place in the middle of the pitch. It will be interesting to see how the pace of Colombia and the strength of the Ivory Coast go against each other. Both teams are fairly equal, but I see the pace of Colombia being too much for the aging Elephants.
My prediction: Colombia wins 2-1
Betting odds via Bovada.lv
Colombia: Pick Em' (-200) +105 Moneyline
Ivory Coast: Pick Em' (+165) +260 Moneyline
Draw: +260
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