Israel Ol. vs Paraguay Ol. prediction: WORLD: Olympic Games betting tips on match 2024-07-26 17:00.
[p]In their first Olympic men’s football match for 48 years, Israel drew 1-1 with Mali, meaning that they are still waiting for their first win at the tournament since 1968. In more positive news for Guy Luzon’s men, they sit second in Group D after the opening round of fixtures as they look to emulate the country’s run to the quarter-finals at their two previous Olympic appearances. [/p]
[p]Israel may be buoyed by the fact that, just like in their meeting with Mali, they will play Paraguay at the Parc des Princes, so there won’t be a need to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings. They did squander the lead against the West Africans though, and Luzon will no doubt be highly disappointed if his team do the same here, as no men’s football nation has dropped points from a winning position in their first two Olympic encounters at a Games since Colombia in 2016. [/p]
[p]Paraguay’s campaign can surely only get better from here after they were hammered 5-0 by Japan last time out, thereby suffering the heaviest loss in a team’s Olympic men’s football opener since Fiji were pummelled 8-0 by South Korea eight years ago. Having won the silver medal in Athens 20 years ago, it’s fair to say that was a far from ideal return to Olympic football for Paraguay.[/p]
[p]Nevertheless, manager Carlos Jara Saguier was admirably calm when facing the media after that result, acknowledging Wilder Viera’s 25th-minute red card as a key factor in the thrashing and backing his side to recover from a humbling defeat in this contest. But if La Albirroja are to give a better account of themselves here, they will clearly need to tighten up defensively. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Oscar Gloukh has scored more goals for Israel’s senior team (three) than any other player in the Olympic squad and registered 22 goal contributions for Red Bull Salzburg last season across the Austrian Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League (G9, A13). Facing him is likely to be Brighton & Hove Albion’s Julio Enciso, who has already played for Paraguay at the Copa América this summer, although neither of his last two scoring appearances for club and country saw his side emerge victorious (D1, L1). [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Seven of Paraguay’s last nine Olympic men’s football matches have featured at least three goals. [/p]
[p][i]Written by: Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]