SlipsTips shares a selection ahead of England's clash with DR Congo at the World Cup on Wednesday evening.
England vs DR Congo (Wednesday, 17:00)
England resume their World Cup campaign when they face DR Congo in the round of 32 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Three Lions advanced from Group K in top spot, thanks to wins over Croatia and Panama on either side of a draw with Ghana.
As for DR Congo, they produced a spirited display to draw 1-1 with Portugal before bouncing back from a 1-0 defeat to Colombia by beating Uzbekistan 3-1, which secured qualification to the knockout round for the first time in their history.
Given the gulf in class in terms of personnel, it is no surprise to see England as heavy favourites here, but there is a player-based angle that looks too big to ignore.
The selection is Marc Guehi to be fouled at least twice at a value price of 10/11 with bet365.
After sitting out England’s 4-2 win over Croatia, Guehi has started the subsequent matches against Ghana and Panama.
One of the most notable takeaways from Guehi's two outings has been the number of fouls he has drawn, winning no fewer than seven free kicks against Ghana before being fouled twice against Panama.
That trait was also evident in each of England’s final two warm-up fixtures ahead of this summer’s showpiece, with Guehi being brought down twice against Costa Rica and once against New Zealand.
It was also a running theme during the second half of last season’s Premier League campaign after Guehi moved to Manchester City in January.
In fact, across his 15 appearances in the top flight last term for the Citizens, he was fouled in 12 of those, earning 2+ free-kicks in seven of those contests, including each of the final three.
Guehi should see plenty of the ball here, with DR Congo likely to sit in a low block and look to contain and counter, while his ball-carrying ability should also see him drift into advanced areas where he can draw fouls.
The case grows stronger given he is likely to come up against DR Congo attacker Yoane Wissa, who committed a combined total of five fouls across his three group stage outings.
Recommended Bet
- Marc Guehi To Be Fouled 2+ Times – 10/11 (bet365)
Grant Heaney, aka SlipsTips, is a Freelance Football and Darts Writer with over six years experience. Grant has written football and darts betting content for some of the biggest betting websites and newspapers in the UK. He is a Falkirk season ticket holder and avid watcher of football and darts, whether it be UK-based or further afield. You can find all of his tips on X @SlipsTips
GambleAware