Israel vs Paraguay Prediction Olympic 2024

⚽ Olympic Football Games 2024 Match Preview

⏰ 27 July 2024 - 18:00 GMT +1

🏟 Stadium: Parc des Princes (Paris)

Israel's return to Olympic men's football after 48 years resulted in a 1-1 draw with Mali, leaving them still in search of their first tournament win since 1968. Despite this, Guy Luzon's men sit second in Group D after the opening round, aiming to replicate the country's quarter-final runs in their previous two Olympic appearances.

The Israeli team may find comfort in playing Paraguay at the familiar Parc des Princes, the same venue as their Mali match. However, they'll need to avoid squandering leads, as they did against Mali, to prevent becoming the first men's football nation since Colombia in 2016 to drop points from winning positions in their first two Olympic encounters at a Games.

Paraguay's campaign started disastrously with a 5-0 thrashing by Japan, marking the heaviest loss in a team's Olympic men's football opener since Fiji's 8-0 defeat to South Korea in 2016. This was a far cry from their silver medal performance in Athens 20 years ago.

Despite the humbling defeat, manager Carlos Jara Saguier remained calm, citing Wilder Viera's 25th-minute red card as a key factor and expressing confidence in his team's ability to bounce back. However, La Albirroja will need to significantly improve their defensive performance to stand a chance in this contest.

Where to watch Israel vs Paraguay?

📺 Link to watch Israel vs Paraguay Live Stream on TV

📋Players to watch:

• Oscar Gloukh (Israel): Top scorer for Israel's senior team in the Olympic squad with three goals, and 22 goal contributions for Red Bull Salzburg last season.
• Julio Enciso (Paraguay): Brighton & Hove Albion player who has already featured in the Copa América, though his recent scoring appearances haven't resulted in victories.

⚡Match Facts:

• Seven of Paraguay's last nine Olympic men's football matches have featured at least three goals.
• Israel hasn't won an Olympic men's football match since 1968.
• Paraguay suffered the heaviest loss in an Olympic men's football opener since 2016.

💡Prediction: This match presents an opportunity for both teams to improve their standings in Group D. Israel, buoyed by their draw against Mali and playing in familiar surroundings, will likely approach the game with cautious optimism. Paraguay, on the other hand, will be desperate to redeem themselves after their opening match debacle. Expect Israel to try and control possession, looking to exploit Paraguay's potentially shaky defense. Paraguay may adopt a more defensive stance initially, hoping to hit on the counter-attack. The game could open up in the second half as both teams push for a crucial win. Given Paraguay's recent high-scoring Olympic matches and Israel's tendency to concede, we might see multiple goals, with Israel slightly favored due to their more stable start to the tournament.

Betting Tips:

• Over 2.5 goals in the match
• Both teams to score
• Israel Draw No Bet
• Oscar Gloukh to score or assist
• Second half to have more goals than the first half