Will Norway Advance to the Round of 16?
Things are getting serious at this 23rd FIFA World Cup. The World Cup Round of 32 features some highly attractive matchups, such as my Ivory Coast vs. Norway pick. The bookies see the offensively strong Scandinavians coming out on top in this match. In my Ivory Coast vs. Norway prediction, however, I think it’s possible that the Ivorians will remain undefeated, at least after 90 minutes.
In the knockout stage, the wheat is now being separated from the chaff, and some favorites at this World Cup are even facing the threat of an early exit in the round of the last 32 teams.
First and foremost, in my Ivory Coast vs. Norway prediction, I’m leaning toward both teams scoring this coming Tuesday in Arlington. In my view, the bookmakers are setting the odds for this a bit too high—just as they did for the Norway vs. France match—which is likely due primarily to the Ivorians’ defensive quality. I’m not betting on an “over 2.5 goals” outcome because of the knockout format; if the score is 1-1, both teams might play it safe.
I also think that the Ivory Coast will initially play a very defensive game against the Scandinavians’ top offense, and the match won’t really pick up steam until the second half. I therefore consider betting on more goals in the second half—as was the case in the Ivory Coast vs. Germany match—to be a good bet for this game.
As a riskier pick, I’m also considering a draw for this match. As mentioned at the beginning, unlike the bookmakers, I don’t see either team as the clear favorite in this World Cup Round of 32 match.
Ivory Coast vs. Norway AI Prediction
Just like me, the Ivory Coast vs. Norway AI prediction sees the odds for a Norwegian victory as set significantly too low. According to the AI, the fair odds for a win by the supposed favorite should be around 2.30, while the betting markets are offering odds of around 2.00.
The Ivorians, on the other hand, are underestimated by the bookmakers by five percentage points according to the Ivory Coast vs. Norway AI prediction, which is why there is value in betting on the underdog. The AI calculates a probability of about 31.6% for a West African victory, which would correspond to a fair win odds of 3.16.
Ivory Coast – Statistics & Current Form
For the first time in World Cup history, Ivory Coast has advanced to the knockout stage of a World Cup. The uninspiring victory over Curaçao was enough for Emerse Faé’s team to secure second place in the group behind Germany.
Will the Ivorians continue to make history?
In the group stage, Les Éléphants showed why their squad is worth over half a billion euros—putting them roughly on par with their upcoming opponent in terms of squad value. Up front, the Ivory Coast scored in every group stage match, but also showed that they can defend relentlessly. Their two clean sheets in the group stage were no fluke, and even the offensively strong Scandinavians will have their work cut out for them to break through the Ivorians’ defense.
Just as with squad value, I expect a completely even match on the field this coming Tuesday in my Ivory Coast vs. Norway prediction. I therefore see more value in betting on the Double Chance for the West Africans or a direct bet on a draw rather than picking a win for the supposed favorite in this match.
I also don’t think extra time is out of the question. Since their elimination in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations against Egypt earlier this year, Emerse Faé’s team has remained unbeaten in seven of eight international matches. As for the final score, I think a 1-1 or 2-2 draw is the most realistic outcome for this match.
Norway – Statistics & Current Form
Did Norway want to finish second in the group to secure a supposedly easier path through the tournament? Coach Solbakken’s lineup in the final group match against France certainly left a bad taste in the mouth. As expected, with a full B-team, his squad was unable to match the performances they’d previously shown in this tournament against France, the group’s strongest opponent.
Will Norway advance to the next round?
In the Round of 32, the bookmakers—just like me in my Ivory Coast vs. Norway prediction—are once again expecting the Lions to field their strongest lineup. However, contrary to the bookmakers’ assessment, I don’t see the Northern Europeans as favorites and expect a closely contested match this coming Tuesday in my Ivory Coast vs. Norway prediction.
The Norwegians’ standout feature is undoubtedly their offense, centered around the two top strikers Alexander Sorloth and Erling Haaland, who still has a shot at winning the Golden Boot at this World Cup. Will the “Goal-Scorer” be able to celebrate with the Norwegian rowing gesture again against the Ivory Coast? Their defense, on the other hand—which has managed to keep a clean sheet in only one of their last ten international matches—is likely to be a greater cause for concern for Coach Solbakken.
The Lions have conceded at least one goal in every group stage match, and a total of six against their two strongest group opponents, Senegal and France. Against the Ivorians’ equally strong offense, I therefore don’t expect them to keep a clean sheet in the end.
Ivory Coast – Norway Head-to-Head Record
The two nations have never faced each other in an international match. For the first-ever meeting between these two teams, the bookmakers have made Haaland & Co. the favorites in the Ivory Coast vs. Norway betting odds.
Ivory Coast – Norway Prediction
By advancing to the knockout round, Faé’s squad achieved what the generation led by Didier Drogba was consistently denied in the Ivory Coast’s previous World Cup appearances in 2006, 2010, and 2014. For now, however, Les Éléphants are only in the Round of 32, which is being held for the first time in this tournament. Nevertheless, advancing past the World Cup group stage for the first time is a historic achievement for the West African nation.
Reaching the Round of 16 would be an even more historic feat for the Ivorians. The key to that will be containing their upcoming opponent’s strong offense. However, the German team already got a taste in the group stage of just how difficult it is to find openings against the Faé squad’s tightly packed defense. That’s why I expect the Ivorians to pose some problems for Norway this coming Tuesday as well.
Nevertheless, I expect the Ivory Coast to concede a goal against Norway, but up front, the offense—led by Leipzig’s top talent, Yan Diomande—will almost certainly score at least once against the Norwegians’ vulnerable defense. I therefore consider “both teams to score” the best bet for this match.
