The preliminary round is over at the soccer World Cup in Qatar, from now on every game can be a final for the remaining 16 teams.
Because from the round of 16 onwards there is no more room for slip-ups.
This Saturday we start with two games.
Up to and including Tuesday, the eight teams that reach the quarter-finals will be played.
The World Cup forecast by Daniel Memmert and Fabian Wunderlich shows who has the best chances - of winning after 90 minutes and progressing overall, because extra time and penalties are now possible.
Tobias Rabe
Responsible editor for Sport Online.
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Curiously, in the first round of 16 of the day (4:00 p.m. CET in the FAZ live ticker for the World Cup and on MagentaTV) there are two teams that did not even qualify for the tournament in Russia in 2018: the Netherlands and the USA.
In the world rankings (8th place to 16th) and the average market value of the players in the squad (22.6 million euros to 10.6), however, the selection of Bonds coach Louis van Gaal is ahead.
This is also reflected in the probabilities.
48.6 percent speak for a Dutch victory after 90 minutes.
However, since 29.3 percent of the time there is a draw, the chance after extra time and penalty shoot-outs is also of interest: Elftal is 68.7 percent ahead there.
Then (20:00 CET in the FAZ live ticker for the soccer World Cup, on ARD and on MagentaTV) Argentina and Australia will face off.
Here the roles are even more clearly divided, even if both disappointed four and a half years ago at the last finals.
The Albiceleste failed in the round of 16, the Australians did not get past the group stage.
A look at the world rankings (3 to 38) and the market values (24.3 to 1.5) is enough to see who is the favorite here.
The probabilities also make it clear: Argentina will win 80.4 percent after regular time, but 93.9 percent after a maximum of penalties.