World Cup 2018: 5 mouthwatering games in the group stages
With the World Cup just over 20 days away, the excitement continues to build, as the squads of all the 32-nations also get finalised. With the managers picking and finalising their 23 man squads, there have been surprising inclusions and exclusions.
However, for all the players selected, the World Cup begins in less than a month and there are some interesting group stage battles to look forward to.
Here we take a look at five matches that will produce some drama and excitement and could possibly be the most interesting matches in the group stages of the tournament.
#5 Portugal vs Spain
The World Cup kicks off on June 14, with the Russians taking on the Saudi Arabians in the opener. On the 15th, the first big names game of the tournament takes place as Portugal will face Spain in a Group B clash.
Cristiano Ronaldo and co will begin the campaign with a hard test against the Spanish, in what hopes to be a scintillating game of football. The Spanish team had a hard opener even in 2014, as they took on the mighty Dutch, only to go down 5-1.
The current European Champions take on the former World Champions, in what promises to be an intriguing, tactical affair with excitement and drama played at a high intensity.
With both teams eager to get off to a good start, none of the two would want to begin the tournament with a loss. The two heavyweights will battle it out to determine who has the advantage over the other.