Curacao vs Ivory Coast Prediction: No room for an encore in Philly

Philadelphia is the location for this Group E tie between Curacao and Ivory Coast on Thursday (9pm BST, live on BBC One).

Read on for my Curacao vs Ivory Coast Prediction, featuring the latest odds and team news - plus a Correct Score selection.

Curacao vs Ivory Coast Odds

World Cup debutants Curacao secured an historic point against Ecuador at the weekend, but the oddsmakers aren't envisaging another surprise result this time, with The Blue Wave priced at 16/1 to get three points. That's an implied probability of just 6%.

Another draw is 13/2 (13%), while Ivory Coast are 1/6 (85%) to get back to winning ways in Philly after a 94th-minute defeat to Germany last time out.

Both teams to score? That's 13/8 - and the alternative is 4/9.

Team News

After a 7-1 demolition at the hands of Germany, Curacao boss Dick Advocaat went for a back five for the game against Ecuador, which worked a treat. I'd be surprised if the 78-year-old makes any changes for Thursday.

It's a lot harder to predict what Emerse Fae will do with his Ivory Coast side, as the XI he put out against Germany was quite a bit different to the one that beat Ecuador 1-0.

Yan Diomande is as close as it gets to a certainty to start on the left wing, and I'd expect Amad Diallo to keep his spot on the right. Franck Kessie is the mainstay in the midfield, and after his performance against the Germans I'd fancy Christ Inao Oulai to start alongside him. What a player he looks, by the way.

If I had to guess, it'll look a lot closer to the team that was cruelly denied by Germany in the final minutes of added time than the one against Ecuador. Changes wouldn't be a surprise, though.

Result After 30 Minutes - Ivory Coast @ 9/10

Football is a cruel, cruel game. I tipped Ivory Coast to win or draw against Germany and everything was going to plan until Denis Undav popped up in the 94th minute to make it 2-1 to the Germans.

The Elephants didn't deserve that - although in fairness, you can't miss as many chances as they did against a top team and get away with it.

Wastefulness in front of goal aside, I've been highly-impressed by the 2023 AFCON champions at this World Cup. They've got a solid defence, which allows Diomande and Amad Diallo to strut their stuff on the wings. Franck Kessie is the general in the midfield of the park - and what about the aforementioned Christ Inao Oulai? He was outstanding against Germany. Don't be surprised if the Trabzonspor midfielder secures a big move this summer. Barcelona are in talks, reportedly.

Emerse Fae's side sit on three points ahead of the final fixtures in Group E, so a result is imperative. A defeat and the best-case scenario is progressing as one of the top third-placed teams, but going home is the outcome if Ecuador also beat Germany. A draw is enough for Cote d'Ivoire, no matter what the Ecuadorians do, but they'll of course want to get back to winning ways.

That's surely going to happen against a Curacao side who are lucky to be on a point, if we're being brutally honest. Ecuador had about a million shots, none of which posed much trouble for goalkeeper Eloy Room. He is unlikely to find it as easy on Thursday night.

I think half an hour is more than enough time for Ivory Coast to get ahead - and just shy of EVS is good value as far as I'm concerned.

Jurien Gaari 2+ Fouls (Sub Switch) @ 6/5

At time of writing, only Paraguay have accumulated more cards than Curacao in North America. That's no great surprise, given the amount of defending The Blue Wave are having to do.

Their 32-year-old centre-back Jurien Gaari, who plays for Abha in Saudi Arabia, didn't feature in the 7-1 defeat to Germany but was drafted in by Dick Advocaat for the Ecuador game, as part of a back five.

He committed two fouls and picked up a booking. If he starts, I'm thinking he'll do likewise, if not go even further, in Philly. He'll have even more to do against the tricky Diomande and Manchester United's Amad.

Sub Switch

Pre-Match Bet Builder & Single bets on qualifying Player selections. Selected leagues & markets only. Applies to Price Boosts & Turbo Boosts. Extra-time will count. T&Cs Apply.

Sub Switch

Pre-Match Bet Builder & Single bets on qualifying Player selections. Selected leagues & markets only. Applies to Price Boosts & Turbo Boosts. Extra-time will count. T&Cs Apply.

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