Czech Republic vs South Africa Bet Builder Tips: Soucek stars in 49/1 flutter for key Group A clash

Czech Republic and South Africa will lock horns at the Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday (12pm local, 5pm BST, live on BBC One) with both sides looking to bounce back from their respective opening group matches.

Early elimination potentially looms large here, and I’ve picked out a 49/1 four-fold for my Czech Republic vs South Africa Bet Builder tips.

Czech Republic vs South Africa Odds

Czech Republic to win

Despite their defeat to South Korea, Czech Republic have more quality across the board than their opponents here.

Patrik Schick, Tomas Soucek and Pavel Sulc all offer genuine quality in the attacking third of the pitch, while South Africa failed to score in their opening game and are yet to look convincing against top-half European opposition.

This match presents an opportunity for Miroslav Koubek’s side to get back on track in terms of qualification from the group, and I expect them to take full advantage.

Both teams to score - Yes

Yes, South Africa did fail to score against Mexico, but on paper that game always looked like a tough one for them. Against a host nation, in front of a pumped-up crowd, opening the tournament – it was a recipe for disaster.

With their place at the World Cup potentially under threat here, Bafana Bafana will have to be more progressive in this clash, which should lead to goals at both ends of the pitch.

Both teams have scored in Czech Republic’s last five matches, while BTTS has been a winning play in four of South Africa’s last six outings.

Tomas Soucek to score (Sub Switch)

Soucek had a goal ruled out for offside against South Korea, and I’m going to back him to score on Thursday against South Africa.

Due to the height of the Czech Republic squad, set pieces play a major part of their attacking threat, with Soucek being a viable option standing at 6ft 4in.

The West Ham United man has scored three in his last 10 international games and registered multiple shots on target in five of them

With Betfred's new 'Sub Switch' feature, if your player gets substituted at any point in the match, your selection is switched to the next player!

Ladislav Krejci to score a header

To round off this Bet Builder, I'm boosting the odds by backing Ladislav Krejci to score a header - again.

I've just touched on Czech Republic's emphasis on set plays, and Krejci headed home against South Korea following a long throw-in.

If Koubek's side are struggling to break down the South African backline, the likes of Krejci provide a real option to aim for in the box if they wish to go direct. At 7/1, the 6ft 3in centre-back is a tempting pick to make this a four-fold.

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