The group stages have concluded in one of the most exciting and high-scoring World Cups ever held, and the next round of knockout games are ready to get underway.
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As has been the case through the tournament, I have been simulating the fixtures using FIFA 14's World Cup mode, which is updated to reflect the form and performances of each squad.
Yesterday saw the favorites of each match advance, though both took extremely late in the match to do so. The Dutch grabbed a controversial winner in stoppage time, while Costa Rica defeated Greece on penalties.
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The first match of today is between France and Nigeria, with the European side definitely favored to come away victorious in this one. While also stronger on paper, France has also been one of the most impressive teams in the tournament so far, while Nigeria have put in inconsistent displays (but did enough to advance). FIFA 14 agrees, predicting a 3-1 victory for the French.
Benzema, the man in form for France, opened the scoring 15 minutes into the match by finishing low at the near post. Valbeuna doubled the lead before halftime, fed by a Cabaye through ball that he easily put past the keeper. Nigeria got one back at the 62 minute mark, but France ultimately sealed the result with a third goal from Antoine Griezmann with ten minutes to play.
Such a result is likely, despite some good showings from Nigeria so far, but you never know what will happen on the pitch. My simulation featured two AI-controlled sides on Legendary difficulty facing off against one another, using the squads expected to start the game.
There may be one or two differences in the selections or the way the team lines up, but these were approximations that are as close to likely as possible. Tune in at 12 p.m. ET to see how accurate FIFA 14's prediction is.
