Mali vs Israel Preview & Prediction | Paris 2024 Olympics | Men’s Football | Group Stage
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Group D at this summer’s men’s football Olympic tournament appears wide open with both Mali and Israel fancying their chances of progression alongside Japan and Paraguay and it has to be said all four sides have a genuine chance of medalling in Paris as a result.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Wednesday 24th July, 2024, UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH THE PARIS OLYMPICS ON TV: UK – BBC is the main broadcaster while some event will be televised on Eurosport / US – NBC is the main broadcaster while some events will be shown on NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network and Telemundo
HOW TO WATCH THE PARIS OLYMPICS ONLINE: UK – BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website & Eurosport Player / US – Events can be streamed on the relevant streaming platforms of NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network and Telemundo
MALI PREVIEW: LACK OF TOP-FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
24-year-old Salam Jiddou is set to captain Mali at this tournament and he is one of two players, as well as Demba Diallo, selected over the age of 23. Their real quality, though, lies in the U23 group with Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Boubacar Traore the real key man for this summer alongside Vitoria Guimaraes defender Mamadou Tounkara and.
There are other standout names from leading European clubs, such as goalkeeper Lassine Diarra at Olympique Lyonnais, but the strength of Mali for this tournament will be the cohesion they have created from playing together at U23 level. They have suffered just one defeat inside 90 minutes in their last nine matches since March 2023.
ISRAEL PREVIEW: UNDER PRESSURE GUY LUZON
Former Charlton Athletic boss Guy Luzon is expected to deliver an impressive Israeli side in France this summer with some quality and experience across the park as they prepare for a wide open group and what does appear to be a wide open tournament, with the obvious and notable exceptions of France, Spain and Argentina.
He has been in charge of Israel’s U21 side since 2022 and reached the semi-finals of the 2023 UEFA U21 European Championships last summer before being beaten by eventual winners England. Bayern Munich’s Daniel Peretz has had to withdraw with injury but the likes of the talented Liel Abada and Oscar Gloukh are expected to be forces throughout the competition.
MALI VS ISRAEL PREDICTION
On paper, a group of Japan, Paraguay, Mali and Israel may well appear quite evenly contested but that means a victory in your opening game is massive. Mali, as mentioned, do not really have the pedigree at club level of this Israeli side and Guy Luzon leading his middle-eastern U21 side to the final four of Europe’s U21 competition last year will mean they come into this one as firm favourites to progress through the group, let alone past Mali.
MALI VS ISRAEL TIP: ISRAEL TO WIN
