World Cup 2018: Lawro predicts the opening round of group games

Lawro's World Cup predictionsBBC Sport
By Chris Bevan in Moscow
BBC Sport

2018 Fifa World Cup on the BBC

Host: Russia Dates: 14 June - 15 July

Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with further coverage on Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app.

BBC Sport football expert Mark Lawrenson is predicting the outcome of all 64 games at the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

He starts with the opening games in each group, which include a mouth-watering all-Iberian encounter between Portugal and Spain, holders Germany against Mexico, and England versus Tunisia. All of those games are live on BBC TV and BBC Radio 5 live.

Lawro also picks his two teams to go through from each group into the knockout stage.

He is backing Brazil to win the World Cup, and believes England will reach the quarter-finals.

Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan in Moscow.

Group A

Games

Score

Lawro's prediction

Thursday, 14 June

Russia v Saudi Arabia

5-0

2-0

Friday, 15 June

Egypt v Uruguay

0-1

0-1

Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia

Match report

Egypt 0-1 Uruguay

Match report

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1.

Russia

1

1

0

0

2

0

+2

3

2.

Uruguay

1

1

0

0

1

0

+1

3

3.

Egypt

1

0

0

1

0

1

-1

0

4.

Saudi Arabia

1

0

0

1

0

2

-2

0

Lawro's pre-tournament picks to go through: Uruguay (winners) and Russia (runners-up)

GROUP B

Games

Score

Lawro's prediction

Friday, 15 June

Morocco v Iran

0-1

0-0

Friday, 15 June

Portugal v Spain

3-3

0-1

Morocco 0-1 Iran

Match report

Portugal 3-3 Spain

Match report

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1.

Spain

1

1

0

0

1

0

+1

3

2.

Iran

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

3.

Morocco

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

4.

Portugal

1

0

0

1

0

1

-1

0

Lawro's pre-tournament picks to go through: Spain (winners) and Portugal (runners-up)

GROUP C

Games

Score

Lawro's prediction

Saturday, 16 June

France v Australia

2-1

2-0

Saturday, 16 June

Peru v Denmark

0-1

1-2

France 2-1 Australia

Match report

Peru 0-1 Denmark

Match report

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1.

France

1

1

0

0

2

0

+2

3

2.

Denmark

1

1

0

0

2

1

+1

3

3.

Peru

1

0

0

1

1

2

-1

0

4.

Australia

1

0

0

1

0

2

-2

0

Lawro's pre-tournament picks to go through: France (winners) and Denmark (runners-up)

GROUP D

Games

Score

Lawro's prediction

Saturday, 16 June

Argentina v Iceland

1-1

2-0

Saturday, 16 June

Croatia v Nigeria

2-0

1-0

Argentina 1-1 Iceland

Match report

Croatia 2-0 Nigeria

Match report

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1.

Argentina

1

1

0

0

2

0

+2

3

2.

Croatia

1

1

0

0

1

0

+1

3

3.

Nigeria

1

0

0

1

0

1

-1

0

4.

Iceland

1

0

0

1

0

2

-2

0

Lawro's pre-tournament picks to go through: Argentina (winners) and Croatia (runners-up)

GROUP E

Games

Score

Lawro's prediction

Sunday, 17 June

Costa Rica v Serbia

0-1

0-0

Sunday, 17 June

Brazil v Switzerland

1-1

2-0

Costa Rica 0-1 Serbia

Match report

Brazil 1-1 Switzerland

Match report

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1.

Brazil

1

1

0

0

2

0

+2

3

2.

Costa Rica

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

3.

Serbia

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

4.

Switzerland

1

0

0

1

0

2

-2

0

Lawro's pre-tournament picks to go through: Brazil (winners) and Switzerland (runners-up)

GROUP F

Games

Score

Lawro's prediction

Sunday, 17 June

Germany v Mexico

0-1

1-0

Monday, 18 June

Sweden v South Korea

1-0

1-1

Germany 0-1 Mexico

Match report

Sweden 1-0 South Korea

Match report

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1.

Germany

1

1

0

0

1

0

+1

3

2.

South Korea

1

0

1

0

1

1

0

1

3.

Sweden

1

0

1

0

1

1

0

1

4.

Mexico

1

0

0

1

0

1

-1

0

Lawro's pre-tournament picks to go through: Germany (winners) and Mexico (runners-up)

GROUP G

Games

Score

Lawro's prediction

Monday, 18 June

Belgium v Panama

3-0

2-0

Monday, 18 June

Tunisia v England

1-2

0-2

Belgium 3-0 Panama

Match report

Tunisia 1-2 England

Match report

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1.

Belgium

1

1

0

0

2

0

+2

3

2.

England

1

1

0

0

2

0

+2

3

3.

Tunisia

1

0

0

1

0

2

-2

0

4.

Panama

1

0

0

1

0

2

-2

0

Lawro's pre-tournament picks to go through: Belgium (winners) and England (runners-up)

GROUP H

Games

Score

Lawro's prediction

Tuesday, 19 June

Colombia v Japan

1-2

1-0

Tuesday, 19 June

Poland v Senegal

x-x

1-0

Colombia 1-2 Japan

Match report

BBC Sport

Poland 1-2 Senegal

Match report

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1.

Colombia

1

1

0

0

1

0

+1

3

2.

Poland

1

1

0

0

1

0

+1

3

3.

Japan

1

0

0

1

0

1

-1

0

4.

Senegal

1

0

0

1

0

1

-1

0

Lawro's pre-tournament picks to go through: Colombia (winners) and Poland (runners-up)

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