TOGO v FRANCE, SWITZERLAND v SOUTH KOREA - YAKIN TO SHINE FOR SWISS
Dave Tindall

Everything is going to plan for Switzerland in Group G.

The targets of a draw with France and a win over Togo have been met and avoiding defeat against South Korea will put them through to the last 16.

A win will guarantee them top spot and many punters will be attracted by the odds against quotes about Kobi Kuhn's side.

South Korea also go into the game on four points but they had to come from a goal down to beat Togo while they were let off the hook by a complacent French side.

At least their persistance should be admired and their ability to turn games around in the second half will concern the Swiss.

The other worry for those ready to invest on Switzerland is the form of Philippe Senderos.

The big Arsenal centre-back was troubled several times by the Togo front pair and just doesn't look the same player who helped the Gunners rack up all those clean sheets in the Champions League.

The man most likely to pick his pocket is Ahn Jung-Hwan although whether that will be from the bench remains to be seen.

Ahn, whose golden goal against Italy famously got him the sack from his Italian club Perugia, seems destined for a super-sub role which means he's always a better bet for last scorer.

He's 10/1 to do so and South Korea will hope such a strike is another winner rather than a consolation.

Another interesting bet here is the 12/1 about Switzerland's Hakan Yakin winning Man-of-the-Match.

With Daniel Gygaz injured and six Swiss players on a yellow card, including Yakin's main rival for the playmaker role, Tranquillo Barnetta, there's a strong chance the Turkish-born star will start.

And if he does there's every chance his eye-catching style will win over the FIFA Technical Group who dish out this award.

Yakin is a huge favourite amongst the Swiss fans and after impressing as a sub against Togo he'll be itching to show off his talents.

France go into their must-win game against Togo without Zinedine Zidane but that could actually be a help not a hindrance.

Zidane looks a shadow of the player who could run a match from start to finish and it's become quite painful to watch him being caught in possession all the time. Even his step-overs are done in slow-motion these days and the French will be more vibrant without him.

Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda are both set to start and their extra energy will definitely pep up a French side who have a tendency to stagnate.

Given their off-field problems, Togo have performed quite well in their first two games and it wouldn't be a complete surprise if they frustrated the French.

However, coach at the time of writing, Otto Pfister, is set to make sure that every one of his 23-man squad gets a game so France have a golden chance to win the game and build some much-needed confidence for the knockout stages.

As they remain difficult to score against while never looking like netting a hatful at the other end, the correct score markets look the best option in this one.

The 11/2 about 2-0 is a definite and it's just a case of whether to go higher or lower.

On what we've seen so far the 13/2 about a 1-0 looks best.

True, France may need to win by three goals to top the group, but that doesn't mean they'll be able to score them.

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By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.