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A late equaliser denied Team GB victory in their Group A opener but Adam Bate thinks the hosts are capable of a dominant display against surprise packages UAE

Team GB’s first competitive match at the Olympics since 1960 ended in disappointment after Senegal’s late leveller denied them a win. Now the pressure is on to pick up a win against the United Arab Emirates.

That was expected to be a fairly routine matter – until that is, most of us got to see the UAE play for the first time.

With 20-year-old playmaker Omar Abdulrahman controlling the game from the centre, the Emirati team completely outplayed Uruguay for much of the first half in their Group A opener.

It was only after Gaston Ramirez equalised with a brilliant free kick that Uruguay got any kind of momentum going.

If Team GB cannot find that piece of magic to stop UAE in their tracks, it could be a very difficult match for the hosts.

UAE are still 7/1 (8.0) underdogs, while Stuart Pearce’s side remain the favourites with Bet365 at 2/5 (1.4). The draw is available at 7/2 (4.5).

In the goalscorers market, the situation with Team GB is complicated by Daniel Sturridge’s subdued display that hinted at the possibility he is still suffering from the effects of his illness.

Meanwhile, Craig Bellamy impressed but was also substituted against Senegal after falling victim to a robust challenge, and there are question marks over his ability to play games in quick succession.

With Joe Allen also withdrawn due to injury on Thursday and Ryan Giggs fading at the death, perhaps a rested Scott Sinclair could be worth consideration at 11/8 (2.38) to score at anytime.

Or how about Aaron Ramsey, who impressed as a second-half substitute? He is 10/3 (4.33) with Bet365 to get a goal.

Ultimately, Great Britain should have the quality to overcome UAE – especially now that they have the benefit of studying the Uruguay game. There is no excuse for being caught by surprise now.

For that reason, the pick of the bets is to back Team GB at an industry-best price of 6/5 (2.2) with Bet365 to lead at half-time and go on to win the game.

But for the value bet, don’t rule out the talented Abdulrahman in the last goalscorer betting – even if it is a consolation strike. He is available at a whopping 28/1 (29.0) with Bet365 to net last in this one and is a great long-shot choice.

BET

OF THE

DAY

BEST BET

VALUE BET

Team GB at HT/FT at 6/5 (2.2) with Bet365

Abdulrahman to score last at 28/1 (29.0) with Bet365

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Adam Bate is a professional freelance journalist who specialises in football and betting. He is editor of GhostGoal which can be found here - you can also follow Adam on

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