Football Bet of the Day: Back CONCACAF champs in opener | OneFootball

Pachuca v SalzburgWednesday 18 June, 23:00Live on DAZN

Although Borussia Dortmund's Club World Cup clash with Fluminense was as open as we expected it to be, it lacked that killer touch in the final third, and our man Serhou Guirassy was left starved of service in a 0-0 draw. We shared his frustration.

We'll stick with the Club World Cup, because Pachuca are up against Salzburg, and both teams know this is their best chance to get a win in the group stage. With Real Madrid and Saudi giants Al Hilal making up the rest of the group, this feels like a must-win for both.

Pachuca lost to Club America in the Liga MX Playoffs after finishing eighth in the Clausura tournament, having been an alarming 16th in the Apertura. That said, there has been continental success, with Pachuca winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup (formerly Champions League) last year. That win qualified them for the new FIFA Intercontinental Cup, where they reached the final, only to lose to Real Madrid.

It's those results in tournaments like this (they stuffed Botafogo 3-0 and then edged out Egyptian side Al Ahly on penalties) that makes me think Pachuca can do some damage here against a Salzburg side that isn't as good as previous vintages.

Salzburg have failed to win the Austrian Bundesliga in each of the last two seasons, and were edged out by Sturm Graz on both occasions. Last season was pretty disastrous - they were eliminated from the Champions League with games to spare, and although they rallied late in the league season, a slow start left them too much to do.

Former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders should have been a great fit for a club that develops young talent and prioritises aggressive pressing, but by December of his first season he was gone. Former Vitesse and Bochum boss Thomas Letsch has steadied the ship.

We can back Pachuca Draw No Bet here at evens, and I think that's an attractive play. While conditions won't be a big factor (it's an evening kickoff in Cincinnati and the temperature will be in the low twenties), I suspect Pachuca will have far more of a fan presence than Salzburg will, and their recent performances in international competition give me hope they can hit the ground running.