World Cup predictions: Portugal vs DR Congo, England vs Croatia and more

The World Cup continues on Wednesday with four more teams getting their tournaments under way. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal take on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while England face Croatia in one of the most anticipated matches of the day. Ghana meet Panama, and World Cup newcomers Uzbekistan face Colombia in the late game. Away from the action, Ronaldo is chasing another World Cup record, Lionel Messi has made more history, and fans around the world are adjusting to some challenging kickoff times. Here’s what to know: What is the schedule for Wednesday? Portugal vs DRC at Houston Stadium in the US, at 12pm local time (17:00 GMT). England vs Croatia at Dallas Stadium in the US, at 3pm local time (20:00 GMT). Ghana vs Panama at Toronto Stadium in Canada, at 7pm local time (23:00 GMT) Colombia vs Uzbekistan at Mexico City Stadium in Mexico, at 8pm local time (02:00 GMT on Thursday). What are the predictions for Portugal vs DRC? DRC have climbed from 56th to 45th in FIFA’s world rankings after securing their place at this year’s edition, but Opta’s supercomputer still favours fifth-ranked Portugal to win this Group K opener. Based on 25,000 pre-match simulations, Portugal came out on top in 54.6 percent of scenarios, while a draw occurred 22.3 percent of the time. DRC were given a 23.1 percent chance of victory, suggesting the Leopards are far from without hope. …