Denmark vs France
France may be headed to the next round, but the job is not yet over for them as they aim to secure the top spot in Group C.
Denmark, however, will be keen to stop the Frenchmen in their quest for a perfect 3-0 record. The Danish Dynamites, after all, need a draw at least to make it to the next round of the FIFA World Cup 2018.
And with the no.1 spot also within reach, it’s not wrong to expect the Danes to go all-out and pull off another shocker in a tournament where staging surprises and stunners has been a common theme.
The fight is on!
Talking Points
Les Bleus know they need to step up and make a statement when they play Denmark, and for a few good reasons.
France have been solid but not impressive, no thanks to their lack of flashiness contrary to what their fellow European nations, Belgium and England, have shown so far.
Belgium and England have eight goals each, while France only have three despite boasting one of the best lineups in the competition—featuring top-quality and big-name stars such as Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud.
Sure enough, France’s wins over Australia and Peru are enough to book them a place in the knockout rounds; however, their rather pedestrian performances have given more weight to the criticism made by Denmark coach Age Hareide last month.
Prior to the start of the World Cup, Hareide dismantled Didier Deschamps’ men and said he doesn’t believe in the French team as they are “nothing special.”
“They [France] don’t have a leader such as Zinedine Zidane to lead them, someone who knew how to galvanise them,” the Denmark boss said last month. “They need to play as a team.”
Hareide even singled out Manchester United’s Pogba, who he described as a player that only “thinks about his haircuts.” Good grief!
It’s doubtful France and Pogba would have forgotten about that, so that’s one good reason for them to show Denmark how “special” the 2018 Les Bleus are.
Additionally, this Denmark-France showdown comes in the wake of Pogba’s admission that this might be his last World Cup. What better way for the 25-year-old midfielder to make his mark and prove Hareide wrong than scoring here and leading France to victory?
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Besides that, France need at least one point to ensure they top Group C and avoid a potential match-up with Croatia—almost certain to win Group D.
The Croats are in spectacular form, so it will benefit France to win or play out a draw against the Danes.
On the other hand, Denmark remain in danger of missing out, with Australia still in contention. There’s also the pressure of delivering the best FIFA World Cup 2018 results especially after Hareide’s remarks about their upcoming opponents.
They can’t afford to lose to opponents who are “nothing special,” right?
Christian Eriksen remains at the heart of the Denmark offence, but he needs his teammates to make their presence felt especially with RB Leipzig standout Yussuf Poulsen suspended in the match after accumulating two yellow cards in games against Peru and Australia.
History
These two nations have played in several close matches over the years.
In the World Cup alone, they split their two meetings, with France beating Denmark 2-1 in the 1998 FIFA event and the Danes getting their revenge in 2002 with a 2-0 victory. Interestingly, both are the final games of the group stages!
If recent head-to-head is to be considered though, Les Bleus undoubtedly have the advantage. France have won three straight against Denmark, including a pair of 2-0 friendly victories in 2006 and 2015.
Olivier Giroud has also been a thorn in Denmark’s side for years, with the Chelsea forward scoring in each of France’s last three goals against the Danes.
What are the odds?
As expected, France are favourites to win at 1X2 @ 2.26, while Denmark are at 4.90.
However, with both teams needing just one point, it’s worthy to note that the FIFA World Cup 2018 betting odds point to a draw as another likely result at 2.42.
Furthermore, in SBOBET Asian Handicap sports betting, a Draw No Bet on France pays at 1.45 and Denmark at 2.96.
Don’t expect plenty of goals too. While Over 1.50 pays at 1.58, two goals might be the best we’ll see in the showdown. Under 2.00 goals is at 1.79 while Under 2.25 is at 1.60.
To further support this, a France win on a Correct Score 1-0 is at 4.90, followed by a 1-1 Draw at 5.20. In fact, a goalless draw isn’t too far-off at odds of 5.40!
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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