Will Denmark get the important opening win?
The start of a major tournament is important for every team. The feeling with which a team starts into a group phase can be decisive in the end. Especially as this group also has an absolute top opponent up its sleeve in France.
Before the match between Denmark and Tunisia, the bookmakers’ predictions show that the Danes are favourites to win the opening match in Group D. The northern Europeans have seen opponents at a higher level and have a well-balanced squad at their disposal.
In addition, the Tunisians do not have a good record in World Cups, but this should not be overstated in Denmark vs Tunisia betting, as squads are constantly changing and there can be big differences between two tournaments.
Denmark – Statistics & current form
The Danish national team travels to the World Cup in Qatar with great ambitions. Kasper Hjulmand is a meticulous coach who has put this team together according to his own ideas. Accordingly, there were few surprises in the nominations. Much revolves around the midfield consisting of players like Eriksen, who is the lynchpin in the offensive, and Höjbjerg, who is an important element with his dynamism and force. Individually, the Danes do not have to hide, and the squad width is also good.
The Danish game is built on several pillars. Order and discipline are important, but the offensive can also take liberties. The mixture of a clear structure and fluidity in the offensive, which opens up spaces, is of enormous importance. Denmark, in their sixth World Cup appearance, have the goal of getting through the group stage. They have succeeded in four out of five so far. After that, a lot seems possible, because the Danes have played well against the big teams recently.
Such as in the Nations League, when France were defeated in both matches. Anyway, this competition was a good World Cup test. Four of six games against France, Austria and Croatia were won. In addition, Denmark played to nil three times in the 2022 calendar year, conceding more than two goals only once in eight matches.
Denmark’s flexibility as an asset
There are many points that stand out when looking at Denmark. A four-man defence is possible as well as a three-man defence, it is possible to play with classic full-backs but also with wingbacks, furthermore Denmark does not depend on a classic goal scorer. However, this nation often scored typical goals at World Cups, as all 30 goals at finals were scored from inside the penalty area.
Moreover, Denmark has often looked good against African teams at World Cups and has not lost a game. With ten wins from the last 15 international matches, Denmark also has a good long-term record. At last year’s European Championship, coach Hjulmand’s first major tournament, for example, the team also went all the way to the semi-finals. There, the team lost to England in extra time. The good structure of the Europeans’ game and the possibly low risk mean that our prediction before the match between Denmark and Tunisia is that less than 2.5 goals will be scored.
Predicted line-up of Denmark:
Schmeichel – Christensen, Kjaer, Andersen – Maehle, Delaney, Höjbjerg, Eriksen, Damsgaard – Lindström, Dolberg
Last matches played by Denmark:
UEFA Nations League A Grp. 1
26/09/2022 – Denmark 2 – 0 France
23/09/2022 – Croatia 2 – 1 Denmark
14/06/2022 – Denmark 2 – 0 Austria
11/06/2022 – Denmark 0 – 1 Croatia
07/06/2022 – Austria 1 – 2 Denmark
Tunisia – Statistics & current form
Tunisia in a group with Denmark, France and Australia as one of the hotter candidates for first and second place would certainly be wrong. Nevertheless, the team from North Africa has qualities that should be brought to the pitch. And one thing should be said in advance: If they succeed, Tunisia will be very unpleasant to play against.
The team is characterised by a very good defence. Yes, they have conceded at least one goal in 14 of their 15 World Cup matches so far, but the current selection under coach Jalel Khadri plays very compactly and allows very little. This was also the case in the 2-0 win against Iran in the last test. Tunisia play with a three-man or five-man backline, with Skhiri from Cologne organising in front.
At times, there are 5-7 players in front of the goalkeeper, who primarily pay attention to the defence. The Tunisians’ success proves them right. Tunisia did not concede a goal in eleven of their 15 competitive matches in 2022. If you exclude the game against Brazil, there were three goals conceded in 14 games. That’s an impressive statistic.
Tunisia: attack suffers from defence
When many players are working with a lot of energy to stabilise the defence, what becomes of the offensive efforts? This is a fair question, because Tunisia do not provide spectacle in their forward play. Nevertheless, it is thanks to good efficiency that 19 goals were scored in the 15 games in 2022. This has enabled them to win close games in the end, as in the play-offs against Mali (0:0, 1:0).
However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to defeat opponents of a stronger calibre. In any case, we should not expect a festival of chances, the defence seems too well-rehearsed for that. That is also the reason why our tip before the match between Denmark and Tunisia is that the northern Europeans will win, but not both teams will score.
Predicted line-up of Tunisia:
Dahmen – Bronn, Talbi, Meria – Draeger, Skhiri, Laidouni, Maaloul, Mejbri – Sliti, Khazri
Last matches played by Tunisia:
Friendly matches
16/11/2022 – Iran 0 – 2 Tunisia
28/09/2022 – Tunisia 1 – 5 Brazil
22/09/2022 – Comoros 0 – 1 Tunisia
14/06/2022 – Japan 0 – 3 Tunisia
10/06/2022 – Chile 0 – 2 Tunisia
Denmark – Tunisia Direct comparison / H2H balance
Denmark and Tunisia have only faced each other once before. That was a friendly match in 2002, when the Danes won 2-1
Denmark – Tunisia bet
Denmark and Tunisia have one thing in common, both teams want to stand for a good order in the defence. However, the Danes are significantly more flexible offensively, less one-dimensional and also have more quality in the individual area. In addition, the Danes have a much better World Cup record in the group phase.
Because neither team is known for taking big risks or creating big spectacles, we are predicting less than 2.5 goals in the run-up to the World Cup match between Denmark and Tunisia. The Denmark vs. Tunisia odds for this bet are recommended at around 1.75 and we are using seven units for this bet.
