Is France taking revenge for two Nations League defeats?
The first appearances of the favourites at the 2022 Winter World Cup could hardly have been more different, which is also clearly evident in the following France Denmark tip. While some of the title contenders flexed their muscles, some highly rated teams stumbled and already have their backs to the wall on the second matchday. The top match in Group D on Saturday between France and Denmark is just such a match between a favourite that started furiously and a disappointing co-favourite. “Danish dynamite” must deliver and should a win by the reigning world champions prove correct, Denmark would no longer have progress in their own hands.
The bookmakers see Didier Deschamps’ Eqiupe Tricolore as heavy favourites in this clash, which is understandable given their first appearance at the 2022 World Cup. However, it should not go unmentioned that the Danes have already beaten France twice this year. In the Nations League, Hjulmand’s team was successful both at home and away. Mbappe & Co. are warned, because Denmark’s comeback qualities are now well known. Nevertheless, our predictions for the France-Denmark clash also point towards the favourites.
France would secure an early ticket to the last 16 with a second World Cup win and could give their stars a rest in the last game. The match at Stadium 974 in Doha kicks off at 5pm on Saturday, with the second group match between Tunisia and Australia kicking off at 11am.
France – Statistics & current form
For the second time in a row, the French national football team scored four goals in a World Cup match. After scoring four full goals in the 2018 final against Croatia, they also conceded four goals to Australia. Should that feat also be achieved against the Danes, France would be the first team to do so since Hungary at the 1954 World Cup. Of course, France were considered heavy favourites against the Socceroos, but doubts were justified.
In addition to the major injury worries, the curse of the defending champions was also hovering over France, as the reigning champions have not covered themselves with glory in the recent past. In fact, France became the first world champions since 2006 to win their opening match. The Deschamps eleven fell behind after a few minutes, losing Theo Hernandez to injury in the process, but did not let that setback throw them off course.
Giroud in front of historic record
The French side didn’t put in an absolutely gala performance, but always managed to step it up a notch in the decisive moments. Particularly impressive was the incredible tempo that Mbappe & Co. were able to bring into the game within seconds, before the match was controlled again. Olivier Giroud was the match-winner with two goals, the second of which was a special moment for him. The Milan legionnaire has now scored 51 goals for France, joining Thierry Henry as the all-time leading scorers in French football history.
Giroud is a player who is often overshadowed by the big stars, but his CV reads outstanding. On Saturday, he can finally make history and immortalise himself.
France also have a record to their name as they have now won five World Cups in a row. The French have never won six in a row, the last time Spain achieved such a feat was in 2010.
Predicted line-up of France:
Lloris – Theo Hernandez, Upamecano, Konate, Pavard – Tchouameni, Rabiot – Mbappe, Griezmann, Dembele – Giroud
Last matches played by France:
World Cup Group D
23/11/2022 – France 4 – 1 Australia
UEFA Nations League A Grp. 1
26/09/2022 – Denmark 2 – 0 France
23/09/2022 – France 2 – 0 Austria
14/06/2022 – France 0 – 1 Croatia
11/06/2022 – Austria 1 – 1 France
Denmark – Statistics & current form
Many football experts saw ex-Mainz coach Kasper Hjulmand’s Denmark national team as one of the secret favourites in Qatar. Danish dynamite” can certainly still claim this role for itself, but the team around Christian Eriksen failed to provide the first proof of this. In the goalless draw against Tunisia, the Manchester United player was the lynchpin and created no fewer than five goal-scoring opportunities. However, Denmark lacked any efficiency in the game and had to be content with the point.
Fourth World Cup draw in a row
The missed win was certainly a surprise, but statistics buffs might have already been flirting with a draw. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Danish side’s last three appearances also ended in a draw. If the prediction of a fifth consecutive Danish draw at the World Cup is correct, it will be only the second time. In 1998 and 2002, the Belgian team drew five World Cup matches in a row.
In four of the five World Cup appearances so far, Denmark has reached the knockout phase. For a long time, however, the defence was not necessarily the showpiece. Only four times in the first 16 World Cup matches was the Danish team able to keep a clean sheet. In the last five games, this feat was achieved three times. Denmark have generally not scored many goals recently, with four of the last five international matches ending with a score below 2.5.
Nevertheless, betting on at least three goals between France and Denmark is among the best betting options. France have impressively demonstrated their enormous offensive power even without Benzema and Nkunku. Denmark will have to take a certain risk due to the starting situation, because even a draw could be too little in the end. Three goals would not be a surprise.
Predicted line-up of Denmark:
Schmeichel – Christensen, Kjaer, Andersen – Maehle, Eriksen, Delaney, Hojbjerg, Kristensen – Dolberg, Skov Olsen
Last matches played by Denmark:
World Cup Group D
22/11/2022 – Denmark 0 – 0 Tunisia
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
France – Denmark Direct comparison / H2H balance
These two teams have faced each other three times in a World Cup. And superstitious fans of the French side were thoroughly delighted when Denmark were drawn in Group D. Both in 1998 and 2018, the two sides met in the group stage and France went on to win the World Cup. The “Equipe Tricolore” also won both of these matches, while the third World Cup encounter in 2002 ended goalless.
The second group match on Saturday in Doha will be the third encounter in this calendar year. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, they also met in the UEFA Nations League. Denmark won 2-1 in France and were able to confirm this surprising success with a 2-0 win at home. The psyche therefore represents an advantage for the Hjulmand team, but betting odds of over 4.00 are offered between France and Denmark for the third win in 2022.
France – Denmark betting tip
Preliminary round exit is still theoretically possible for France, but after a commanding performance against Australia, the World Cup curse does not seem to apply to the Deschamps eleven. The Equipe Tricolore still have a score to settle with the Danish side after two defeats in the autumn, and with a win they could all but eliminate one of the secret favourites.
Although Denmark have the psychological advantage of two victories this autumn, the odds are still very good when betting on the favourite between France and Denmark in Doha on Saturday. Mbappe & Co have shown tremendous spirit, have incredible quality in their ranks despite a few absentees and should be far more liberated than the Danish side can be.
