Denmark was lucky to beat Peru in the first game, so they will have a chance to reach the second round of the 2018 World Cup with a victory over Australia on this Thursday, June 21st, 2018, at Samara Arena in Samara. On the other side, Australia will have to avoid the defeat to stay in the competition for the knock-out phase which promises a dramatic start of the Matchday 2 in the Group C.
Denmark vs. Australia
3-Way: 1: Denmark -125; X: +270 Draw; 2: Australia +400 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Denmark -125; Australia +105
Total +2: Over -135; Under +117
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: +104/-143
DENMARK
The Danes had a perfect start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Peru, but they didn’t play well, leaving plenty of room to their opponents in the middle of the park, and allowing too many dangerous scoring opportunities. They can thank Kasper Schmeichel as the 31-year old goalkeeper had a magnificent day between the sticks, making some incredible stops, while he was pretty lucky when Christian Cueva missed the penalty kick in the injury time of the first half.
It was expected to see Denmark sitting back and defend, waiting for some chances through counter-attacks or after set-pieces situations, and Danes managed to hit on the counter in the 59th minute of the game with Peru when Yussuf Poulsen found the net from Christian Eriksen beautiful through pass. However, Danes showed some drawbacks at the defensive line, and they need to improve a lot if they want to beat Australia, despite they are set as -125 favorites against Socceroos, according to BetDSI Sportsbook, while the odds on Denmark to reach the Quarter-Finals are set at +333.
AUSTRALIA
Socceroos battled bravely in their first game at the 2018 FIFA World Cup against France, showing some encouraging performance despite a 2-1 defeat against one of the strongest teams in the world at the moment. Australia played tactically very well, leaving the ball to their opponent with tight marking on France’s forwards, and their plan worked fine until the 56th minute and penalty kick for France. However, Socceroos didn’t give up which is another encouraging moment, and they earned a penalty in the 61st minute of the match to make it 1-1, but they were unlucky to concede the second goal ten minutes before the end.
Australia played in a 4-5-1 system with Mile Jedinak as an enforcer in front of the defensive line, while Aaron Mooy was a deep-lying playmaker, always ready to help at the defensive end. At the front, Mathew Leckie had a good game, making some dangerous maneuvers, but he needed more help from Tom Rogic and Andrew Nabbout. Socceroos are quite limited offensively, so they have to insist more on aerial duels and try to exploit their physical strength. They are still massive +50000 underdogs to beat the 2018 World Cup, but they are certainly capable of upsetting Denmark.
Denmark vs. Australia – Match and Odds Breakdown
Australia cannot afford a loss here, or Socceroos will be on their way home after the second match of the group stage. After a solid resist against mighty France, they are set as +105 favorites to avoid the loss against Denmark which could be a nice wager. Danes were extremely lucky to record a victory over Peru, and if they replicate that performance, Australia will be in a good position to upset the odds and grab a win at +400 or at least stay unbeaten to keep their chances for the second round alive.
The bookies expect to see a tight clash with no more than a couple of goals in the total, setting the wages on the Over/Under 2.5 Goals at +125/-163, and this really should be a physical battle between two strong teams. Denmark certainly possesses some exceptional individuals who can create chances on their own, but they could also struggle against Australia’s sturdy defense. I don’t believe Socceroos will drastically change something in their approach, so they should sit back again and wait for counter-attacks.
For Socceroos, the stake is huge on this one, while Denmark has a chance to clinch the Round of 16 spot with a victory here, so the potential opening goal would be a massive gamechanger. Although this game looks like a tight one, I will go with both teams to score, as Denmark probably used all the luck in the first tilt against Peru, so I expect them to concede here. Likewise, whoever takes the lead, I assume he would retain it, while the final score could be easily a 1-1 draw.
The Pick: Both Teams to Score YES (+104)
