Denmark satisfied the odds beating Peru 1-0 in the second match of the Group C at the 2018 World Cup, as Danes were +130 favorites to beat Incas, while the clash was ended in the under of the total of 2 goals at -140. Peru is now in a difficult position ahead of the next fixtures, as they’ve missed plenty of chances against Denmark, including a penalty kick in the first half.
Game Recap
The Incas were surely a better rival than Danes, but they missed so many scoring opportunities, while Denmark’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was simply unbeatable between the sticks. The punishment came in the 59th minute when Denmark launched the counter-attack through Christian Eriksen who assisted to Yussuf Poulsen for the only goal on the match.
Peru had the ball on their feet for 52% of the time, taking 17 shots towards Kasper Schmeichel who had six brilliant stops, but a few times the Incas were pretty unlucky to find the back of the net. We saw a great battle in the middle of the park where Incas mostly dominated with their short-passing game, but their finishing job was terrible, costing them all three points at the start of the 2018 World Cup.
The crucial moment happened in the injury time of the first half when Christian Cueva earned a penalty for Peru after another Video Assistant Referee decision. Cueva decided to take the penalty, sending the ball way over the bar, and from that point on, it was impossible to defeat Kasper Schmeichel who put on an astonishing performance in this match.
Peru’s manager Ricardo Gareca started without the striker Paolo Guerrero who’s Incas’ all-time top scorer, and just two minutes after he came off the bench in the second half, Guerrero had a good opportunity, but his header was well stopped by Schmeichel. In the 79th minute, Guerrero tried with a heel kick, but he was unfortunate to miss for just a couple of inches. Five minutes later, Jefferson Farfan had an excellent chance, standing all alone in the heart of the box, but his shot went straight to the keeper.
The Incas deserved a point from this tilt, so the bettors who wagered on a draw at +210 are certainly disappointed with the amount of missed chances. Betting on the under 1.5 goals at +135 turned out to be a nice wager, despite a high tempo we saw in the game. Denmark is now in the strong position, facing Australia in the next game as a -125 favorite to beat Socceroos, according to BetDSI Sportsbook, while Danes are still +333 underdogs to reach the Quarter-Finals. On the other side, Peru will have a mountain to climb in the next encounter against France, as Incas are massive +525 underdogs to grab a win.
