Pasamela!
Day 8.
Game 21, 22, and 23.
Denmark - Australia
21st June 13:00
Denmark and Australia will go into their second game of the tournament with contrasting emotions. With Denmark on three points, and Australia on none, it is really a must win game of the Aussies. A draw would suit Denmark perfectly with Peru unlikely to get anything from their match against France.
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| Eriksen to pull the strings |
Last Time:
Denmark 1-0 Peru
Australia 1-2 France
Group C boasted two very similar, yet entertaining games. Peru were arguably the better side against Denmark, but the Danes held strong with their vast experience at major tournaments proving valuable. One to watch Yussuf Poulsen grabbed the goal, in what was a game that could have gone either way.
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| Super sub Cahill? |
Australia, like Peru, were very unlucky to be defeated. Australia went into the game as huge underdogs, yet were able to upset the surprisingly stagnant French. It was only a dubious penalty decision and a lucky own goal that stopped them grabbing a point against the European giants.
Pre Match Predictions:
Australia will have to play with a bit more urgency going forward this around if they are going to upset the Danes. They shocked many against France with a good performance, and should continue that form going into this game. Perhaps we will see 38 year old Tim Cahill come off the bench to inspire the Aussies, something that was lacking in front of goal last time. Denmark will be as solid as ever and will fancy their chances of keeping a clean, but will have to stand tall as the Australians will throw everything at them. If Australia can grab a first half goal we could be treated to a real spectacle here.
Best Bet: BTTS and Draw - 4/1 (bet365)
France - Peru
21st June 16:00
The fourth match of group C will see first placed France take on bottom side Peru, as we see a similar pattern emerging in the group. Peru will be desperate to steal a win after being unlucky in defeat last time, whereas France would like to continue their winning start, albeit a fortunate one.
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| Plan B Giroud |
Last Time:
Peru 0-1 Denmark
France 2-1 Australia
Peru were extremely unlucky to lose out to Denmark last time out and will be hoping to take their chances this time around. Cueva's missed penalty, along with multiple other missed chances will give Peru hope that they can go one better against France. They only looked troubled on one occasion vs Denmark, which resulted in the goal, but France will surely be a trickier opponent.
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| Guerrero 4/1 to score |
France got away with one against Australia. They were no where near at their best, and looked too nervous to play their fast attacking football that we've come to love with Mbappe, Dembele, and Griezmann. It was only with Olivier Giroud up front that they posed any sort of meaningful threat, and will be hoping he can provide the goods this time.
Pre Match Predictions:
Expect to see goals in this game. France will be looking to show the world what they can do in front of goal after a poor display against Australia, whereas, Peru will always attack, especially now as they must win. Paolo Guerrero will surely start for Peru after his impressive display from the bench last time, and will be a headache for the French defence. The same goes for Olivier Giroud as he attempted to make his mark on the tournament. The French should have too much for Peru if they can showcase some of their attacking talent, but expect Peru to grab at least one.
Best Bet: Paolo Guerrero to Score - 4/1 (PaddyPower)
Argentina - Croatia
21st June 19:00
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| Goal number 2 for Aguero? |
The two favourites for group D go head to head in their second match. Argentina will be put under huge pressure to qualify if they fail to beat top of the group Croatia, whereas the Croats will be over the moon with a draw here. Argentina will once again be relying on Lionel Messi to get off the mark this time around, but will need to give him a little more support going forward. We will see if Croatia's off field troubles impact on the field, as the squad cannot be in full harmony after the sending home of Nikola Kalinic.
Last Time:
Argentina 1-1 Iceland
Croatia 2-0 Nigeria
Argentina were hugely disappointing last time out. The reliance on Leo Messi showed throughout as he touched the ball far more times than anyone else on the pitch, and they will be hoping that the likes of Di Maria, Higuain, and Dybala can contribute. Aguero looked lively in front of goal as he so often does, but was stifled by the Icelandic defence on multiple occasions. Their midfield struggled once again to break Iceland down, meaning few chances were created for their house hold names in attack.
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| Croatia's best chance of goals? |
Croatia were solid against Nigeria. However, it was only an own goal and Luka Modric penalty that secured them all three points. Modric and Rakitic, Croatia's main men were stable in central midfield, but front man Mario Mandzukic looked isolated and had a poor game. Croatia were still probably the better side, and even though luck was on their side, they deserved all three points against the Nigerians.
Pre Match Predictions:
Croatia will be happy with a point here, but will come up against a determined Argentina attack. Expect Croatia however to win the midfield battle with Modric and Rakitic excelling in the biggest matches. Forwards Aguero and Messi will only need a sniff at goal in order to put Croatia on the back foot, but will be wary of going behind in this crunch match of group D. Low scoring is to be expected in this one, with an Argentina win being the most likely outcome if Croatia can stop Messi going crazy.
Best Bet: Argentina to WIN 1-0 or 2-0 - 3/1 (WilliamHill)
@andy_hayden
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