Denmark vs Croatia
Denmark welcome Croatia to the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on Friday and the hosts are aiming to continue their perfect start to the 2022 UEFA Nations League.
The Danes sit proudly at the top of Group A1, with six points, while Croatia are bottom with one point, behind France on goal difference. Copenhagen is a daunting place to go right now; head coach Kasper Hjulmand has a tight and talented squad of players bonded by a near tragedy at Euro 2020, when Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest.
Mercifully Eriksen is back and playing some great football, but he is just one of a number of Danes at the top of their game and Hjulmand has some fine young players coming through too. Add in a crowd which will be loud and passionate and you have a home banker in most circumstances.
Croatia head coach Zlatco Dalic has the task of lifting his team to a height which can match their hosts, but the visitors might just be showing the early signs of decline, since they reached the heights of the World Cup final in 2018.
The Nations League 2022 betting odds don’t fancy either of these nations to go all the way and win the tournament, but Denmark is a team on the up and they have a great chance of winning this group, which includes the highly fancied French.
Talking Points
Denmark’s winning habit
With two wins already in the bag, both 2-1, and both away from home, to France and then Austria; Denmark have shown they can win the close games as well as playing great attacking football when the opportunity presents itself. And, early on in their most recent match against Ralf Rangnick’s Austria, a sweeping move led to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg firing home the opener.
Yussuf Poulsen had a chance to double the lead but then Denmark keeper Kasper Schmeichel made a great save to deny David Alaba. Austria did draw level when Xaver Schlager converted his chance and then Eriksen hit the post from distance. But Denmark picked up their second win of the tournament when Jens Stryger curled in a brilliant winner with just five minutes left on the clock.
It’s well worth looking at the Nations League 2022 highlights to see Stryger’s goal, it was a beauty; and Denmark fans will be hoping for more of the same on Friday.
Croatia off the mark
Croatia recovered from a 3-0 home defeat to Austria with a more impressive 1-1 draw against France on Tuesday. The World Champions had made ten changes from their opening day debacle against the Netherlands, and they looked good for all three points when Adrien Rabiot put Les Bleus in front. But Croatia got their campaign up and running when Andrej Kramaric levelled coolly from the penalty spot after VAR spotted a foul by France right back Jonathan Clauss.
The Croats were totally toothless in their opener against Austria, so this was a step in the right direction, but Dalic needs his flair players, such as the veteran Luka Modric and Mislav Orsic to come to the party.
Otherwise this could be a long night for the visitors.
History
Croatia have won all three previous meetings between the two nations, the last being a 3-2 penalties victory in the World Cup 2018 Round of 16, en route to the final which they eventually lost to France. There were two goals in the opening four minutes of that game, but the score remained 1-1 until after extra time and the Croats kept their nerve from 12 yards.
In terms of recent form the Danes have the edge, winning four and losing two of the last six, while Croatia have won three drawn two and lost one. If you look further back, Croatia have more reason to be nervous on their visit to Copenhagen. Denmark have won ten in a row on home soil and 14 of the last 15. In fact the Danes have won 12 of their last 15 games, home or away.
Betting Tip
The hosts are slightly odds on to win this game, while Croatia are at a SBOTOP price of 3.44 and the draw is at 3.55. But the home fans will have every confidence in their team which has been imperious at home, and is as well organised at the back as it is fluid going forward.
The return of Eriksen has given the Danes an extra lift and Croatia will have to be near their best to stop the hosts making it three wins from three.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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