The wait for the 2022 World Cup has officially started. We’re talking weeks and days. Soon enough, we’ll slowly be docking hours, minutes, and seconds. The top national teams in the world face a proper reckoning in Qatar. In those electrifying 27 days between 21 November to 18 December, it’ll be up to them to prove their mettle to us. The reputations they hold, whether via historical performances or media hype, shall be put through a proper acid test.
2022 World Cup Group D is another intriguing quartet of our eight official groups. France, Australia, Denmark, and Tunisia. Football matches, especially international ones, are not precisely the most forecastable affairs. With each passing matchday, upsets are becoming more commonplace. It’s a case of the underdogs not being content to remain underdogs anymore. It doesn’t help matters that teams in this World Cup Group D configuration are not too wide apart in their respective FIFA rankings. Either way, we can’t go to Qatar without at least some handbooks to guide us. Here’s what we expect we might see in as far as 2022 World Cup Group D is concerned.
France And Denmark Group D Top Dogs
All parameters considered – and many to weigh up – it’s impossible to look past France and Denmark as Group D toppers. The format provides that the best two teams from each group advance to the last 16, so if those parameters hold, it’ll be France and Denmark at the expense of the other duo. France needs no introduction. They are the World Cup 2018 defending champions. Setting group business aside for a moment, France is a shoo-in for once again laying their hands on the trophy. What an incredible Sunday evening that would be for them, swimming in confetti and basking in glory at the magnificent, iconic Lusail Stadium on December 18, exactly a week from the joie de vivre of Christmas. It would be a problem not to make it out of Group D, winning the group and even powering their way to the semifinals – the last four best teams in the tournament.
Denmark, on their part, is a proficient soccer team ranked 10th in the world. They may not belong in the highest echelon of national sides – the likes of Brazil, Spain, France, or England – but underestimate them at your peril.
The team boasts an incredible spirit and a mean, highly organized defense. Part of that team spirit is due to one man – Christian Eriksen. Proud wearer of Denmark’s #10 jersey and their captain, Eriksen is a beacon of hope for the team and Denmark fans. He’s an inspirational character who has defied death, recovering from the life-threatening cardiac arrest he suffered against Finland to once again return to the pitch and dare to kick a football.
To say the 30-year-old has bounced back would be an understatement. After making a massive difference to Brentford’s 21/22 Premier League season, Eriksen scored two of Denmark’s goals in March friendlies against Serbia and the Netherlands. In Qatar, he’ll be the gel that holds the team together, orchestrating affairs from the middle of the park with his quick passing and vision on the ball.
Group D Top Betting Tips
2022 World Cup Group D odds are already out, and though there are periodic adjustments, we have a general idea of what might transpire in Qatar. The first, almost obvious pick is France to win the group, available at a reasonable 2/5 (-250) with significant bookies. However, the curse of the World Cup defending champ is still on. Too often, we’ve seen that they eliminated winners at the group stages in the next tournament. Therefore, while France will do their utmost not to suffer that fate, there’s a reasonable chance of Denmark upsetting the natural order. Anyone willing to take that chance can find excellent betting value with bookies offering a lucrative 11/4 (+280) for Denmark to grab #1 in Group D.
