Group D of the soccer World Cup is probably one of the hardest to predict. Each team has its own chances to progress to the knockout stages, in my opinion.
The favorite Argentina starts with a tricky fixture against Iceland. The small country has surprised the world during EURO 2016 and has qualified with ease for the finals in Russia. If Messi and co. underestimate the Vikings, they will suffer a lot.
The other game will feature one of my dark horses for the tournament, Croatia, and a Nigerian team that’s full of potential and promising youngsters.
I can’t wait for the matches, as they will answer a lot of questions about one of the most exciting groups of the World Cup. And of course, there will be some chances to place some exciting bets.
So, let’s go.
Let’s take a look at the important markets related to this game.
The 2018 soccer World Cup will probably be the last chance of Lionel Messi to win the competition and once and for all prove that he is the best player in the history of the game. The Argentinian maestro has lost 3 consecutive finals in major competition with his country and will be eager to put them behind him.
However, Argentina had a tough draw in the group stages. I think this is one of the worst possible combinations, as every single one of the teams here is dangerous, starting with Iceland.
The small country managed to reach the last 8 of the EURO 2016, beating England in the process. The team’s main weapon is the solid organization defensively. If you want to score against Iceland, you will have to work hard, because there won’t be any gifts.
The Vikings are physically strong and will push you hard. They use that during set pieces as well, which is one of their main sources of goals.
If anyone thought the performance of Iceland in 2016 was a fluke, the strong qualification campaign for Russia 2018 showed that’s not the case.
This puts the South American giant under pressure, especially if you consider the poor form of the country in the qualifications for the World Cup finals.
It took a hat trick from Messi on the final day for Argentina to progress. In fact, the biggest problem of the team is that they seem to rely on the Barcelona star way too much when it comes to the attacking part of the game.
Other players like Aguero, Di Maria, and Higuain have been excellent for their clubs but can’t replicate the same form for their country.
If that’s the case against Iceland and in the World Cup in general, I don’t see Argentina making a deep run.
Still, the South American team has a solid defense, which should limit the efforts of the Vikings to the occasional threat from corners and other dead-ball situations.
The odds for Argentina to win this match are abysmal, and I will certainly advise you not to place money on that. Sure, this is the favorite, but 1.36 against a European team that won its qualifying group comprehensively? No way.
In fact, if you are eager to find a winner in this match, the odds of 11.00 for Iceland to surprise Argentina are much better. You could also try the 3.20 price for draw or Iceland.
However, my main pick will be different. I feel the pressure will be on Argentina, while Iceland will try to keep it tight.
As a result, I expect a quiet first half that will see almost no chances. The price for the game to be tied at half time is 2.30, and this is where my money will go.
When it comes to my prediction for the final score of this game, I would go for 1-0 for Argentina.
Here are the main odds for this match.
I already mentioned in a couple of other posts that I like this Croatian squad, and I feel it has the potential for something big in the 2018 World Cup.
The team has enough quality players in various positions and a couple of world-class stars like Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic. The Real Madrid playmaker is exceptional when it comes to dictating the tempo.
With his help, Croatia can both dominate games with possession and patiently look to finish or play a more defensive style and hit on the counter.
I suspect the first scenario against Nigeria, because the European team has the better players in general. I think they will have more possession, and with a striker like Mandzukic, Croatia should be able to find the net at some point.
Especially if you consider the goalkeeper problems of Nigeria, who don’t have a clear number 1. The defense is decent, but Croatia has too much firepower.
At the same time, the Super Eagles could be dangerous, too. The likes of Victor Moses, Odion Ighalo, and youngsters Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho have experience in the English Premier League. They have all scored and assisted plenty of goals for both club and country.
This is the reason I expect a rather open game with chances for both teams. Croatia should be capable of creating and scoring more, though. The team has more quality both at the back and up front, which is why I can see them as the winners.
On top of that, in the presence of Argentina, Croatia will be desperate to win against the other teams in this Group D, or the side might be forced to go home after the first stage.
I feel Croatia is the deserved favorite to win this match, but Nigeria has the potential to create an upset. This is why the odds of 1.72 for the European team are too low for my taste.
Instead, I will take a shot at the over 2.5 goals option, which is priced at 2.25. Considering the attacking talent in both squads, the price seems right, and I can certainly see a lot of chances, especially for Croatia.
If I had to bet on a correct score, my pick would’ve been 3-1 for Croatia.
As always, I will share my pick for the BetVictor Million Pound Challenge. It will be for the game Argentina and Iceland, as the price for the European nation is simply too high to miss and perfect for this promotion. Here is my suggestion.
Iceland to win Argentina under 0.5 goals Iceland over 1.5 cards Argentina over 6.5 cornersI’m betting on a heroic defensive effort from Iceland that includes a lot of corners for Argentina and a couple of cards for the European team. One set pieces and some luck at the back could be enough, and the price of 35.00 is certainly solid enough.
I’m looking forward to the 1st round of games in this Group D, as it will answer many questions.
I would love to know if Croatia truly has the potential I see, if Argentina will be at their best, and if Iceland and Nigeria actually have a chance to upset the favorites.
The betting opportunities are there, in my opinion, but if you have other ideas, let me know in the comment section.
Good luck!
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