France will attempt to keep the momentum going as they face Denmark in their second match of the group stage. It's time to continue our World Cup odds series with a France-Denmark prediction and pick.
France destroyed Australia 4-1 in their first match. Initially, it didn't look good for the French as they trailed 1-0. But things turned around in the 27th minute when Adrien Rabiot came off a pass from Theo Hernandez and planted a header past the goalkeeper to tie things up. Then, Olivier Giroud struck in the 32nd minute with a beautiful cross, firing it past the goalkeeper to give France the lead. Kylian Mbappe got in on the fun in the 68th minute when he floated a ball back in after a rebound and across the inside of the post to give the French a two-goal cushion. Subsequently, France finished things up in the 71st minute when Giroud planted a left-wing cross into the far bottom corner. Giroud now shares the lead with Theirry Henry for the most goals in French history.
Denmark played to a scoreless tie with Tunisia in the first match. Ultimately, they had chances but could not convert. Denmark had 11 shots, with five on target. Additionally, they had an 84 percent passing conversion rate with a 61 percent possession rate. Denmark struggled with tackling, converting only 50 percent successfully. Also, they had 11 corner-kick chances and could not score on any of them. Denmark finished with one offsides call and two yellow cards, one from Mathis Jenjen and the other from Rasmus Nissen.
Here are the France-Denmark World Cup odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
World Cup Odds: France-Denmark Odds
France: -135
Denmark: +390
Draw: +260
Over 2.5 Goals: +108
Under 2.5 Goals: -130
Why France Will Beat Denmark
The defending champions thrived even with three essential players out of the tournament with injuries. Of course, it helps that Giroud remains and was the hero in this contest.
Giroud had two goals and five shots on target. Additionally, Antoine Griezmann had one shot on goal and 69 passes. Rabiot had a goal and an assist with 63 passes. Meanwhile, Mbappe had a goal and an assist with 47 passes. Ousmane Dembele added an assist with 29 passes. Finally, Aurelien Tchouameni had 76 successful passes.
France won big, but there are still issues to correct. Ultimately, the defense did not have to clear the ball much because they possessed it for so long. Dayot Upamecano finished with four tackles and three interceptions. Significantly, no one else on the defense did much to limit chances for the Australians because they were on the offensive attack for most of the match.
Hugo Lloris did not have to make a save. Thus, it will be interesting to see how he reacts if Denmark can get some offensive attack to test his abilities.
France will beat Denmark if they retain possession and let Giroud break the record. Likewise, they will dominate if their midfielders make consistent passes setting up multiple offensive opportunities.
Why Denmark Will Beat France
Denmark has the capability of making this showdown with France competitive. Ultimately, it will come down to how well they execute and if they can steal some possession time.
Kasper Dolberg converted 11 successful passes on offense but did not take a shot on goal. Also, Andreas Cornelius had four total shots, including two on target. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had one shot on goal with 72 passes. Meanwhile, Christian Erikson added one shot on goal with 64 passes. Nissen and Joakim Maehle each had 43 successful passes.
The defense did well in preventing the opposition from scoring. Significantly, it was a saving grace as its offensive struggles maintained throughout the match. Andreas Christensen had one clear and one interception. Additionally, Simon Kjaer had one clear and five interceptions. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had one save.
Denmark needs to play perfect football to beat France. Moreover, they cannot allow Giroud or any midfielders to run loose and gain extra scoring opportunities. The true testament to this game will be in how Denmark executes with the ball and if they can prevent France from dominating possession. Thus, it would allow Denmark more chances to score rather than play back all the time.
Denmark will beat France if they can establish a consistent passing pattern and not allow the French to develop a rhythm. Moreover, they must play better on all ends and find ways to execute their opportunities.
Final France-Denmark Prediction & Pick
The French look amazing. Ultimately, a team will challenge them and take them to the brink. Is Denmark that team? Based on how they played in the opener, the answer to that would be no.
Final France-Denmark Prediction & Pick: France: -135
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