Group C Predictions

France and Denmark, but the other two can surprise

 

Actually I think your team has a better chance than you think, but you are likely trying to keep expectations down.

Australia did well at the Confed, drawing with Chile and giving Germany a hard time.

I don't think Denmark is that great of a team, and Peru kind of struggled against New Zeland, so I think if Australia plays on top of their game they have a chance.

I would be very surprised if France doesn't top this group.

 

Ugh France always get the easiest groups. Anyway France will win this group and Denmark second.

France usually draws their last game and that is Denmark. I think Denmark have improved and will likely be able to make use of Erikssen and a few of their other good players against Australia and Peru. Now Australia and Peru are not teams to be underestimated but I am confident to say France and Denmark.

 

France will be on top for sure but I think Australia and Denmark have better chances as second team. Australia has been crappy recently but they have some quality players in Europe. It all depends on how good they prepare for WC. I give Aussies a chance because I know their potentials and they usually won't give up so easy.

 

Neither an easy group nor a terrible one for the Socceroos. They have some hopes and can conceivably advance along with France. Peru and Denmark, however, would be slightly favored over Australia. But the differences the 3 of them aren't clear enough for me to want to go on a limb and predict who will be joining France out of this group. Not at this early stage.

 

Australia has no head coach right now. Take this into consideration.

Anyway, I go with France and a Denmark slightly more talented than Peru (who might not even have Paolo Guerrero!)

 

Fun-facts... France have faced Denmark 4 times before in a group stage, two times at a WC and two times at the Euros.

The two times when France also was the host nation (Euro-84 and WC-98) they narrowly won the game but both Denmark and France progressed from the group, the two other times (Euro-92 and WC-02) Denmark beat them in the last decisive game of the group and France were eliminated ...

 

France also faced Denmark at the Euro 2000. France beat Denmark 3-0 then.

As a matter of fact. Each time France has won a title (Euro 84, WC 98, Euro 2000), France started the competition in the same group as Denmark. Let's hope this will bring us luck!

 

France vs Croatia final is my guess

 

I haven't seen any of those games but I would be cautious considering the very long travel distance between Peru and New Zealand which generally has a big impact on the performance of the travelling country. So it doesn't necessarily tell something if Peru had a bad game in NZ.

Last year at the Copa América Centenario, Peru eliminated Brazil at the group stage ending 1st. That's a reason enough for me to be cautious about them. Especially that France generally has poor results against South American teams (at the notable exception of Brazil ).

 

I think part of the reason why France has a good record against Brazil is that both teams try to play attractive football, which results in open encounters. Most other South American nations, with the exception of Argentina and Uruguay, are limited technically and generally resort to gamesmanship and ultra-defensive tactics in order to claw out a result.

It's my understanding that Peru's captain and best player Paolo Guerrero might miss the World Cup through suspension after failing a doping test back in October. I'd imagine that our encounter with Peru might be testing at first, but in the end France's class should see them prevail.

 

I wouldn't base much on Peru's games against New Zealand. It wasn't New Zealand that they were playing against; they were playing against themselves versus 36 years of shattered dreams. Also, New Zealand was banking on going to the shootout right from the opening whistle of the first game. Their formation was basically 1-11-0. It was bad soccer, and that is not what's going to happen at the World Cup. Every team in the group is going out there to win.

Better games to draw Peru's real strength on is their WCQ match vs Uruguay in Lima, and vs Ecuador in Quito. Those were the games that qualified them.

I'm personally excited for the France vs Perú match. If each team plays to their strengths (flowing attack and beautiful passing) it could be the best game of the entire group stage.

As for Denmark and Australia, I don't really know much about them--especially Denmark. Australia: I just hope they don't play for 3 draws and expect that to be a success for them...

 

Had forgot all about Euro-00 ... perhaps because it was a Danish team that all could see was vastly over-the-hill and only had qualified by some miracle and a lucky draw in the play-off's, where they faced Israel ...

 

On the other hand Euro-92 and WC-02 was quite a disaster for France, with Denmark putting the last nail in the coffin in the group stage.

 

I think Denmark is way over rated, they will finish last in this group with France winning it and Peru taking second place.

 

lol

 

Name me just one present NT Peruvian or Australian key player for their team in one of the big leagues of Europe, at the level of an Eriksen or a Sisto, the the only 22-yo assist king of the Spanish la liga ?

http://www.worldfootball.net/assists/esp-primera-division-2017-2018/

In the qualifiers, Denmark has not even had room in the starting 11 for young 21-yo Andreas Christensen, who is a regular starter for Chelsea in the English PL..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark_national_football_team#Current_squad

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_national_soccer_team#Current_squad

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peru_national_football_team#Current

Denmark is not overrated, but probably underrated by most people, because it's a new very young team that recently has been in a development stage, but now finally has arrived ...

 

Each time Perú played at WC, they faced the WC champion (Uruguay 1930, Brazil 1970, Argentina 1978, Italy 1982)

 

Peru is gonna be underrated by european users cuz many of their main players are in mexican or brazilian league, but make no mistake, many of them have huge technical qualities and their current coach has shaped them into a tactically sound team.

However, the verdict about Guerrero's case will be crucial, he is the heart and soul of this team and it was notorious in his absense vs New Zealand. From what I heard these last few days, it seems he will be absolved or get a light punishment. I really hope that is the case.

 

Well ... one thing is for sure, both Peru, Denmark and Australia qualified through play-off's, which is also why the French feel 100% sure they will easilly progress from the group ...

I'm in no doubt that Peru have a good team, that is especially good when they play at home in South America... but it's a long travel to Russia for players who are not used to play in Europe .. and this could easilly be an issue for Peru.

Denmark is a new highly talented young team that has been through a development stage, but finally were looking like a real team in 2017 also producing strong results against Poland and in the play-off's against Ireland.. so they should really be ready to impress in 2018 ... they have the advantage of being used to play away from home in the big leagues of Europe, which also reflect in their results in the WC qualifiers in 2017, where they won 4 out of 5 of their away games.

Australia finished 3rd in their qualifying group behind Japan and Saudi Arabia and also had trouble getting past Syria in the play-off's ...but most of their players are used to live and play in Europe, which may have been a disadvantage in the qualifiers, but should be to their advantage at a WC played in Europe.

 

French people are sure of nothing, we're far from being as consistent as Germany. France qualified through playoff numerous times in the recent years. I personally don't believe this means anything.

Denmark 1992 is the most obvious example of this but there are numerous other examples. France reached the final in 2006 while finishing 2nd during group stage. What matters for any team is to go through, no matter the way. Once in, everything starts again from scratch.

It's obvious though that France is the big favorite of the group and is expected by everyone (in France or everywhere else) to finish 1st of the group. But there are 3 games separating expectations from reality, and these games will have to be played.

 

I think Australia has the big issue of not yet having a head coach.