Group D Predictions 2022

The defending world champions are the star attraction in this group and they face a tricky European opponent in Denmark as well as Tunisia and Australia. This should be a competitive group with the potential for some surprise results along the way. France are ranked fourth in the world so it would be a surprise if they didn’t qualify, but they surely won’t have it all their own way with Denmark likely to be their closest challengers.

The defending champions are actually second-favourites for the tournament outright, understandably so given the fact they won it four years ago and have an outstanding set of players.

France

France will be well aware that defending champions do not generally fare well in follow-up tournaments, but they will surely be confident of breaking that pattern. French coach Didier Deschamps won the trophy as a player in 1998 and coached his team to success in 2018.

He remains in charge despite a rather poor showing at Euro 2020 where they were eliminated by Switzerland in the round of 16. As always, there is a level of tension and big egos clashing in this French squad so Deschamps biggest task will be to ensure that all players are on the same page and pulling in the same direction. This year has not been a great one for France as they were underwhelming in the Nations League, narrowly avoiding being relegated to the second tier, including losses to Denmark.

The squad is packed with talented players but there are serious doubts about two of their important midfielders as Paul Pogba and N’golo Kante are currently injured. They have a huge array of attacking options though, despite likely Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema missing out once again. Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann lead the line with Ousmane Dembele waiting in the wings for a starting spot.

They have players who have won all there is to win in the game, both for their clubs and countries. The only question marks remain over the harmony of the group and whether manager Deschamps can get the right balance. They face a difficult match against Denmark which might determine who wins the group, but they will qualify.

Australia

Australia have made it to their fifth World Cup in a row, a very respectable record. They had to come through a playoff to get here, beating Peru on penalties this time around. That came only after they beat UAE in another playoff, so they certainly worked hard to be at the tournament.

The team will want to make sure all that effort was worth it and put in a good showing, although playing against these opponents will be a step up from what they are used to. It isn’t easy to judge this team, they don’t have the household names of the past and haven’t played many matches against top-tier nations.

They are the worst-ranked team in the group, down in 39^th place. Australia will need to defend very well and hope to stifle their opponents and hit them on the break, but whether that is enough to see them win any matches or be real challengers to get out of the group is debatable. They are not a high-scoring team so, in reality, their best hope is that they make It difficult for their opponents and with some luck, favourable refereeing or a moment of magic they might score a goal or two.

Denmark

Denmark go into this tournament ranked 10^th in the world, which is the exact same position they were in prior to the World Cup in 2018. This is the first time they are ever playing in two consecutive World Cup tournaments. Their campaign at Euro 2020 was a successful one, as they reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by England. They will be very encouraged by the fact that they beat France twice recently, so the match against the top seed in this group will hold little fear.

Denmark have a good blend of technically gifted and hard-working players and if things go well they could well make a statement at this tournament, much like they did at the Euros. Their world ranking is reflected in the betting market as they are currently 10^th favourites to lift the trophy. Their main man is Christian Eriksen, he orchestrates their game and the Manchester United midfielder is likely to be key to how the team performs once again.

Defensively they will rely on the experience of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and captain Simon Kjaer. They look well-prepared and have kept the same manager who guided them to the semi-finals last year. Denmark are an attractive team to watch and will be many fans second team, they are likely to be popular. If they can get off to a winning start in their first match against Tunisia they will go into the second match against France confident of beating them for the third match in a row.

Tunisia

Tunisia are currently ranked 30^th in the world and will know they face a challenge to get out of this group. They will be confident of beating Australia and will look to cause an upset against one of the other two teams. Their first match in the tournament, against Denmark, could be vital as an inferior performance could damage their confidence but a decent result against the Danes might set them up for a surprise qualification.

Tunisia defeated Mali in their playoff to reach Qatar and since then they have not conceded in six matches. This indicates that they will be tough to play against and are unlikely to concede many. In 2021 they narrowly lost out to Algeria in the final of the FIFA Arab Cup. They will need to keep an eye on their discipline though as any red cards or lapses in concentration will surely be costly at this level. It would be a surprise if they get out of the group, but it’s not out of the question. They are a better team than Australia though so a third-place finish is the most likely.

Conclusion

The star players to keep an eye on come mostly from France and Denmark, unsurprisingly with Eriksen, Kjaer, Christensen and Hojbjerg likely to play major roles for the latter. When it comes to France, there are almost too many players to mention but this could be an important tournament for Mbappe and Dembele.

The main battle in this group is between France and Denmark with many neutrals eager to see whether the Danes can repeat their recent victories against the French. France are without a doubt the better team on paper but they will need to ensure they are fully focused to avoid falling into the trap that many defending champions do. Australia will look to simply stop their more illustrious rivals from scoring whilst Tunisia will be hoping they can pull off the unexpected. France have the most to lose of course and this might be the group where the top seed doesn’t finish in first spot with Denmark possibly beating them to it.