Prediction: Ireland vs Denmark

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 21/10

Bookmaker: bet365

International football is back in our lives, and one of the more intriguing games that will go down this weekend, in our mind, will be the Republic of Ireland vs Denmark. These two nations have battled on several different occasions over the years with the Irish leading the overall head to head standings 5-4, although there’s a bigger story to this one than that. Ireland are out for revenge after the Danes prevented them from reaching the World Cup, and given their ability to hold grudges, we can confidently say that we’re in for a lively affair.

Ireland

The Irish are on the verge of being a nation who can consistently qualify for big tournaments, but they can’t quite get over that finish line. They could use just one or two more world class stars littered throughout their squad, and if they’re able to nurture those kinds of stars, then they’ll be off to the races. Alas, consistency is the key for them and they’ve been struggling defensively as of late, which leads us to wonder whether or not they’re going to prioritise counter attacking football from now on.

Team News

Seamus Coleman will miss out through injury, meaning that Cyrus Christie could come into the starting XI.

Denmark

With a win over a Peru, a draw against Australia and a draw against eventual world champions France, it seemed as if Denmark’s World Cup campaign was going fairly well in the early stages over in Russia. Unfortunately, things came undone in a pretty big way during their Round of 16 game, as they were defeated on penalties by Croatia who wound up reaching the final. Still, it was a great learning experience for them, as they continue to battle with Sweden for the right to be called the best footballing nation in Scandinavia.

Team News

Christian Eriksen’s absence is obviously the biggest talking point for the visitors, who will need to get creative with how they set up attack-wise.

Factors to Consider

• The game will be played at Ireland’s Aviva Stadium.
• Ireland have won one, drawn one and lost four in their last six games.
• Denmark have won two, drawn three and lost one in their last six games.
• Ireland have scored five goals and conceded 14 in their last six games.
• Denmark have scored five goals and conceded five in their last six games.

Conclusion

We can certainly open our minds to the possibility of Ireland being turned over again here, but it just feels like the need for revenge is going to outweigh any kind of logic here. The Irish crowd will likely be getting behind their side in a big way, and it feels like they’ll be able to stop the Danes’ attacking threat more so than usual. We don’t think they’ll manage to score themselves, though, with this one playing out as a goalless draw. Still, given the circumstances, we feel as if both nations would take that.

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 21/10

Bookmaker: bet365