Croatia vs Denmark
2018 World Cup Round of 16
Date: Sunday, 1 July 2018
Kick-Off at 20:00 GMT +2
Venue: Stadion Nizhny Novgorod.
Croatia have emerged as one of the darkhorses in the tournament so far after topping Group D with some ease – including a very impressive 3-0 drubbing of Argentina on Matchday 2 which caught the eye.
They will be in confident mood ahead of their round of 16 tie against Denmark on Sunday – as they look to book their passage into the quarter-finals of the competition.
Croatia remain the only side in the tournament so far with a 100% record along with Belgium and Uruguay. They began the tournament with a comfortable 2-0 win over Nigeria in Kaliningrad, before following this up with an exceptional display against Argentina, who were fancied as one of the favourites going into the tournament – but Jorge Sampaoli’s side were beaten 3-0 by a stylish Croatian performance. Their final group game against minnows Iceland was a slightly more balanced contest, but a late winner from Ivan Perišić ensured they went into the knockout stages with three wins out of three to their name.
Denmark’s form ahead of the clash tomorrow has been perhaps less inspiring. Although Åge Hareide’s side got the job done and ultimately secured their passage into the round of 16, their style has hardly won over their doubters with unconvincing displays against Australia and France thus far in the groups – with the 1-0 win over Peru on the opening matchday proving to be the sole highlight for the Scandinavians so far. With only two goals on the board so far for the Danish, they’ve hardly shone.
Match Facts
Going into Sunday’s encounter, the meeting between the two countries is the sixth in history, with most sides having two wins to their name each as well as a draw.
This tournament also represents only the second time since the 1998 World Cup that they have advanced beyond the knockout stages of the World Cup – with The Croats finishing third that year, which remains their best performance in the history of the tournament.
Betting Tips
Croatia to win: 1.85
Denmark to win: 5.6
Croatia and Denmarkd to draw after 90 minutes: 3.4