World Cup 2018 – Group D Betting Preview

Group D

Argentina

How qualified – Third in CONMEBOL Group

Best performance – Winners in 1978 & 1986

Squad

GOALKEEPERS: Willy Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate), Nahuel Guzman (Tigres).

DEFENDERS: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Federico Fazio (Roma), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Nicolas Taglafico (Ajax), Javier Mascherano (Hebei Fortune), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino).

MIDFIELDERS: Ever Banega (Sevilla), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), Angel Di María, Giovani Lo Celso (both Paris St-Germain), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica).

FORWARDS: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala (both Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).

Croatia

How qualified – Via UEFA Playoffs

Best performance – Third place in 1998

Squad

GOALKEEPERS: Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Gent), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb).

DEFENDERS: Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), Ivan Strinic (Sampdoria), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Josip Pivaric (Dynamo Kiev), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg).

MIDFIELDERS: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan), Filip Bradaric (Rijeka).

FORWARDS: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), Nikola Kalinic (AC Milan), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Marko Pjaca (Schalke), Ante Rebic (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Iceland

How qualified – Won UEFA Group I

Best performance – First Appearance

Squad

GOALKEEPERS: Hannes Thor Halldorsson (Randers FC), Runar Alex Runarsson (FC Nordsjælland), Frederik Schram (FC Roskilde).

DEFENDERS: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen), Ari Freyr Skulason (K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen), Birkir Mar Saevarsson (Hammarby), Sverrir Ingi Ingason (FC Rostov), Hordur Magnusson (Bristol City), Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson (Maccabi Haifa), Ragnar Sigurdsson (FC Rostov).

MIDFIELDERS: Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Burnley), Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Malmo FF), Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Olafur Ingi Skulason (Kardemir Karabukspor), Rurik Gislason (FC Nurnberg), Samuel Fridjonsson (Valerenga), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City).

FORWARDS: Alfred Finnbogason (FC Augsburg), Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson (FC Rostov), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Reading), Albert Gudmundsson (PSV Eindhoven).

Nigeria

How qualified – Won CAF Group B

Best performance – Round of 16 most recently in 2014

Squad

GOALKEEPERS: Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba), Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United).

DEFENDERS: William Troost-Ekong and Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor), Tyronne Ebuehi (Ado Den Haag), Elderson Echiejile (Cercle Brugge KSV), Bryan Idowu (Amkar Perm), Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC), Leon Balogun (Brighton), Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa).

MIDFIELDERS: Mikel John Obi (Tianjin Teda), Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Oghenekaro Etebo (Las Palmas), John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Joel Obi (Torino, Italy).

FORWARDS: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Simeon Nwankwo (Crotone).

Fixtures

16 June

Group Preview

All eyes will be on the 2014 finalists Argentina and in particular their star Lionel Messi to see if their poor qualifying campaign was a blip or something we need to come to expect from them now. Regardless of their laboured entry into this competition they look to have a group which they should qualify from but Croatia, Nigeria and Iceland all have the qualities needed to give them a game. With France potentially awaiting the runners-up in this section we should expect some competitive action with the reward for winning the group potentially large.

Group Betting

I think Argentina are vulnerable favourites here. They are too reliant on Lionel Messi for my liking and defensively they look ready to be exploited. The pace of Nigeria might give them something to think about for the value very much lies in the classy Croatians in my eyes.

To be fair they didn’t qualify for this tournament particularly well but like Argentina, when it really mattered they stepped up and were counted, and with the quality they have in the centre of the park and the options they have in forward areas I expect a strong showing from them in this group. Nigeria and Iceland might well have their moments in this group but at the prices the strong looking Croatia are my idea of the winners of it.

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Team Bets

It is hard to look beyond the favourites in the markets for most of the teams in this section but one area where there could be some value is in the top Nigeria goalscorer where I like a Premier League star.

Victor Moses is adopted at right wing-back for Chelsea domestically but he is exploited in attacking areas for his country, often starting on the left-wing and with his pace he is likely to create opening and we see regularly for his club that when he gets into the dangerous areas he has the composure to finish off chances. Moses is also on penalties in this Nigeria side so the 6/1 he leads their scoring in the tournament is a shade too big.

Tips

WON – Back Croatia to win Group D for a 3/10 stake at 3.40 with Betfair

Back them here:

Back V.Moses Top Nigeria Tournament Goalscorer for a 1/10 stake at 7.00 with BetVictor

Back him here:

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