Gibraltar V Denmark
Thursday 5th September 2019 – 19:45 Kick-Off
Euro 2020 Qualification
Pick: Gibraltar +4 Asian Handicap
Odds: 3/5
Bookmaker: Unibet
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49/1 | 25/1 | 1/1000 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 3rd September 2019 at 11:45)
Preview: The first ever meeting between Gibraltar and Denmark will take place during Euro 2020 Qualification, inside the 5,000 capacity Victoria Stadium. The Danes are ranked considerably higher in the FIFA Rankings – at 13 in the world, compared to the 198 ranking of their opponents – and are the overwhelming favourites to clinch victory.
Euro 2020 Qualifying Betting – 22Bet
Gibraltar Preview – Underdogs aiming to at least keep the scoreline respectable?
The term ‘international minnow’ is thrown around a lot these days, but that term could not be more apt for the smallest country in UEFA that is Gibraltar. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to witness their struggles from afar in terms of their results on the footballing stage. So when they won back-to-back internationals last October, stunning both Armenia (0-1) and Liechtenstein (2-1), it was reasonably big news at the time.
Of course, those victories over Armenia and Liechtenstein were not exactly against household names, but it does demonstrate the gradual improvements being made by a national team which isn’t blessed with having a huge pool of players to pick from. However, subsequent defeats in each of their last six international matches would suggest there is still a long way to go, losing five of those without scoring a single goal.
As far as this Euro 2020 campaign is concerned, Gibraltar are rock-bottom of Group D following losses in all three of their matches to date. In fact, not only has a point proven to be elusive thus far but goals have also been a scarcity – a 1-0 home defeat to the Republic of Ireland was followed by losses in Georgia (3-0) and Ireland (2-0).
Denmark Preview – Danes will want goals as well as all three points?
We aren’t even at the halfway stage of Euro 2020 qualifying but already Denmark find themselves in a precarious position of having to play catch up. Ireland currently top the section, five points ahead of The Danes who are a solitary point above a Switzerland side that have only played twice so far and could yet surge to the top of Group F were they to win both games in hand.
So there is not a great deal of room for manoeuvre for Denmark. It is all of their own doing, of course, after opening with successive draws, the first in Switzerland (3-3) before being held at home by Ireland (1-1). A resounding 5-1 win at home to Georgia did get them back on track but it has still been a below par performance from coach Age Hareide and his players.
Victory here, facing unquestionably the weakest nation in the section, is an absolute necessity. You would like to think there is little doubt about the outcome, that a talented Danish team which is currently ranked just outside the top ten in the world will encounter few difficulties. They are currently unbeaten in nine games (W4 D5), but only one win from their past eight away internationals (W1 D4 L3) is of slight concern.
Gibraltar V Denmark Key Facts:
- Gibraltar are currently on a six-match losing run, with five of those being ‘to nil’.
- Denmark have only managed one win from their last nine eight away internationals (W1 D4 L3).
- This will be the first ever meeting between Gibraltar and Denmark.
Betting Summary
Chasing not only their first points of the campaign but also their first goals are Gibraltar, the outsiders of the group who have already been condemned to defeats to Ireland (twice) and Georgia – and those aren’t even the toughest teams in the section, with the two highest ranking teams of Denmark and Switzerland still to come. The former awaits them here, and they will be bidding to end a six match losing streak when they entertain The Danes.
Just one win from their first three Group D fixtures has Denmark down in second in the section but in the knowledge they are playing catch up on Ireland, and probably Switzerland as well, who still have games in hand. With this in mind, three points are crucial here and although The Danes’ recent away record isn’t that great (one win in eight: W1 D4 L3), this is a team which did secure victory in four of its six away encounters in a successful 2018 World Cup Qualifying campaign.
At around 1/50 for the win, we should be able to rest assured that Denmark will be winning this match-up. Finding an entry point as far as betting value goes is an altogether more difficult assignment. Denmark’s previous four matches have produced both teams to score, but Gibraltar have not scored in the group so far and have lost their past five matches without netting. With Denmark not exactly excelling away from home of late and Gibraltar not being blown away as often recently, perhaps this won’t be so much a rout but more a routine win.
