A Look at Republic of Ireland v Denmark

We have arrived at the business end of the Euro 2020 qualifiers and there’s still plenty to play for across a number of groups. Games come at us thick and fast over the course of the next few days with the TV schedule pushed to breaking point. There’s no let-up in the fixture list and that’s great news for armchair fans and those looking to place bets on the contests.

One match that leaps off the page at football bettors is Republic of Ireland v Denmark which takes place in Dublin on Monday night. Scheduled for a 7.45pm start time you can follow the play live on Sky Sports and cheer on your selections. Who will come out on top? It’s anyone’s guess at this stage but it will be exciting to find out, that’s for sure.

Try Something Different

You can bet on the winner of the match or play one of the many eye-catching specials sent out by major bookmakers. These include both teams to score, total goals, correct score, handicap, half time/full time, score and win, total corners, total cards, win to nil and plenty more besides. Flick through the options to get an idea of what’s available before placing your bets. There may be an option that gives you a better chance of winning at a bigger price. For example, if you fancy a bet on Ireland and reckon they will win comfortably in front of their own fans, you could back them to win in the match betting market or aim for a bigger pay-out by playing -1 goal on the handicap.

Many of the options currently available remain live throughout the course of the match, allowing you to get involved at any stage. This is done through the in-play betting feature. The most popular markets are available for the entire 90 minutes with prices and handicap lines updated to match the flow of play. For example, first goal scorer becomes next goal scorer and a -1 goal handicap is changed to -2 goals when the opener goes in. If you see a player score early you can also get on in-play on him getting a double or a hat-trick. The more attention you pay to the live TV coverage, the more chance there is of you securing a profit.

Ireland Starts the Week Top of Group D

Both Ireland and Denmark have been dropped into what has proven to be a fiercely competitive Group D and both have chances of winning the pool and progressing to Euro 2020 as champions. At the time of writing, Ireland leads the way on 12 points, but they are level with Denmark in second and we notice Switzerland in third is just one point off the pace. To make things even more interesting, Denmark and Switzerland have a game in hand and that is seen as a shoot-out for top spot. Ireland will be hoping for a draw there but, regardless of what happens in that match, ROI know they must remain professional and take care of business as best they can.

Relying on results elsewhere and favours from other teams is never ideal so the locals will focus on themselves, concentrate all their efforts on beating Denmark in Dublin to give themselves the best possible chance of reaching Euro 2020 without the need for the playoffs. That’s easier said than done, of course, but they are a capable side who have home advantage over the main rival and enter the match with confidence to spare. This promises to be a thriller from start to finish and it will be one for fans of Irish football as well as neutrals looking for entertainment.

Ireland go into this contest with group stats reading three wins and three draws against one defeat. They have scored six goals and conceded four, so not too much for followers of the form to get excited about there. Interestingly, Ireland is top at present but has won only one of their last five starts, drawing three and losing last time out. That doesn’t do much to inspire confidence in a home win against a form opponent.

Denmark Priced as Betting Favourites

Heading into the week and we find Denmark as the form side of the two and one that looks determined to overthrow their opponents and win the pool. If they are good enough to take all three points in Dublin, then there’s no doubting the fact they deserve to go to the European Championships as pool winners. The visitors suffered a poor start but quickly found their feet and, at the time of writing, have won three and drawn two of their last five, including three victories in their four most recent outings.

Overall, with six games in the bag, Denmark is unbeaten, winning three and drawing three. They have scored an incredible 16 goals – 10 more than their opponents – and conceded five – one more than Ireland. They have a challenge on their hands if they are to win here, but Denmark will believe in their own abilities and will feel they are more than good enough to battle their way to a win on the road against an opponent who has been seen staggering towards the finish line.

Bookmakers certainly aren’t in a rush to write off the visitors and we expect the away day to be popular in Monday night bet slips. The Danes have been marked up as favourites to collect all three points and that shows just how much respect the market has for them. Not many teams come to Dublin with the backing of traders. Are they worth taking a chance on or will we witness that famous Irish fighting spirit again as they drive themselves towards the championships?

Value Available to Punters

The current betting makes for interesting reading and there’s no shortage of value around, especially for those looking to take on the bookies. Ireland will be roared on by a capacity crowd but are available at a chunky 13/5 when getting your stake money down at Unibet. The draw won’t solve anything, but it could boost your betting balance at 9/4 with the same firm. Unibet offers market best price to those wishing to support Denmark and the 23/20 trading is currently the best you’ll get.

Looking through the specials markets and we find both teams to score has been chalked up as a 17/20 play with 888Sport against the 20/23 offered by Betfair on the no option. Taking both teams to score and picking a winner offers a crack at bigger odds and there’s 7/2 at Betfair on a scoring draw or 19/5 with 888sport for both teams to score in an away win. Ireland in the same market is difficult to ignore at 6/1 (888Sport). That appears to have been overpriced.

These sides played three times in the 2018/19 season, twice in the UEFA Nations League and once in this qualifying group back in June. What’s worth mentioning here is that all three games finished level, a couple of goalless draws followed by a 1-1 back in the summer. Looking back further and four of the last five meetings have finished all-square. That made us sit up and take note and it’s too strong a trend to ignore. That’s why we’ll have our stake money riding on the draw price.