World Cup 2018 Group D Preview and Predictions
Much like Group C, Group D is all about who will go through along with Argentina. With Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria, this is a tough one to call. On paper one would expect Croatia to be that team, however after Iceland’s Euro 2016 performance and the strong qualifying of Nigeria, this group is pretty open.
Argentina are full of quality and in Messi they have a player that has won every club honour available but nothing worth shouting about on the international stage. Could this finally be the tournament that Messi cements his place in history?
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is favourite to be top scorer and one expects if he can continue his rich vein of form picking up the Best Player of the Tournament Award is a real possibility.
The South Americans are double winners and runners-up in 2014, and at 9/1 to be crowned World Champions for a third time looks a great bet.
Could this finally be the tournament that Messi cements his place in history?
Argentina
Since their first World Cup win in 1978, Argentina have qualified for all 11 tournaments and have one of the best records alongside Brazil and Germany. Champions again in 1986, runners-up in 1990 and 2014 not to mention 3 quarterfinals, suggests that in Russia they will yet again be a threat.
The debate continues about Lionel Messi and his lack of international trophies. With Barcelona he has won no less than 32 pieces of silverware, scoring a remarkable 550 goals in 634 appearances, however on the international stage he could end up as the bridesmaid and never the bride, after runners-up in 2014 and the same occurring in the 2015 and 2016 Copa America tournaments.
Where has it all gone wrong on the big stage?
His return of just 5 goals in three World Cup’s is also well below his expected ratio and still 5 short of Argentina’s World Cup record holder Gabriel Batistuta.
It is clear the diminutive Argentine needs to shine, not only for the sake of his team, but for the sake of his career at this level.
Messi is in great company when you look at the quality in the squad, Nico Otamendi, Sergio Romero, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano, Ángel Di María, and Paulo Dybala just to mention a few! This is an embarrassment of riches and if football was played on paper you would give them the trophy before the first whistle is blown.
Key names in the above mentioned have also been integral in winning their respective league titles, Aguero and Otamendi the Premier League, Di Maria the French League 1, Messi La Liga and Higuain Serie A.
One major surprise is the exclusion of Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi, scorer of 29 goals in Serie A this season. This simply underlines the quality they have in front of goal!
Surely if they don’t deliver in Russia they will be regarded as the most talented generation of players never to win the World Cup?
I would also advise, don’t read too much into their qualification campaign that saw them win 7, draw 7 and lose 4, scoring just 19 and conceding 16! To say that this was well below par for a side of this quality is an understatement but also in the past.
They need to hit their straps from the first game against Iceland and show to the world that they are genuine contenders as the group stages unfold.
Argentina World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Wilfredo Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate).
Defenders: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Federico Fazio (Roma), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon).
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Hebei China Fortune), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), Giovani Lo Celso (Paris Saint-Germain), Ever Banega (Sevilla), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Angel di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors).
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).
Croatia
This will be their 5th World Cup and after a spectacular debut in 1998 which saw the goal scoring exploits of Davor Šuker lead them to the semifinals, however since then they have failed to get past the group stages.
You have to think that this won’t happen again especially when you look at the sublime midfield of Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic and Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic.
Then there is Mario Mandzukic with 30 international goals who is expected to lead the line.
They do however find themselves back in the same group as Iceland, the team that finished top of their qualifying group. When they face each other on the 26 June there will certainly be no secrets after Croatia won their first clash 2-0, only for Iceland to bounce back and win 1-0 at home.
This clash could very well decide which one of them goes through with Argentina.
Croatia World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Gent), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo).
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), Filip Bradaric (Rijeka).
Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Ivan Perisic (Inter), Nikola Kalinic (Milan), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Marko Pjaca (Schalke), Ante Rebic (Eintracht).
Iceland
What can be said about this Viking Nation? Underdogs in Euro 2016 and yet delivered well above expectation. They then followed that up by topping their qualification group ahead of World Cup group rivals Croatia for good measure and come into the summer tournament with realistic hopes of moving past the group stages.
This will be their first World Cup and you can bet the Thunder Clap will be in full force this summer around Russia. Iceland have learned to grind out results, in topping their qualification group they registered 7 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw.
What is the most impressive aspect of their qualification performances was that 16 of their goals came from 9 different players showcasing that they have threats all over the pitch.
Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson is the main man for the Icelandic team, although Alfred Finnbogason and Kolbeinn Sigborsson are also accomplished players from the Bundesliga and French league 1 respectively.
Iceland will play with plenty of heart and I expect that come their final game against Croatia the reward for the win will be a place in the next round.
Iceland World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Hannes Halldorsson (Randers), Runar Runarsson (Nordsjaelland), Frederik Schram (Roskilde).
Defenders: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen), Holmar Eyjolfsson (Levski Sofia), Rurik Gislason (Sandhausen), Sverrir Ingason (Rostov), Hordur Magnusson (Bristol City), Birkir Saevarsson (Valur), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Rostov), Ari Skulason (Lokeren).
Midfielders: Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa), Samuel Fridjonsson (Valerenga), Johann Gudmundsson (Burnley), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City), Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Olafur Skulason (Karabukspor), Arnor Traustason (Malmo).
Forwards: Jon Bodvarsson (Reading), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Albert Gudmundsson (PSV), Bjorn Sigurdarson (Rostov).
Nigeria
The Super Eagles have a decent record in World Cups. This will be their 6th appearance and on 3 occasions they have gone through to the last 16 including in Brazil 2014.
Nigeria did top their qualification group with just the 1 loss and have also registered a 4-2 friendly win over Argentina recently which will of course give them plenty of confidence.
Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa will provide most of their goals and be crucial to their qualification aspirations.
Their best performances did come in 1994 and 1998 with players of the quality of Jay-Jay Okocha, Finidi George, Taribo West, Uche Okechukwu and Nwankwo Kanu leading the way, a far cry from the team sheet that will be available in Russia.
Their opening game is against Croatia, followed by Iceland and finally Argentina by which stage I expect them to be playing for pride.
Nigeria World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba), Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United), Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna)
Defenders: William Troost-Ekong, Shehu Abdullahi (Bursaspor), Leon Balogun (Brighton) Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea), Bryan Idowu (Amkar Perm), Chidozie Awaziem (FC Porto), Elderson Echiejile (Cercle Brugge), Tyronne Ebuehi (Benfica)
Midfielders: Mikel Obi (Tianjin Teda), Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor), John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City),Oghenekaro Etebo (CD Feirense), Joel Obi (Torino)
Forwards: Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai), Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho(Leicester City), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Simeon Nwankwo (FC Crotone), Victor Moses (Chelsea)
SPORTSvox World Cup Group D Predictions
Lionel Messi knows this has to be a World Cup for him to remember so expect a good group stage from the Argentinians. Nigeria will have plenty of support but not enough on the pitch, while Croatia and Iceland will most likely battle it out for the next round in their final clash with Croatia edging it.
World Cup 2018 Fixtures, Group D
SATURDAY 16TH JUNE
Argentina v Iceland
Otkrytie Arena, Moscow
SATURDAY 16TH JUNE
Croatia v Nigeria
Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad
THURSDAY 21ST JUNE
Argentina v Croatia
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod
FRIDAY 22ND JUNE
Nigeria v Iceland
Volgograd Arena, Volgograd
TUESDAY 26TH JUNE
Iceland v Croatia
Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don
TUESDAY 26TH JUNE
Nigeria v Argentina
Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg
