Argentina will be aiming for top spot in Group D

World Cup Group D: Predictions, best bets and fixtures

Football

Fri June 15, 2018 · 7y ago

The heavyweights of Argentina line up in Group D, where they will compete against Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria.

We have all the latest odds, fixture list, verdict and team-by-team guides right here.

Odds

Fixtures

Saturday June 16 - Argentina v Iceland (2pm, ITV), Otkrytie Arena, Moscow

Saturday June 16 - Croatia v Nigeria (8pm, ITV), Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Thursday June 21 - Argentina v Croatia (7pm, BBC), Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod

Friday June 22 - Nigeria v Iceland (4pm, BBC), Volgograd Arena, Volgograd

Tuesday June 26 - Iceland v Croatia (7pm, BBC), Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don

Tuesday June 26 - Nigeria v Argentina (7pm, BBC), Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg

Nigeria's clash with Iceland will take place in Volgograd

All times stated in BST, to see more about the locations click here for our stadium guide

Verdict

It will come as no surprise to see Argentina finish top of the group here and they should progress with little trouble.

Croatia are also heavily fancied to join the South American nation in the round of 16 but I would not completely write off Iceland here.

They were everyone's favourite team at Euro 2016, and they actually finished two points above Croatia in their qualification group.

Iceland have quality players within their squad and they will be looking at the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson to be the difference for them.

We saw a bit of Nigeria when they faced England in a friendly at Wembley before the tournament, and based on their first-half performance, they may provide little threat to the teams around them.

The final day clash between Iceland and Croatia could prove to be pivotal in terms of which team progresses, but Nigeria could be out of it by that point and they'd face the uphill task of Argentina in Saint Petersburg.

Group D is one of many groups at the World Cup that looks intriguing and genuinely open for any side to wrap up a spot in the knockout stages, but it's difficult to see Argentina as anything other than winners here.

Group D Prediction: (10/1 with Sky Bet)

1. Argentina

2. Iceland

3. Croatia

4. Nigeria

Best bets

Iceland to qualify from the group at 3/1

Argentina winner, Nigeria last place at 11/4

Squads

Argentina | Full profile

Click here for all you need to know about Argentina ahead of the World Cup

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Willy Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate).

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 Maria, 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 | Full profile

Click here for all you need to know about Croatia ahead of the World Cup in Russia

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 | Full profile

Click here for all you need to know about Iceland ahead of the World Cup

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 | Full profile

Click on the image for all you need to know about Nigeria ahead of the World Cup in Russia

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)