France, Denmark, Tunisia, and Australia make up Group D. The French are expected to win the group with flying colours.
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The Qatar 2022 World Cup kicks off on November 20 at the Al Bayt Stadium, with the hosts facing Ecuador in Group A. The tournament was scheduled to begin the following day with Senegal’s match against the Netherlands at Al Thumama Stadium, but Qatar’s game was moved up to allow them to open their home tournament.
Read More: FIFA World Cup 2022: Group C SWOT Analysis
France, Denmark, Tunisia, and Australia make up Group D. The French are expected to win the group with flying colours. After their incredible run in the Euros, Denmark could very well challenge France for first place. On the other hand, Australia is a promising team, and Tunisia is currently ranked 30th in the FIFA Rankings. Here’s a breakdown of each team’s strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
| Countries | Continents |
|---|---|
| France | Europe |
| Denmark | Europe |
| Australia | Oceania |
| Tunisia | Africa |
Strengths – France, despite a few injuries, looks solid, and the talent on the team is incredible. France is stacked with depth and options, from the most recent Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema to the French sensation Kylian Mbappe and future stars like Saliba. The team may perform well under extreme pressure because they have been there before and done wonders because they know how to control the game and conduct themselves.
Weaknesses – France would have hoped to keep their crown with their best squad and no injury worries. However, with Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante ruled out of Qatar 2022, and Raphael Varane possibly out due to an injury sustained while playing for Manchester United, the French National team has suffered a significant loss. Pogba and Kante will be challenging to replace in midfield, where they have been instrumental to the team’s success.
Opportunities – France has a chance to win back-to-back World Cups, their third FIFA World Cup, and become the first World Champion from Europe to advance to the next stage of the competition.
Threats – Since Germany in 1994, no European defending World Cup champion has advanced past the group stage of the following tournament of the FIFA World Cup.
Strengths – The chemistry of the team and how the players work together to perform on the biggest stage. Denmark are a dangerous unit because of its team, which has a lot of talent and personality. They have a lot of high-quality, in-depth, reliable and consistent choices available with specific roles across the board, and they work well together.
Weaknesses – Denmark’s attacking options have been a source of concern due to the lack of a high-scoring center-forward. The Danish Dynamites will be able to resolve the issue with a lot of service around the goal, but with a few players not in the zone, only time will tell how the side will fare in the World Cup.
Opportunities – Denmark’s best result came in the 1998 World Cup when they reached the quarter-finals of the mega event. With a slightly easier group, this time and the team expected to finish second, they could go deeper in Qatar.
Threats – Winger Mikkel Damsgaard struggling to restore his form from the Euro 2020, while Kasper Schmeichel is not having the season he expected after moving from Leicester to Nice; it could potentially cause a few concerns.
Strengths – The Australians are most dangerous when they press high, don’t give their opponents much possession, and use the entire pitch, especially the flanks. The team from down under are a great resource who will never back down under the final whistle, which could be their most potent weapon.
Weaknesses – With the high press attitude and not giving opponents much ball time, it’s not surprising that the Aussies won’t be capable of sustaining the press for lengthy stretches of time and sometimes could become vulnerable. Also, the defensive line has been inconsistent in recent years, which could play into the opponents’ hands.
Opportunities – The Socceroos have a great chance to improve their run in the mega event in Qatar, as they have yet to advance past the group stage more than once in the last two decades. They did, however, advance to the Round of 16 in Germany, which was the only situation.
Threats – Dare to Dream? Go big or Go home. Aspirations from the team not expecting to go further in the tournament could be a case of lost motivation, with a few players unable to regain form in time for the trip to Qatar.
Strengths – The tactical side of the defense is as strong as it gets, and the numbers back it up. The 4-3-3 formation has worked wonders for the team because it allows them to take a step back, sit deep, and counter. Tunisia has only conceded three goals in their last 12 games and will be the underdogs in the group, possibly causing some concern for other teams.
Weaknesses – How the defensive side of things are going up north; The offensive/attacking side of the squad are falling apart, and it will be extremely difficult to pose a threat to the opposition with quality defensive systems given how things are going up north. In addition to the attacking issues, the squad depth in certain positions is a source of concern.
Opportunities – Tunisia, the defensive powerhouse, or at least the tactical side of it due to a lack of quality, have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance to the Round of 16 which they have never done before.
Threats – Their aspirations will be cut short due to a loss of confidence following the Brazilian invasion and a lack of squad depth in certain areas, but their defensive abilities give them hope of progressing, and the World Cup is a place where miracles are bound to happen.
