Thursday's World Cup qualifying predictions: Determined Danes looking good

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Thursday's European World Cup qualifiers.

Where to watch

Sky Sports, from 5pm Thursday

Best bets

Denmark
2pts 4-5 Betfred

Poland
1pt 11-10Betfred

Israel v Denmark

Sky Sports Football, 5pm Thursday

Denmark have carved out a reputation as a tough team to play against and they should be too strong for Israel in their World Cup qualifying opener in Tel Aviv.

At the 2018 World Cup there was a steely determination about the Danes, who were unbeaten in four games despite facing both finalists. They drew 0-0 with France in Group C and 1-1 against Croatia in the round of 16, before losing 3-2 in a shootout.

They followed up with a solid Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, winning four games and drawing four, but there was a growing clamour for a more progressive style of play and those wishes were taken into account last summer when Kasper Hjulmand replaced Age Hareide as head coach.

Hjulmand is working towards establishing a more possession-based approach and he put his methods to the test in the 2020 Nations League in which the Danes finished second in League A2, five points behind Belgium and ahead of third-placed England by virtue of a better head-to-head record.

Denmark's 1-0 success at Wembley last October was well-deserved and they are approaching the European Championship (where they are drawn alongside Belgium, Russia and Finland) in good spirits.

While Denmark are moving forward, Israel seem a long way from reaching a major finals.

They won three of ten games in Euro 2020 qualifying and look set to embark on another transitional phase with head coach Willi Ruttensteiner selecting a lot of inexperienced players.

Eleven of Ruttensteiner's 25-man squad have fewer than five caps and the learning process could begin with a home defeat against a Danish side aiming to qualifying for successive World Cups for the first time since 1998 and 2002.

Hungary v Poland

Sky Sports red button, 7.45 Thursday

Poland were a major disappointment at the 2018 World Cup, exiting at the group stage, but they have excelled in recent qualifying campaigns and can put down an early marker in their first match under new head coach Paulo Sousa by defeating Hungary in Budapest.

The Poles hoovered up 25 points from a possible 30 on the road to Euro 2020 but they may struggle to dominate in World Cup qualifying after landing in a difficult section alongside England.

Finishing second – enough to secure a playoff place – will be seen as the minimum requirement and Poland have the good fortune to tackle Hungary at a time when they are weakened by the absence of star player Dominik Szoboszlai.

The Hungarians may struggle for a creative spark without the RB Leipzig midfielder and that should make the task easier for Poland, who look solid favourites.

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