Nigeria vs. Denmark Men’s Soccer Preview
Where: Fonte Nova Arena – Salvador, Brazil
When: Saturday, August 13, 3:00 PM EST
Line: Nigeria -206 vs. Denmark +465, tie +283; total 2.5 – view all men’s Olympic soccer lines
TV Broadcast: NBCSN
Writer’s Pick: Nigeria
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Offensive Edge – Nigeria (-206)
Nigeria heads into this match coming off a 2-0 loss in their final group stage match against Colombia. But that game basically had no bearing as the Nigerians already secured the top spot of Group B after slipping by Sweden, 1-0, and gutting out a 5-4 victory in the opener against a resilient Japanese crew.The win over Japan, in particular, was where the Super Eagles showed their finesse and scoring touch. They owned most of the possession (56%) and eventually piled up a total of five goals, four of which were courtesy of Oghenekaro Etebo. His status right now, however, is up in the air due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the game versus the Colombians.
Losing one of their reliable scorers would be a huge blow for Nigeria, needless to say. Still, Samson Siasia’s boys should be able to cope without Etebo as long as the rest of their starters in Umar Sadiq, who already has two goals in the tournament, John Obi Mikel and Azubuike Okechukwa continue their aggressive play.
Defensive Edge – Denmark (+465)
Denmark, the runner-up in Group A, has only found the net once in the tournament thus far. On defense though, this squad is no pushover. The Danish Dynamite managed to hold Iraq and South Africa scoreless in their first two games before being brutally dispatched by the Brazilians, 0-4, in their final match of the group stages.
Moreover, it’s worth noting that Denmark squared off recently with the Nigerians prior to the 2016 Summer Olympics—which was at the Suwon Invitational tournament. The result was pretty lopsided with the Danes winning it by a final score of 6-2. That victory should serve as a reminder why they are considered as one of the dark horses to win the gold medal despite struggling to advance into the knockout rounds.
Writer’s Prediction: Nigeria nips a 2-1 victory.
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