We preview the teams playing in Group C for this year’s soccer world cup 2018, which includes France, Peru, Denmark and Australia. Key players to watch in this group include Antoine Griezmann, Christian Eriksen, Mile Jedinak and Jose Paolo Guerrero. Get betting and predictions here.
Denmark
To Win Group 9/2
To Win Tournament 100/1
FIFA Ranking 12th
How they qualified
A 5-1 aggregate victory over the Republic of Ireland in the European play-offs after finishing as runners-up behind Poland in Group E.
Pedigree
Four World Cup appearances (1986, 1998, 2002, 2010) – have progressed from the groups in each tournament but for 2010, going furthest in 1998 when making the quarter-finals.
Coach
Age Hareide – The 64-year-old Norwegian has spent his entire career in Scandinavia, including a five-year spell leading his home country.
Key player
Christian Eriksen – The Tottenham playmaker pulls the strings for the Danes and has added goals to his game. Eriksen bagged 11 goals in qualifying and his hat-trick in the second-leg play-off sent the Republic of Ireland packing.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City), Frederik Ronnow (Brondby IF), Jonas Lossl (Huddersfield Town)
Defenders: Henrik Dalsgaard (Brentford), Simon Kjaer (Sevilla), Jens Stryger Larsen (Udinese), Mathias Jorgensen (Huddersfield Town), Jannik Vestergaard (Borussia Monchengladbach), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich Town)
Midfielders: William Kvist (FC Kobenhavn), Thomas Delaney (Werder Bremen), Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur), Lukas Lerager (Bordeaux), Michael Krohn-Dehli (Deportivo), Lasse Schone (Ajax), Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo)
Forwards: Nicolai Jørgensen (Feyenoord), Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig), Viktor Fischer (FC Kobenhavn), Kasper Dolberg (Ajax), Andreas Cornelius (Atalanta), Martin Braithwaite (Bordeaux)
Group prediction
2nd
Australia
To Win Group 20/1
To Qualify From Group 33/10
FIFA Ranking 40th
How they qualified
Prevailed 3-1 aggregate winners over Honduras in the intercontinental play-off.
Pedigree
Having first reached the World Cup in 1974, Australia have gone on to appear at every World Cup since 2006. Their best showing of those four appearances was a last-16 finish in 2006, where they lost 1-0 to Italy.
Coach
Bert van Marwijk – The 66-year-old, who led his native Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final, was appointed as head coach of the Socceroos at the beginning of the year.
Key player
Mile Jedinak – The Aston Villa midfielder is the captain of the Socceroos and his hat-trick sealed Australia’s place in the 2018 World Cup at the expense of Honduras.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Brad Jones (Feyenoord), Mat Ryan (Brighton), Danny Vukovic (Genk)
Defenders: Aziz Behich (Bursaspor), Milos Degenek (Yokohama F. Marinos), Matthew Jurman (Suwon Samsung Bluewings), James Meredith (Millwall), Josh Risdon (Western Sydney Wanderers), Trent Sainsbury (Grasshoppers)
Midfielders: Jackson Irvine (Hull), Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa), Robbie Kruse (Bochum), Massimo Luongo (Queens Park Rangers), Mark Milligan (Al Ahli), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield), Tom Rogic (Celtic)
Forwards: Daniel Arzani (Melbourne City), Tim Cahill (Millwall), Tomi Juric (FC Luzern), Mathew Leckie (Hertha Berlin), Andrew Nabbout (Urawa Red Diamonds), Dimitri Petratos (Newcastle Jets), Jamie Maclaren (Hibernian)
Group prediction
4th
France
To Win Group 2/7
To Win Tournament 13/2
FIFA Ranking 7th
How they qualified
Group A winners in European qualifying, finishing four points clear of Sweden.
Pedigree
14 World Cup appearances, having featured in the inaugural tournament back in 1930. Have reached the semi-finals five times, lifting the trophy on home soil in 1998 after beating Brazil. Went on to lose in the 2006 final to Italy.
Coach
Didier Deschamps – Deschamps, a former player for European giants Juventus and Chelsea, was the captain of the great France team that won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championships. The 49-year-old came close to guiding the nation to glory at their home European Championships in 2016, but Les Bleus lost to Portugal in extra-time.
Key player
Antoine Griezmann – The Atletico Madrid forward was top scorer at the home European Championships in 2016 with six goals, and was voted player of the tournament. He will aim to repeat that success in Russia, and to improve on his appearances at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he failed to score.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain)
Defenders: Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Adil Rami (Marseille), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Steven N’Zonzi (Sevilla)
Forwards: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Florian Thauvin (Marseille), Nabil Fekir (Lyon)
Group prediction
1st
Peru
To Win Group 10/1
To Qualify From Group 9/4
FIFA Ranking 11th
How they qualified
A 2-0 aggregate victory over New Zealand in their intercontinental play-off came after finishing fifth in the South American standings.
Pedigree
Four World Cup appearances, first qualifying in 1930 before reaching the quarters in 1970 and 1978. Their last appearance came in 1982.
Coach
Ricardo Gareca – The 60-year-old Argentine is the architect behind Peru’s recent achievements. El Tigre has managed the team since 2015, and it only took him a few months to win third place in the Copa America. Two years later, Gareca helped his team qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1982.
Key player
Jose Paolo Guerrero – The 34-year-old, once a player for Bayern Munich, has two bronze Copa America medals to his name and is Peru’s top goalscorer, both all-time and in the recent qualifying campaign with six goals.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese (Veracruz), Carlos Caceda (Deportivo Municipal), Jose Carvallo (UTC).
Defenders: Aldo Corzo (Universitario), Luis Advincula (Lobos Buap), Christian Ramos (Veracruz), Miguel Araujo (Alianza Lima), Alberto Rodriguez (Atletico Junior), Anderson Santamaria (Puebla), Miguel Trauco (Flamengo), Nilson Loyola (Melgar).
Midfielders: Renato Tapia (Feyenoord), Pedro Aquino (Lobos Buap), Yoshimar Yotun (Orlando City), Paolo Hurtado (Vitoria Guimaraes), Christian Cueva (Sao Paulo), Edison Flores (Aalborg), Andy Polo (Portland Timbers), Wilder Cartagena (Veracruz).
Forwards: Andre Carrillo (Watford), Raul Ruidiaz (Morelia), Jefferson Farfan (Lokomotiv Moscow), Paolo Guerrero (Flamengo).
Group prediction
3rd
GROUP PROFILES
Group A Team Profiles
(Egypt, Uruguay, Russia, Saudia Arabia)
(Spain, Portugal, Iran, Morocco)
(France, Peru, Denmark, Australia)
(Argentina, Nigeria, Croatia, Iceland)
(Brazil, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Serbia)
(Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea)
(England, Belgium, Tunisia, Panama)
(Colombia, Poland, Senegal, Japan)