Denmark Superliga betting tips and odds

Upcoming Matches

Hobro - Lyngby

Kickoff starts at 18:00 on 13/07/2020 played @ DS Arena

Midtjylland - Nordsjælland

Kickoff starts at 18:00 on 17/07/2020 played @ MCH Arena

Denmark Superliga Results

Danish Superliga Intro

If value betting is your goal, finding the right league is very important. Betting experts and veteran punters generally recommend smaller leagues that don’t have every detail constantly analysed by the entire world. However, you can’t really go too small either – that just leaves you without proper information to base your bets on.

The Danish Superliga strikes a nice middle ground here. It has some top-notch football overall but is not hugely popular outside Denmark. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at and its history, teams and players, and other information useful for Danish Superliga betting.

Danish Superliga History and General Info

Administered by the Danish Football Association, the Superliga is the highest echelon of professional football in Denmark. It was founded relatively recently in 1991 when it replaced the Danish 1st Division as the highest tier in the country.

However, the 1st division was not the first of its kind, either. Professional football in Denmark stretches as far back as 1912, although back then the champions were determined in a tournament format called the National Football Tournament (Landsfodboldturneringen.) This switched to a more typical league format in 1927. However, what became known as the 1st Division only came about after the end of World War 2.

These days, the 1st Division represents the second tier of professional football in Denmark.

Due to various sponsorship deals, the Superliga has changed quite a few names over the years. These have included Coca-Cola, Scandinavian Airways, and several others. For the same reasons, this upcoming season it will be dubbed the 3F Superliga, in honour of the Danish trade union 3F.

Up until the 1995-96 season, the number of teams competing in this league was 10. After that, this number was brought up to 12 which lasted until 2015. During that time, the number was increased again to 14, which remains true today.

According to this new structure, each team plays every other team twice, once home and once away, resulting in 26 matches per season for each team. Once this first round is complete, the league splits into a six-team championship playoff and an eight-team qualifying playoff. The points earned in the first round carry over after this division, but a team can only compete against teams in their respective playoff group.

The championship playoffs consist of each team going up against every other team, again with a full home and away schedule. The team that finishes at the top in of this playoff group is named the Superliga champion and moves on to the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The runners-up are instead sent to the first qualifying round of the Europa League. The third-placed team advances to a one-off playoff match for another Europa League placement.

The qualifying playoff round is again split into two groups, with the teams that finished the regular season in 7th, 10th, 11th, and 14th in one group and those finishing 8th, 9th, 12th, and 13th in the other. Whoever wins this tournament has a chance to move on to the Europa League after facing the 3rd-placed championship playoff team in a one-off match.

The two bottom-placed teams from each of these groups instead have to play relegation playoffs. This process works through a system of knockouts and may result in a team being relegated to the Danish 1st Division – while the best-placed teams from this second-tier league get a chance to move up to the Superliga.

If we were to account for all of the Danish top-level leagues we mentioned previously, the club that took home the most titles would be Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, often referred to as KB. Under that name, they won the league title 15 times and were runners-up another 13.

In 1991, however, this club merged with B 1903 to form F.C. Copenhagen. This club would go on to become the Superliga’s most decorated team with 13 titles. They are followed by Brøndby IF with 10 wins and Ab with 9. If we only take into account the years after 1991, though, third place would go to Aalborg BK.

The all-time top scorer record is currently held by striker Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen with 145 goals total, who played for Brøndby, AGF, Aalborg, and Midtjylland at different stages of his career. He currently works as a coach for Midtjylland.

However, last season saw a new record set in terms of most goals scored during a single season, which went to Copenhagen’s Robert Skov.

Danish Superliga Title Challengers

Coming into the 2019 – 20 season, most people are not expecting any large upsets. As of the beginning of the league, there seems to be a lot of disagreement between experts about just how one-sided the whole affair is. To illustrate, let’s take a look at some of the Danish Superliga betting odds offered by major online bookmakers.

For Copenhaguen’s victory at the end of the league, some bookies are offering odds of 1.00. Yes, you read that right: 0/1 odds. According to some large betting sites, FC Copenhagen taking the title is statistically guaranteed. On the other hand, some bookies are much more sceptical with odds of 11/10 or 2.10, which could result in some great value bets.

The only real contender for the title this season is Midtjylland, with odds anywhere between 3/4 (1.75) and 7/5 (2.40). Again, quite a big difference depending on your bookie of choice.

Next up are AGF Aarhus with 150/1 and Brondby, whose form has slipped so far that projected odds are anywhere between 150/1 and a whopping 500/1.

It appears that betting on the Danish Superliga has divided a lot of opinions among bookmakers. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the contenders to get the best idea of what exactly is going on.

F.C Copenhagen

As we previously touched upon, this teams was founded in 1992 through the merger of Kjøbenhavns Boldklub and Boldklubben 1903. Both of these teams were very old and fairly successful in their own right, with one being the most decorated team in Danish history, and the other making their way to the UEFA Cup final in 1991. The combination created a veritable supergroup of Danish football, which reflects in the team’s clear dominance.

Copenhagen in its current iteration boast 13 out of the 30 league titles, in addition to 8 Danish Cups. On an international level, they have reached the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League group stages more than any other team in Denmark, and are the only Danish club ever to have reached the Champions League knockout stage.

As of the writing of this article, UEFA ranks them as the best Scandinavian football team, and the 48th overall team in Europe.

Their home turf is the Parken Stadium, and as an unwritten rule, their supporters come from in and around the country’s capital.

They are currently coached by the Norwegian former midfielder Ståle Solbakken, under whose leadership they often employ a narrow 4-4-2 formation. Coming into this season, their strategy is usually centred around two fantastic link-up men and an aggressive presence on the wings. Their lineup has some standout young stars who show great promise, and many experts consider them a notch above the rest of the competition in the Danish Superliga.

FC Midtjylland

Again, this club was the result of a merger in 1999 between Herning Fremad and Ikast FS, who managed to be Danish Cup finalists three times. These are fairly humble beginnings, as the two teams were rivals who never managed to achieve anything of note in Danish football.

The merger was an instant success, and they were promoted to the Superliga in 2000 after registering more points than any other team in the history of the 1st division. Midtjylland proceeded to win the league twice, most recently in the 2017-28 season. So far, they’ve had no real international success, the biggest one being reaching the Round of 32 in the Europa League.

They are known for finding and developing promising young talents and are the first Danish club ever to set up a football academy. They do this through a vast network of over 100 small clubs throughout the peninsula of Jutland.

They have a noticeably methodical style of play, which includes an organized 4-1-4-1 formation and neat, one-touch football. Analysts place them far behind FC Copenhagen - but another thing this team are known for is pulling surprise wins when no-one expects them to.

Brøndby IF

Based in the western outskirts of Copenhagen, Brøndby IF – or BIF for short – was also founded through a merger of two local clubs in 1964. They reached the top-flight league in 1981 and have mostly remained there ever since.

With ten Danish Championships and seven Danish Cups, BIF are the second most decorated club in Denmark on a domestic level – just behind F.C. Copenhagen, with whom they have a bitter rivalry.

Still, these days it’s mostly believed that BIF’s golden days are behind them. This period would be between 1985 and 2005, during which they won all of their league titles and became the only club from Denmark ever to reach a European semi-final in the 1991 UEFA Cup.

Ever since 2006, they’ve had quite a few ups and downs, and the upcoming season is not looking great, which is reflected in the odds we mentioned previously. So far they seem poised to simply remain in the middle of the Superliga’s rankings, and their chances of winning the title are very slim.

Aalborg BK

Aalborg Boldspilklub, often shortened to Aalborg BK or AaB, is one of Denmark’s oldest sports clubs, being founded back in 1885. They’re based in Aalborg, a city in the north of the country.

Their true rise to prominence only came with the Superliga, after 1991. Since then, they’ve secured four championship titles and three Danish Cup trophies. The last time was in 2014, when they managed to win both.

Internationally, they became the first team from Denmark to participate in the UEFA Champions League in 1995, although they never made it past the group stage. They also qualified for the 2008-09 iteration of the Champions League, but again without any major successes.

Even though they are historically one of the strongest teams in the Superliga, there has been a notable drop in the quality of their game in recent years. Some even consider them candidates for relegation because of some very poor showings in the pre-season.

Danish Superliga Relegation Favourites

Depending on the market in which you want to bet on the Danish Superliga, it is also worthwhile to note which teams are most likely to be relegated to the 1st Division.

Esbjerg fB

Esbjerg Forenede Boldklubber, which is their full name, used to be a real force in Danish professional football. Historically speaking, they’re one of the more successful teams in the country, boasting five championship titles and three Danish cups. These successes were mostly in the 60, though, and their last title was in 1979. With a win percentage of only 34% in the last season, Esbjerg’s form is not looking up to par.

Hobro IK

Even though Hobro’s history stretches back to 1913, they only managed to scrape their way into the highest Danish league in 2017. They’ve been bringing in a lot of new blood recently, but that hasn’t changed the fact that they can’t match up to most other teams in the league.

Danish Superliga Top Players

Great players are what makes great teams, and knowing who to pay attention to is essential for successful Danish Superliga betting. Let’s take a quick look at some of the league’s most distinguished footballers.

Viktor Fischer

This 25-year-old left winger rose to prominence a few seasons ago with Ajax and has been one of Denmarks most noted football stars ever since. He joined Copenhagen’s lineup before the previous season. Here, the strategy and formation allowed him to truly shine. Fischer has been described as a “silky operator”, alluding to the impressive control of the ball which allows him to manoeuvre his way around the opposition’s defence with ease. Evander

Evander

Evander da Silva Ferreira is this young Brazillian player’s full name – although he is mostly referred to simply as Evander. He is the attacking midfielder for Midtjylland, and is a perfect example of this club’s superb ability to scout out promising young players. He’s only signing onto the team for this season but has already been playing with them on a loan from Vasco da Gama. He fits in perfectly with Midhylland’s tight playing style.

Victor Nelsson

Aged only 21, Nelsson is already one of the most valued players in the entire league – which is an impressive feat for a defensive player, who always seem to be undervalued relative to flashy goal-getters. His unwavering defence ability has earned him the nickname “The Danish Rock”, and it fits his physicality and ability to ruin the opposition’s plans in a heartbeat.

Danish Superliga Rising Stars

Mohammed Daramy

Although this 18-year-old right winger for Copenhagen has not been given as much time on the pitch as he perhaps deserves, he is often called a wunderkind and an absolute sensation in terms of young strikers. Daramy seems to be comfortable in any forward position and is constantly racking up goals in spite of his limited playtime. Reportedly, he’s caught the eyes of prominent British clubs such as Liverpool and Celtic.

Mikkel Damsgaard

FC Nordsjælland’s left wing, the 19-year-old Damsgaard is highly valued for his ability to create opportunities through skilful dribbling and well-timed passes. His relative inexperience does mean that some other aspects of his play – like situations that require him to be on the defence – are not as great, but time will round this out.

Danish Superliga Derby Matches

Let’s take a look at Denmark’s most fiery rivalries and exciting match-ups. Interestingly, the Danish enjoy referring to their biggest derbies as “Battles”, which just adds to the intensity.

Copenhagen Derby

The name is given to the rivalry between teams traditionally perceived as Denmark’s best and biggest - FC Copenhagen and Brøndby IF. Colloquially, it is sometimes also referred to as The New Classic or The New Firm, after Scotland’s Old Firm. The rivalry has been described as so important that during the match, the whole of Copenhagen is divided into either white or yellow and blue.

Battle of Jutland

This rivalry is between Aalborg BK and Aarhus GF, which happen to be two of the oldest football clubs in Denmark (founded in 1885 and 1880, respectively.) It’s also a manifestation of the rivalry between the cities of Aalborg and Aarhus, which are some of the largest cities in the country and the most important settlements in the Jutland peninsula.

Danish Superliga Best Stadiums

Parken Stadium

Nowadays known as TeliaParken for sponsorship reasons, this stadium is home to F. C. Copenhagen and the Danish national team. Built in 1992, it features a retractable roof and a capacity of around 38,000. It has also been selected as one of the venues for UEFA Euro 2020.

Brøndby Stadium

Brondby IF’s home turf, this stadium boasts a capacity of around 28,000, most of which are seats. It was originally founded in 1965 but was little more than a grass field at that point. As Brondby rose through the ranks as a professional football club, the stadium was slowly expanded to fit their growing needs.