Match Prediction: Denmark vs England UEFA European Championship 2024
In 2021, these teams met in the semi-final stage, and despite many predicting a comfortable win for this English side, only a Harry Kane rebound from his own penalty in extra time proved to be the difference.
A lot has changed for England since then. During that tournament, the nation fell in love with the side, but now the team will have the burden of expectation. The Danes will simply look to repeat the same formula as the last tournament. If they can avoid conceding too many, it is possible for them to once again advance deep in the tournament.
How did they qualify?
England qualified for the Euros with an air of arrogance, winning 6 and drawing 2. This included an impressive away win against Italy, a result that has traditionally been hard to come by. Recent friendlies have been disappointing for the England side despite scoring a last-minute equaliser against Belgium. However, these games were played during the middle of the season, and the intensity cannot be compared to the Euros 2024.
Denmark qualified with ease, topping the group with 22 points. Their only defeat came to Slovenia, who also picked up 22 points. It was a very weak group, though, so judging the Danes by their qualifying form might not give the full story of their current state.
Team Analysis
England's manager, Gareth Southgate, has an enormous amount of attacking talent to choose from. Still, he prefers playing with a packed midfield, which means England's bench can often look very threatening. In theory, goals can come from every outfield player on this England side, which makes them so dangerous.
Denmark's youthful energy was part of the reason they advanced so far in the tournament last time, and not much has changed. A few youngsters will be tasked with doing the dirty work, while star players Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Holjund hope to put in solid performances for the Danes.
Players to watch
England have a host of attacking talent, all capable of winning matches for England of their own back. Here is one man who is an absolute superstar.
- Jude Bellingham: It's hard to believe this Real Madrid man is 20 years old. Since joining Real, his game has gone up another gear, scoring many important goals. England will be hoping he can bring his A-game to the party
The Danish lost to their opponents in this match in the semi-final stages last time. Only missing out on extra time, we are sure they would like to heap some pain on this English side, although we're sure revenge won't be their primary motivation.
- Pierre-Emile Højbjerg: The Tottenham man is the opposite of flashy, but his tenacity has often won him plaudits for his national side. If he is able to perform well in midfield, Denmark are capable of upsetting a few teams in this tournament
Prediction
England will almost certainly have the lion's share of possession in this game, but the question is, will they have enough to win? With Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and much more, the England fans will be expecting, and so will we. This could prove to be a challenging game, but it should result in an England win.