Denmark vs England: Three Lions aiming for improvements against the Danes
England will go head-to-head with Denmark on Thursday aiming to book their place in the last-16 of the 2024 European Championship.
The Three Lions kicked off their campaign with an underwhelming 1-0 victory over Serbia last weekend and need to step things up against the Danes.
Fans inclined towards placing online bets may be surprised to discover that England are still the 4/1 joint-favourites to win the tournament after their laboured performance.
They are odds-on to emerge victorious against Denmark, who were held to a draw by Slovenia in their opening fixture in Group C.
Manager Gareth Southgate will reportedly stick with the same starting XI despite widespread calls for him to make changes to his line-up.
Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold performed poorly in midfield on Sunday but is expected to retain his place.
Southgate has plenty of other options at his disposal, but seems intent on sticking with a risky experiment that looks doomed to fail.
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton would be a significant upgrade on Alexander-Arnold, given his ability to control the tempo in the engine room.
Another option is to move Jude Bellingham into a deeper role, which would free up the number ten position for Manchester City star Phil Foden.
Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon is the obvious choice to replace Foden on the left wing, but Southgate seems unwilling to make the necessary changes.
Kasper Hjulmand could make changes to his team following Denmark’s lacklustre opening display against Slovenia in Stuttgart last weekend.
They lacked a cutting edge in their first Euro 2024 outing and will be eager to see more from Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund against England.
Recent games between England and Denmark have been low-scoring affairs, with just eight goals scored in the last five meetings between the two sides.
They last met in the semi-finals of the 2020 European Championship at Wembley Stadium, where England came from behind to record a 2-1 victory after extra-time.
Their performance against Serbia was a wake-up call for anyone under the misapprehension that England are genuine contenders for success under Southgate.
The Three Lions made a bright start to the game and were rewarded when Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham’s powerful header put them in front.
However, they were unable to add to their tally before the break and retreated into their shell as Serbia stepped things up in the second half.
Serbia created a handful of openings and were worth a draw, but England’s defence just about held firm to ensure the team started with a win.
Denmark could cause more problems for England than Serbia and they will fancy their chances of taking something from the game.
Sticking with Alexander-Arnold in the middle of the park could be a recipe for disaster, particularly as Denmark are particularly strong in that department.
The fixture has the potential to be a banana skin for England, and their long-suffering fans could be set for yet another nervy evening.
Denmark vs England – predicted line-ups
- Denmark: Schmeichel, Andersen, Christensen, Vestergaard, Maehle, Hjulmand, Hojbjerg, Kristiansen, Eriksen, Poulsen, Hojlund.
- England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier, Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Saka, Bellingham, Foden, Kane.
Denmark vs England – match prediction
While England have lost just four of their previous 22 meetings with Denmark (W13, D5), they would be well advised not to underestimate their opponents.
The Danes took four points off England in the 2020/21 Nations League and pushed them close in the Euro 2020 semi-finals. On that basis, backing a 1-1 draw could be the way to play this one.
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