Struggling Denmark looking to upset tournament favorite England
England will secure a place in the knockout stage of the European Championship if they beat Denmark in Frankfurt on Thursday. The Three Lions are top of Group C after battling to a nervy 1-0 win against Serbia in their opener. It was an unconvincing performance from Gareth Southgate’s men, but they got the job done.
They now know that victory over Denmark would guarantee them a place in the Round of 16 at Euro 2024. The Danes will be disappointed after they could only draw 1-1 with Slovenia at the weekend. They were the clear favorites to win the game, and they had 68% of the possession, but they struggled to make their dominance count. Denmark’s players will now aim to reignite their campaign against England. Our Euro betting page also has more info.
Denmark Might Have To Win the Midfield Battle
Southgate opted to deploy Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside Declan Rice in midfield when England faced Serbia at the weekend. Alexander-Arnold normally plays as a right-back for Liverpool, and he did not look entirely comfortable in the middle of the park. Serbia almost scored after he gave the ball away with a sloppy pass in a dangerous area of the pitch, but Aleksandar Mitrović squandered the chance.
England’s players breathed a sigh of relief, but they can ill afford to make errors of that nature against Denmark. The Danes have a strong midfield, featuring Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Morten Hjulmand of Sporting Lisbon, and Manchester United playmaker Christian Eriksen. If Alexander-Arnold retains his position in England’s starting XI, that Danish trio could try to put him under intense pressure on Thursday. The Three Lions have world-class attackers, but if the Danes can cut off the supply from midfield, they could prevail in this game.
England Path To Victory Likely Includes Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham played a starring role in England’s narrow victory over Serbia. He ghosted into the penalty box with a perfectly timed run and headed in Bukayo Saka’s cross to hand his team the lead in the 13th minute.
Some fans hoped to see Bellingham deployed in a deeper role alongside Rice in midfield, with Manchester City’s Phil Foden in the No. 10 position. However, Southgate decided to start Bellingham as a central attacking midfielder, with Foden on the left. His decision was vindicated, as Bellingham was the best player on the pitch. Bellingham helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga last season, and he will be crucial to England’s chances of beating Denmark on Thursday.
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Denmark expected starting 11
Denmark captain Kasper Schmeichel will start in goal on Thursday. Manager Kasper Hjulmand is likely to stick with a back-three of Jannik Vestergaard, Andreas Christensen, and Joachim Anderson. Victor Kristiansen and Alexander Bah will be deployed as full-backs in a bid to thwart England’s wingers.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Morten Hjulmand, and Christian Eriksen are likely to keep their places in midfield. Eriksen scored a superb goal against Slovenia, and he has the quality to unlock England’s defense. Rasmus Højlund and Jonas Wind started up front against Slovenia, and they should keep their places, although Kasper Dolberg and Yussuf Poulsen are available if the manager wants to mix things up.
England expected starting 11
Jordan Pickford is England’s first-choice goalkeeper. The Three Lions did well to keep a clean sheet against a talented Serbian attack last time out, so the back-four should be unchanged on Thursday. That means Kyle Walker will start at right-back, with Kieran Trippier on the left and John Stones and Marc Guehi in the middle.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice will anchor the midfield. Alexander-Arnold may start again, although Southgate could opt for a more traditional central midfielder, such as Conor Gallagher or Kobbie Mainoo. Phil Foden was underwhelming against Serbia, but he is likely to keep his place in the left of the attack, with Jude Bellingham in the No. 10 role, the lively Bukayo Saka on the right, and captain Harry Kane up front.
