Euro 2024: Danish Test for Uncertain England

Denmark vs England

It’s never easy being an England fan. As a young hopeful I was at Wembley in 1996 singing how the Three Lions were about to end “30 years of hurt”. 28 years on and I’m still hurting.

In 2021, Gareth Southgate’s team had the best chance of all, at home to an aging Italy side in the Euro final at Wembley and, as Giorgio Chiellini and co. laughed on the sidelines, England bottled it.

Right, I’ve got that off my chest, so let’s dust ourselves off and start dreaming again.

England got off to a winning start to their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 victory over Serbia, while Denmark were held to a 1-1 draw with Slovenia. And that means the Three Lions sit top of Group C, so it’s so far so good.

Denmark head coach Kasper Hjulmand knows his team probably needs a result against England on Thursday if they are to give themselves the best chance of automatic qualification, and they will be a dangerous opponent.

After the first set of Euro 2024 results and with an eye on the performances of the top nations, the mood has moved a little, and Germany have joined England and France as joint favourites.

For a number of reasons, this is a huge game.

Talking Points

Southgate seeking the right balance

England has, without doubt, one of the most talented squads in the competition, and the best group of players the Three Lions have boasted in a generation. But now Southgate is under pressure to find the winning formula and turn these fine players into a conquering team.

Against Serbia, the Three Lions were superb in the first half and went ahead thanks to a thumping Jude Bellingham header and, while Harry Kane was inches away from doubling the lead, England looked more disjointed, and fans became worried as the game wore on.

Maybe they were a little undercooked as a number of the starting XI hadn’t played a competitive game for a while, but one or two players looked out of sorts and maybe even out of position.

Kane was exposed up front, making only two touches of the ball in the first half, while Kieran Trippier, a natural right-back, was playing on the left.

And while the midfield of Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, and Trent Alexander-Arnold is a quality creative trio, a lot of the territory battle falls on the shoulders of Rice, who looked more comfortable with defencive midfielder Kalvin Phillips alongside him in 2021.

The Euro 2024 betting odds have taken the very slightest move away from England, but it’s only one game, and the second half cameo from winger Jarrod Bowen was certainly reason for optimism.

Old Trafford connection gives Denmark star quality

A sublime goal from Christian Eriksen looked for all the word that it would give Denmark an opening win against Slovenia, but they spurned a few more chances and were eventually bitten by a late equaliser.

It was fantastic to see the 32-year-old Eriksen making his 131^st appearance for the Danes, exactly 1,100 days after he suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2021.

The Manchester United man is still a class act, and he ran the show in the opening hour of the game. England players know how good his delivery is, and they will have to work hard to ensure Eriksen doesn’t have the space to thrive.

If he does, the chief beneficiary could well be his Red Devils teammate Rasmus Hojlund, who came close to doubling Denmark’s lead before the Slovenians struck.

There was a lot of pressure on the 21-year-old’s shoulders last season after his £64 million move from Atalanta to Manchester. While he initially found things difficult, Hojlund finished up with 10 goals from 30 games, and his pace and strength will give the England defence plenty to think about.

Denmark have plenty of other top quality players in the ranks, instantly recognisable to SBOTOP football fans and playing in Europe’s top leagues.

Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen, Spurs midfield ace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Wolfsburg striker Jonas Wind should all make a start against England.

History

England have won six of the 13 head-to-heads, with four Danish victories and three draws. The two teams famously met in the semi-final of Euro 2020 when England won 2-1 as Kane scored an extra-time penalty.

Denmark come into the game in better form with three wins and two draws from the last five games, while England have won two, drawn one, and lost two.

Betting Tip

The Three Lions are strong favourites to win this game at odds of 1.64. But Denmark at 5.03 and the draw at 3.46 are both well in the game, and the Double Chance: Denmark Win or Draw is priced at 2.30.

England have a tendency to start quickly and then tail off, as they did against Serbia. So, while I’m bracing myself for another nervy night, I’m backing the Three Lions to take a first-half lead.

 

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