This is their first meeting since the Euro 2020 semi-finals, where England came from behind to win 2-1 after extra time at Wembley. Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark's first game of Euro 2020, made a heartwarming return to the continental stage by scoring the opening goal in Denmark's recent 1-1 draw with Slovenia.
Eriksen's goal came 1,100 days after his cardiac arrest, with a superb assist from Jonas Wind. However, Slovenia's Erik Janza equalized with a deflected long-range shot 13 minutes before the end, resulting in a draw.
Denmark's coach, Kasper Hjulmand, acknowledged his team's lack of intensity in the closing stages and urged them to maintain high energy levels throughout the entire 90 minutes to secure crucial points in their remaining group games.
Denmark, ranked 21st by FIFA, has been hard to beat recently, losing only one of their last 13 matches since March 2023. However, their draw with Slovenia means they've won just one of their last six European Championship group games.
Denmark, the Euro 1992 champions, have only won four of their previous 22 meetings with England. Failure to win against England could risk their elimination from the group stage for the second consecutive major tournament, following their early exit from the 2022 World Cup.
On the other hand, England started their Euro 2024 campaign positively with a 1-0 victory over Serbia, inspired by Jude Bellingham’s debut season at Real Madrid. Bellingham scored the only goal in the 13th minute, heading in from Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross. Despite a challenging second half, England's defense held strong, showing resilience under pressure.
England's win puts them two points ahead of Denmark and Slovenia, with a victory on Thursday ensuring their progression to the last 16. Remarkably, England has kept five consecutive clean sheets in the group stage of the European Championship, a first in the competition's history. They have not lost a group stage match since their Euro 2004 opener against France, achieving eight wins and four draws since then.
England aims to win their first two matches of a Euros tournament for the first time when they face Denmark. However, success is not guaranteed, as England has not won any of their last three competitive meetings with Denmark in regulation time.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Denmark's manager Hjulmand might stick with the same lineup for Thursday's match. This means Crystal Palace's Joachim Andersen, ex-Chelsea player Andreas Christensen (now at Barcelona), and Leicester City's Jannik Vestergaard would continue in a three-man defense, protecting 37-year-old goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.Joakim Maehle is pushing for a spot at wing-back, possibly replacing either Alexander Bah or Victor Kristiansen. In midfield, Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is likely to team up with Morten Hjulmand. Up front, Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund, who has scored seven goals in 15 international appearances, is expected to start alongside Jonas Wind, with Christian Eriksen playing in the number 10 role.
For England, manager Gareth Southgate is deciding whether to keep the same starting lineup or make a few changes. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden might drop to the bench. Alexander-Arnold played in central midfield with Declan Rice against Serbia and could stay in that role. However, Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, or Adam Wharton might replace him during the group stage.
Phil Foden struggled on the left wing in the last match. The Manchester City star prefers playing centrally or on the right, but Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka have secured those spots. Therefore, Foden might continue on the left unless Southgate decides to give a chance to Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer, or Eberechi Eze.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Denmark possible starting lineup:Schmeichel; Andersen, Christensen, Vestergaard; Bah, Hjulmand, Hojbjerg, Kristiansen; Eriksen; Wind, Hojlund
England possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Foden; Kane
EXPERT PREDICTION
Denmark 2-2 England
Three of the last four matches between Denmark and England have been low-scoring affairs, with no more than one goal in each game. Given the high stakes at this early stage of the tournament, another close contest is likely.
Denmark shouldn't be underestimated in Frankfurt; they have the attacking talent to challenge England. However, if the Three Lions can defend as solidly as they did against Serbia and Southgate can get his attackers to find their rhythm, they should be able to secure a narrow win and advance to the last 16.
