Football News: Denmark Aiming to Upset England in Euro 2024 Group C
As the excitement builds for Euro 2024, Denmark‘s previous triumph as rank outsiders in the 1992 European Championships means they cannot be underestimated by England in Group C. In the last tournament, the Danes reached the semi-finals where they were eliminated by Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions, before Kasper Hjulmand‘s swashbuckling side breezed through qualifying for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Things have been tougher since, however. The Danes crashed out at the group stage in Qatar after failing to fire, and although they topped Euro 2024 qualifying Group H, they did so only on goal difference ahead of Slovenia. Nonetheless, Denmark will boast plenty of Premier League experience in their squad and will be determined to make an impact in Germany.
Hjulmand has shown tactical flexibility during the qualifying campaign, and the Danes have a good chance of escaping their group, even if they are not expected to replicate the feat of three years ago.
The absence of domestic-based players in their squad is a surprising factor, in contrast to England‘s tournament-high 24 home-based players.
Denmark‘s warm-up games have been mixed, with a 3-1 win over Norway and a late victory against Sweden, but the team will be looking to Manchester United‘s Rasmus Hojlund to provide the firepower to potentially upset the odds against England. The 21-year-old striker will be motivated to showcase his talent on the international stage after an indifferent debut season in the Premier League.
Another player to watch is winger Andreas Skov Olsen, who has enjoyed a breakout scoring season with Club Brugge in Belgium and could emerge as a household name in Germany. Holding midfielder Morten Hjulmand, no relation to the head coach, is also a late bloomer on the international stage, arriving off the back of a stellar season with Sporting in Portugal.
Denmark‘s Group C opener against Slovenia on June 16 in Stuttgart will be a crucial early test, with England and Serbia also lying in wait. The Danes’ passionate supporters, expected to number around 50,000 in Germany, will be hoping their team can defy the odds and make another deep run in the tournament.
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