Denmark Euro 2020: Schedule Fixtures, Full Squad, Best Players, Manager, Tactics and Predictions

Denmark Euro 2020

The Danes could be dark horses for the competition with the majority of their players plying their trade in Europe's top five leagues.

Denmark open their Euro 2020 campaign against Finland before difficult matches against Belgium and Russia.

Denmark stand a decent chance of progressing to the knockout stages this summer after being placed in a group alongside Belgium, Russia and Finland. The shock 1992 champions are returning to the Euros after missing out in 2016 and will be managed by Kasper Hjulmand.

Denmark Euro 2020 schedule fixtures

June 12: Finland, 5pm

June 17: Belgium, 5pm

June 21: Russia, 8pm

Denmark’s Euro 2020 fixtures kick off at home in Copenhagen against Finland on June 12.

As the name suggests, Euro 2020 was supposed to take place last year, but the coronavirus pandemic forced UEFA to postpone the tournament by 12 months.

The competition, which will be held in 11 different cities in the same number of countries, begins with a meeting between Italy and Turkey in Rome on June 11.

The final will take place a month later, with England, France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Germany among the favourites to be walking out at Wembley on July 11.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side will be aiming to make it to the knockout stages this summer and begin their campaign at home to Finland in Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium on June 12.

They then face Group B favourites Belgium on June 17 before a final group game against Russia on June 21, with all matches taking place in the Danish capital.

If Denmark finish top of Group B they will set up a Last-16 meeting with the third-placed team from Group A, D, E or F.

Should they come second, a battle with the second-placed team from Group A awaits: Italy, Switzerland, Turkey or Wales.

The Danes could still advance to the knockout phase if they finish outside the top two of their group, with four last-16 spots available to the best third-placed finishers.

Denmark - The full 26-man Euro 2020 squad list

Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, Chelsea's Andreas Christensen and Tottenham's Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg are among the Premier League contingent, while Inter's Christian Eriksen and Borussia Dortmund's Thomas Delaney also made the cut.

Joachim Andersen - who spent the season on loan at Fulham and is attracting plenty of interest - will feature as well, along with Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite and RB Leipzig's Yussuf Poulsen.

Denmark were unbeaten in qualifying, winning four of their eight games and just being pipped to first place in Group D by Switzerland. In their last major tournament, the 2018 World Cup, they did well, securing a draw against eventual winners France in the group stages before going out in the round of 16 to finalists Croatia on penalties.

Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Jonas Lossl (FC Midtjylland), Frederik Ronnow (Schalke)

Defenders: Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Jannik Vestergaard (Southampton), Joachim Andersen (Fulham), Mathias Jorgensen (Copenhagen), Daniel Wass (Valencia), Jens Stryger Larsen (Udinese), Joakim Maehle (Atalanta), Nicolai Boilesen (Copenhagen)

Midfielders: Christian Eriksen (Inter Milan), Thomas Delaney (Borussia Dortmund), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham), Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard (both Brentford), Anders Christiansen (Malmo)

Forwards: Kasper Dolberg (Nice), Jonas Wind (Copenhagen), Andreas Cornelius (Parma), Martin Braithwaite (Barcelona), Robert Skov (Hoffenheim), Mikkel Damsgaard (Sampdoria), Yussuf Poulsen (Leipzig), Andreas Skov Olsen (Bologna)

The best players Denmark will bring to Euro 2020

Goalkeeper: Kasper Schmeichel

Just like in their finest hour there’s a Schmeichel between the sticks for Denmark. Peter’s son Kasper, an elite shot-stopper in his own right, has won 63 international caps to date, keeping 32 clean sheets in that time. During their recent European qualifying run, the Leicester City goalkeeper was only breached on six occasions and half of those came in Denmark’s opening 3-3 draw at Switzerland.

Schmeichel has the ‘number one’ jersey on lock and barring an injury will make his Euro debut this summer. His previous tournament experience was the 2018 World Cup finals where he kept two clean sheets, including against eventual champions France, but the Premier League winner couldn’t turn hero as Croatia dumped Age Hareide’s men out on penalties in the round-of-16.

Defender: Simon Kjaer

There’s no substitute for experience and Danish national team captain Simon Kjaer is such an example. The much-travelled centre-back — who has represented nine clubs across six different countries — made his 100th international appearance in 2020, in a career which began over a decade ago. Kjaer was ever-present in their European qualifying campaign and will be tasked with marshalling Denmark’s defence which looks promising. He’s also a survivor of the Dane’s last Euro participation in 2012 when they shocked World Cup runners-up the Netherlands with a 1-0 victory on the opening week.

Midfielder: Christian Eriksen

Like the aforementioned pair Christian Eriksen brings a plethora of wisdom. He is arguably their most important player from a creative standpoint, but unlike previous tournament appearances the Inter Milan playmaker will not be carrying Denmark on his shoulders. It still feels like yesterday when the Middelfart-born international announced himself as World Cup 2010’s youngest footballer, and since then, Eriksen has gone from strength to strength, having amassed 36 goals from 106 appearances. There’s no doubt whatsoever that all eyes will be on him when Hjulmand’s side take to the field this summer. If anyone can inspire Denmark then it’s Michael Laudrup’s heir apparent.

Forward: Martin Braithwaite

Eyebrows were raised when Barcelona, in early 2020, acquired the services of ex-Middlesbrough forward Martin Braithwaite after they were granted an emergency exception following Ousmane Dembele’s long-term injury. But in all fairness, he’s made the most of this opportunity, subsequently becoming a cult Camp Nou hero. Such exposure, notably training alongside Lionel Messi, has raised his game, thus potentially benefiting Denmark in the long run. Braithwaite, who featured in all four of their 2018 World Cup matches, will be determined to register his first major tournament goal this summer.

Who is Denmark Manager at Euro 2020?

There have been four official senior team managers since the Euro winner Nielsen stood down in 1996. Morten Olsen was the longest-serving coach, operating from July 2000 to November 2015, while new coach Kasper Hjulmand has only coached 10 games.

Danish National Team Coach – Kasper Hjulmand (Courtesy: Fifa/Twitter)

Hjulmand, who had a brief playing career, began coaching in 2006 after being recruited from Lyngby. Soon after, he moved to Nordsjaelland, where he briefly worked as an assistant manager before taking over the helm, which appeared to be a brilliant decision as he led The Tigers to Danish Superliga success in his first campaign.

He’s experimented with a variety of combinations, but a 4-2-3-1 seems to be his favorite. Last October, this device was used to powerful effect against England, and it was designed specifically for Eriksen, their most powerful organ.

Denmark Euro 2020 - the Tactics

Given the sample size when it comes to matches and the lack of a prolonged period of time with his players, it’s fair to say Hjulmand is still in the experimental phase regarding tactics and personnel. He’s tinkered with various formations, but a 4-2-3-1 seems to be his preferred choice. This system was used to great effect against Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions last October, and is fundamentally tailor-made for Eriksen, their most important cog.

By utilising him in a deep-lying forward role, Denmark’s ‘number 10’ is able to get Hjulmand’s wingers — i.e. Braithwaite, Yussuf Poulsen and Pione Sisto — into the game as well as supporting the centre-forward. Right now Jonas Wind is in possession of the ‘number nine’ jersey, but the likes of Kasper Dolberg and Andreas Cornelius will not give up without a fight.

This expected line-up isn’t a million miles away from the XI that took to the field during Denmark’s penalty shootout defeat to Croatia in the 2018 World Cup round-of-16. Core players like Kasper Schmeichel, Christian Eriksen, Yussuf Poulsen and Andreas Christensen are still around, though the latter has moved back into his preferred centre-back role.

A double pivot has Eriksen’s back and the currently-ranked 10th best team (according to Fifa’s ranking) are blessed with some of the best central midfielders around. Thomas Delaney and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, in particular, are household names. Hojbjerg’s stock has certainly risen since joining Tottenham from Southampton before the 2020/21 season, whilst Delaney continues to be a fixture at Dortmund. Behind them is an irresistible central defensive pairing of Simon Kjaer and Andreas Christensen.

Denmark Euro 2020 - Predictions

Few people expected Denmark to win the World Cup in 1992, and the sentiment is still the same approximately thirty years later. They have been drawn in a difficult group B alongside Belgium, Russia and Finland.

The Danes are undoubtedly among Europe’s lower-ranked nations, the odds too are stacked against Hjulmand’s side to triumph this season. They are currently the tenth-favorite, with six past winners, as well as England, Belgium, and Croatia, ahead of them.

Chances of winning

Very few backed Denmark to go all the way in 1992 and that’s the exact same feeling nearly three decades on. The Danes are arguably in that cluster of nations below Europe’s elite and Sky Bet are offering odds of 28/1 for Hjulmand’s men to end up victorious this summer. As things stand, they are 10th-favourites, with six former champions above them as well as England, Belgium and Croatia.

We predicts that Denmark will exit at the Round of 16 stage. They may stage an upset in the knockouts but such an event is highly unlikely.

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