Five Denmark dangermen Southgate and England must look out for – including Man Utd duo
England face a tough Denmark side in their second Group C fixture at Euro 2024, where Gareth Southgate will want a more convincing performance than their opener
Denmark are Gareth Southgate's toughest opponents in the Euro 2024 group stage (Image: Getty)
England face their toughest test of the group stage against Denmark on Thursday evening. The Three Lions head into the game needing only a point to stand a good chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds.
Gareth Southgate’s men have already got the pressure of the first game out of the way after claiming all three points in a 1-0 win over Serbia. The England manager will know better than anyone that it wasn’t a vintage performance by any means, with his side losing control and creating little in the second half of that performance.
Denmark, led by manager Kasper Hjulmand, are coming off the back of their own disappointing result after a 1-1 draw against Slovenia, but will pose a threat with the abundance of Premier League quality they have at their disposal. And Express Sport has identified their five dangermen who England must look out for.
Rasmus Hojlund didn't set the world alight in his first season at Old Trafford but he still ended the campaign with 16 goals in all competitions. That included a hugely impressive five in six in the Champions League - yet his red hot form for his country is even more impressive.
He is undoubtedly Denmark’s star striker with seven goals in eight Euro 2024 qualifying matches - and he almost had another against Slovenia but for a great Jan Oblak save. England centre-backs John Stones and Marc Guehi will need to keep on top of his pace on the counter, and especially his deadly darting runs into the six-yard box.
Rasmus Hojlund is Denmark's dangerman up top (Image: Getty)
Andreas Christensen (Barcelona)
At the other end of the pitch is Andreas Christensen, who English football fans will be familiar with from his time at Chelsea. His battle with Harry Kane will be a tantalising one, though his impact in the opposite box cannot be underestimated either.
The central defender scored headers in big games for Barcelona last season, both in El Clasico and against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals, with his first touch of the ball. England must remain switched on during set plays or be punished accordingly.
Whipping the ball in for Christensen and Hojlund from those set-pieces will be talisman Christian Eriksen, who enjoyed a dream start to the Euros by scoring an outstanding volley, 1,100 days after suffering cardiac arrest in the 2021 edition of the tournament. The Manchester United playmaker has been Denmark’s best player for a decade and proved that with two man of the match displays in qualifying.
The 32-year-old was at the heart of the chances created against Slovenia, tormenting defenders with his corners and free-kicks, but is just as adept at carving open defences from open play. England must stop him in order to nullify Denmark’s threat, which could mean having to field either Conor Gallagher or Adam Wharton in the double pivot alongside Declan Rice.
Christian Eriksen scored a dream goal in Denmark's opener (Image: Getty)
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Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojberg is the midfield general in the Denmark team. The veteran’s role will be key in the midfield battle which is likely to decide the game - and his two goals in qualifying showed he can provide big moments too.
England lost that midfield battle in the second half against Serbia and could very well be overwhelmed by the Danes. Denmark dominated possession (68%) against Slovenia with 88% pass accuracy, and boasted the fourth highest possession out of any team in Euros qualifying (64%).
Jonas Wind (Wolfsburg)
Denmark will be looking to clinch a win after dropping two points to a late Slovenia equaliser on Sunday. The Danes had taken the lead after just 17 minutes, with Jonas Wind providing a sublime flick to assist Eriksen.
The forward will be a handful for England’s defence, having scored 11 goals for Wolfsburg and notched a further seven assists in the Bundesliga last season. Wind has a tally of eight goals for Denmark - only Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane have scored more for England.
