Denmark EURO 2020 Preview

Denmark EURO 2020 Squad

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

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

Midfielders: Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Norgaard (Brentford), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham), Thomas Delaney (Dortmund), Anders Christiansen (Malmo), Christian Eriksen (Inter Milan), Mikkel Damsgaard (Sampdoria), Robert Skov (Hoffenheim)

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

Key Players

Kasper Schmeichel: When you think of the Danish in the European Championships, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous 1992 side that entered the tournament due to circumstance, before winning the tournament as underdogs. The current Danish side might not have the same expectations twenty-nine years later, but Denmark’s past and present sides have a calming presence surnamed Schmeichel in goal. Both father and son are can also now be considered as Premier League veterans.

Fresh off the heels of an FA Cup-winning season, Kasper Schmeichel will represent the Danish Dynamite for only the second time in his sixteen-year career. The Leicester City goalkeeper is a charismatic player, and he will serve as the vice-captain for the national team. Schmeichel’s five years of experience at the highest level of football will also be supplemented by a solid Danish wall of Simon Kjaer and Jannik Vestergaard in front of him. This is also the first European Championship where Schmeichel is Denmark’s undisputed starting goalkeeper, so the time is now for him to write his name in Danish folklore.

Christian Eriksen: Christian Eriksen is another experienced member of the current Danish generation. Having earned his first international appearance as the youngest player of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Eriksen heads into the tournament as a Serie A winner with Inter. Despite not being a full-fledged starter with the Italian side, Eriksen remains ever-present in the Danish colours and his superb assist to Youssef Poulsen against Germany on Wednesday serves as a testament to his playmaking ability. A midfield trio of Eriksen, Thomas Delaney, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also makes the Danes an intriguing side to watch during this summer’s tournament. If there still are any doubts about Eriksen’s ability, the midfield general can still hit a dead-ball as well.

Denmark EURO 2020 Expectations

The Denmark EURO 2020 experience will be a unique one, just as it was in 1992. As one of the eleven nations with a host venue, the Danes have the luxury of playing all of their group matches at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. Denmark’s tournament starts on Saturday 12 June against a Finland side that has now qualified for their first-ever major tournament. De rød-hvide will then face off against group favourites Belgium on the 17th of June, before concluding Group B action four days later against Russia. Denmark’s tournament starts off with a must-win match and they’re not expected to defeat Belgium, so the Danes can advance to the knockout stages with a positive result against Russia. They might not be partying like it’s 1992 when it’s all said and done, but Danish fans will be excited to watch an ambitious Denmark side in their own backyard.

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