England vs Denmark: EURO 2020 Semifinals Preview

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Juan Pablo

Perhaps this is the year when football it’s finally “coming home”? There are two matches left to determine whether that will be a reality or not, but one thing is certain. The Three Lions are candidates given how good they have looked so far, particularly in their last two matches. Their semifinal opponent won’t be an easy rival, though, as Denmark are living a Cinderella story and are just 180 minutes away from repeating what they accomplished in the 1992 EUROS, when they also lifted the trophy as massive underdogs.

The referee for this match will be Danny Makkelie, from the Netherlands.

England

Gareth Southgate’s men should be brewing with confidence given how impressive they have looked in the current EUROS. Aside from their massive 4-0 rout of Ukraine in the quarterfinals and their impressive 2-0 win against Germany in the Round of 16, it’s also worth noting that The Three Lions have yet to concede a goal in the tournament. They are the only team in the tournament’s history to keep five straight clean sheets and will aim to make it six in a row. If they are able to show the same defensive grit they have showcased in their past two matches, then their attack should take care of the rest. Especially if we consider England have been playing better and better as the tournament progresses.

England Injury Report: None

England Expected Starting Lineup: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Kieran Phillips, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka or Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling; Harry Kane

Denmark

Who would have expected Denmark to reach the semifinals before the European Championship started? How about after losing the tournament opener against Finland and missing Christian Eriksen for the rest of the tournament after a scary heart problem? Certainly not even the most optimistic fan would have expected the Danes to bounce back the way they did, but such has been the case. They are on a three-game winning streak entering this match and, just like England, they keep playing better and better after each game. Their defensive remains a work in progress and they can’t match up with England on a name-to-name basis. However, their heart and desire to compete can’t be questioned. And if they keep playing as they have done it in the last three games — and the first half against Belgium — then no one can deny them the chance of pulling the upset.

Denmark Injury Report: Christian Eriksen (heart) – out

Denmark Expected Starting Lineup: Kasper Schmeichel; Andreas Christensen, Simon Kjær, Jannik Vestergaard; Jens Larsen Stryger, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Thomas Delaney, Joakim Mæhle; Martin Braithwaite, Kasper Dolberg, Mikkel Damsgaard

Finally, you might want to check out England vs Denmark H2H and predict the result.