MX23RW : Friday, November 15 13:06:21| >> :600:103292:103292:

An in-depth analysis of Denmark ahead of Wednesday's semi-final

An in-depth analysis of Denmark ahead of Wednesday's semi-final
© Reuters
The Danes have bounced back from a traumatic incident with Christian Eriksen to take the tournament by storm.

Denmark stand in the way of England and a first major final since the 1966 World Cup.

The Danes reached the semi-finals on a wave of emotion, having seen midfield star Christian Eriksen collapse after suffering a cardiac arrest during their tournament opener against Finland in Copenhagen.

Here, the PA news agency puts the focus on Denmark ahead of the last-four clash at Wembley.

Form

Denmark handed Wales a heavy defeat
Denmark handed Wales a heavy defeat (PA)

Denmark came into Euro 2020 in outstanding form, losing only twice in 28 games. They then lost their first two games at the tournament – 1-0 to Finland in the game overshadowed by Eriksen's incident and 2-1 to Belgium despite an encouraging display. But since then the Danes have put four past Russia and Wales before a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in the quarter-final.

Coach

Denmark Russia Euro 2020 Soccer
Kasper Hjulmand had been set to take charge of Denmark after the original Euro 2020 tournament, before it was postponed (Stuart Franklin/AP)

Kasper Hjulmand was originally due to become Denmark manager after Euro 2020 with his predecessor Age Hareide's contract due to expire. But the 12-month postponement of the finals due to the coronavirus pandemic allowed him to be in charge. Hjulmand, 49, was forced to end his playing career at the age of 26 due to a knee injury. He began his coaching career at Lyngby and had two spells at Nordsjaelland either side of an unhappy nine-month spell at Mainz in Germany. Hjulmand has won 12, drawn two and lost four of his 18 games as Denmark coach.

Tactics

Joakim Maehle has impressed down the left
Joakim Maehle has impressed down the left (PA)

Denmark began the tournament in a 4-3-3 shape but the loss of playmaker Eriksen prompted a rethink and a switch to a three-man central defence. Skipper Simon Kjaer is flanked by Jannik Vestergaard and Andreas Christensen at the back, with central midfielders Thomas Delaney and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg protecting the defence and starting attacks. Left-wing back Joakim Maehle and the impressive Mikkel Damsgaard provide the creativity while Kasper Dolberg has scored three goals in two games since being handed the central striking role.

Key men

Denmark Russia Euro 2020 Soccer
Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel hopes to emulate his father Peter and become a European Championship winner with Denmark (Stuart Franklin/AP)

Denmark won the 1992 European Championship with Peter Schmeichel in goal, and his son Kasper provides another formidable barrier three decades on. Central defender Kjaer, as he showed during the Eriksen incident, is an inspirational leader and the midfield pair of Delaney and Hojbjerg are two streetwise campaigners. In the absence of Eriksen, exciting Sampdoria winger Damsgaard is capable of sprinkling Danish stardust.

ID:454170: cacheID:454170:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8964:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Jordan Henderson celebrates scoring for England against Ukraine at Euro 2020 on July 3, 2021
Read Next:
How do England and Denmark statistically compare ahead of semi-final?
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!