Denmark secured their spot in the round of 16 at Euro 2024 with an underwhelming performance against Serbia that ended as it began.
During the early exchanges, Denmark were evidently riding high on confidence after their impressive performance against England, as they pressed Serbia aggressively to good effect from the front and dictated the tempo of the game in possession with patient build-up play, picking their moments to get players into the opposing box.
Group C saw only seven goals scored across all three matchdays, making it the lowest-scoring group in the Euros, and the first half of this match was in keeping with that theme, as neither side managed to create a chance of real significance, with Denmark managing only two tame shots on target, while Serbia were unable to register a single attempt to trouble Kasper Schmeichel.
Adopting a more attacking shape in the second half, Serbia looked better going forward and thought they had taken the lead when Luka Jovic's shot bobbled over the goal line in the 53rd minute, but the flag was raised, and VAR quickly confirmed the AC Milan forward was offside at the top of his run.
A lack of class in the final third for both teams was evident in the closing stages as Serbia pushed forward without creating much, while Denmark lacked the spark to unlock the opposing defence.
In the end, neither side really deserved to win and the scoreline was an accurate reflection of the match, which saw a total of only four shots on target across the 90 minutes.
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Denmark withstand late pressure to take point
Both sides seemed content to sit back in the first half, but there was more intent shown in the second period, albeit to no avail, with both managers making personnel changes in search of the opening goal.
Needing a win to have a chance of progressing, Dragan Stojkovic brought on Luka Jovic and Dusan Tadic for Nemanja Gudelj and Lazar Samardzic at the interval, and from then on there was a notable improvement in the Serbian attack.
Aleksandar Mitrovic became more involved as Serbia began throwing more bodies forward and the Al-Hilal forward almost broke the deadlock with 20 minutes left to play but failed to steer his effort on target from a Dusan Vlahovic cut-back.
Serbia were the more attacking side in the final moments of the game but never really looked likely to find a goal late in the day, as Denmark got everyone behind the ball and saw out the match with a clean sheet.
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Can Denmark continue scraping by in the last 16?
With this result, Denmark have got through to the last 16 without winning a game in the group stage, and there will be questions raised about their chances in the competition going forward after a blunt attacking performance tonight.
Across the 90 minutes, Denmark managed just three shots on target, none of which came in the second half, as they looked increasingly content to settle for the point, particularly after Stojkovic's side began pushing forward late on.
While looking sharp when on the ball, Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund was starved of possession for the majority of the time he spent on the pitch, and the fact that the Red and Whites' best chance of the game came from their centre-back, speaks volumes about their attacking performance on the night.
Christian Eriksen continues to be Denmark's most creative player but the lack of pace in the side's midfield could easily be their downfall when coming up against sides with greater quality in attacking areas than Serbia.
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Man of the Match - Christian Eriksen
In a low-quality match that nobody will likely care to remember, Christian Eriksen was the undoubted class act in the Denmark midfield, as he controlled the tempo and direction of the game for his side.
Indeed, while there is a case to be made for Hojlund to be picked out as the standout performer, his lack of involvement for large spells saw him withdrawn without producing a clear shot on goal.
What next for Denmark?
Denmark will move on to face Germany in Dortmund in the knockouts and will need to find major improvement on today's performance to contain the German attack and make things a little more interesting than what we saw tonight.
Devesh Jaganath
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