Germany vs Denmark: Can Germany get a result against determined Denmark?
Germany will look to power past a determined Denmark side when the two sides square off in the round of 16 on Saturday. As hosts of UEFA EURO 2024, die Mannschaft are especially keen on making a good impression after disappointing showings on the international stage for the past few years. Currently led by Julian Naglesmann, Germany have had a pretty solid start to their tournament as they topped Group A with two wins and a draw.
The three-time Euro winners were given a huge shock on matchday three as they were nearly beaten 1-0 by Switzerland, only for Dortmund striker Niclas Füllkrug to once again show his knack for scoring decisive goals as he came off the bench to spare Germany’s blushes. Many will certainly be hoping that Füllkrug earns a spot in the starting XI, as it took him just minutes to find the back of the net via a brilliant header – something that Kai Havertz was unable to do all game, despite getting numerous chances. In fact, save for a penalty against Switzerland, Havertz has had a very quiet competition, so it will be very interesting to see if Naglesmann continues to persist with keeping him as the man to lead the line or opts instead to give Füllkrug the chance to take over those duties.
Saturday’s game will be the fifth meeting between Germany and Denmark. Each side have won twice, making this a pretty well-balanced series. Notably, Denmark beat Germany 2-0 back at the 1992 UEFA EURO competition to lift the title, but the Scandinavian side don’t have the best record when it comes to playing against the hosts of a European championship.
Indeed, Denmark have lost every single one of their last five Euro games played against the hosts, and that includes a 2-1 defeat to England at Wembley three years ago in the semi-finals. As for their showing at this summer’s tournament, it’s safe to say that Kasper Hjulmand’s team haven’t exactly set the pitch alight. They picked up three wins from their matches against Slovenia, England, and Serbia, and never scored more than one goal in any of those matches. While it was a delight for fans and neutrals alike to see Christian Eriksen mark his return to the Euros with a brilliant goal against Slovenia, overall, Denmark have not put in any kind of displays that have gotten anyone buzzing.
Sometimes, however, keeping it simple does get the job done. After all, despite scoring just twice in the group stages, they earned a ticket to this juncture fair and square, and do have plenty of quality players within their ranks capable of making the difference. They will have do make do without Morten Hjulmand – who scored against England – due to suspension, and there are concerns about Eriksen after he reportedly missed training on Friday due to a stomach ailment.
Germany, for their part, will be missing key defender Jonathan Tah due to a suspension, while the experienced Antonio Rudiger is dealing with a thigh injury and may be in doubt for Saturday’s tie. All in all, this could be a very interesting tie, given that both teams, especially Denmark, will know that a draw will not suffice in order to get to the next stage.
Will it be decided in 90 minutes? Possibly, but there is also plenty of precedent to show that extra time and penalties in the knockout rounds are not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
