Two sides who picked up differing results on Euro 2024 matchday one clash on Thursday, as Denmark and England face off in Frankfurt in Group C action.
Despite leading for much of their opening fixture against Slovenia thanks to an excellent first-half strike from Christian Eriksen, Denmark eventually failed to hold on and had to settle for a draw.
Later that same day, England beat Serbia 1-0 in a cagey affair as manager Gareth Southgate extended his 100% winning record going when it comes to taking victory in his side’s opening match at major international tournaments.
- England to win @ 13/20 with bet365
- England under six corners @ 8/13 with bet365
- Bukayo Saka to score first @ 15/2 with bet365
England to win another tight match
Although England’s opening match against Serbia didn’t produce the best performance, Jude Bellingham and company still delivered a vital 1-0 win when it mattered most.
That already puts the Three Lions in a fantastic position in Group C. They topped the group early on thanks to Denmark’s 1-1 draw with Slovenia in Stuttgart.
Jude Bellingham proved the difference maker on the scoresheet, marauding into the penalty area to head home after just 13 minutes. Despite facing some late Serbian pressure, England’s backline held firm to deliver a timely clean sheet.
In this next outing against Denmark, a similar performance and match should be expected as Southgate’s side looks to claim another win and progress to the competition’s knockout rounds.
With the Danes needing to record a positive result, they could be susceptible to England’s talented frontline on the break. They will look to help their side make it successive head-to-head victories after knocking Denmark out of Euro 2020 at the semi-final stage.
Corners to be few and far between for England
If Denmark and England play out another tight and cagey affair in Frankfurt on Thursday as expected, corners in the match could be scarce.
The Three Lions’ opener against Serbia saw just three total corners taken in the match and that’s something that has been seen quite regularly in their competitive matches over the past couple of years.
With an onus on building up the play through the middle of the park by using Bellingham in an attacking midfield spot, England continue to struggle to force corners.
By this point, none of their last five competitive international matches have seen Southgate’s side win over six corners in a single match, whilst none of their last three outings at major tournaments have witnessed the Three Lions record more than five corners.
That trend looks set to continue here, especially as England only won six corners in their last meeting with Denmark but needed over 120 minutes to complete such a feat.
Saka to strike first
Despite players such as Cole Palmer and Jarrod Bowen enjoying stellar campaigns for their respective clubs this season, Bukayo Saka still got the nod to start England’s opening match against Serbia.
The Arsenal winger looked dangerous throughout, even as the Three Lions struggled to make too many chances in front of goal, and recorded the assist on Bellingham’s winning goal.
In this match against Denmark, he could be the one to watch when it comes to opening the scoring instead.
For the Gunners last season, the 22-year-old struck 20 goals in 47 competitive appearances and, amongst those strikes, eight acted as match opening finishes.
With three such finishes coming across his last four goals for the Premier League side and his solid return of 11 strikes across 34 caps for England overall, he represents great value here to get on the scoresheet first.
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