Denmark's odds to win the World Cup
30/1
Best World Cup
Quarter-final 1998
2018 World Cup
Second round
Denmark's World Cup Schedule
|
Date |
Fixture |
Location |
|
22nd November 1pm |
Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan |
|
|
26th November 4pm |
Stadium 974, Doha |
|
|
30th November 3pm |
Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah |
Road to Qatar
Denmark comfortably topped what was arguably the weakest of UEFA's ten qualifying groups and they wasted no time in establishing their superiority. They did not concede a goal until the ninth of their ten qualifying games, by which time they had bagged an impressive 30 goals in seeing off the challenges of Scotland, Israel, Austria, Faroe Islands and Moldova. Not even a 2-0 loss to the Scots in a meaningless final game could take the gloss off a sparkling campaign.
Recent form
The Danes will be buzzing with confident anticipation after enjoying something of a resurgence this year. They bounced back from a 4-2 defeat to the Netherlands by easing to a 3-0 friendly win over Serbia. Their Nations League campaign showed both sides of a team still learning about itself, as they lost home and away to Croatia, but inflicted that same fate on both Austria and France, with September's 2-0 over the World Cup holders offering great cause for optimism ahead of their group stage clash in Doha.
Denmark squad
Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Nice), Oliver Christensen (Hertha Berlin).
Defenders: Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Joakim Maehle (Atalanta), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds Utd), Jens Stryger Larsen (Trabzonspor), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray), Daniel Wass (Brondby).
Midfielders: Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Eriksen (Man Utd), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge), Jesper Lindstrom (Eintracht Frankfurt), Andreas Cornelius (Copenhagen), Martin Braithwaite (Espanyol), Kasper Dolberg (Sevilla), Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Jonas Wind (Wolfsburg).
Team insights
Probable formation: 3-4-3 Denmark have shaken off a reputation for defensive football to become one of Europe's most attractive free-scoring teams over the last couple of years. Kasper Schmeichel has proved to be a rock and a leader between the sticks, while an experienced football-playing back three allows Denmark's wing-backs the licence to push on and offer an attacking threat down the flanks. Between them, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Thomas Delaney are crucial in providing the double pivot that allows Christian Eriksen, who has quite literally been given a new lease of life since his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, to pull the strings as Denmark's best creative midfield option. Up front, Kasper Dolberg is likely to start the tournament leading the line alongside Mikkel Damsgaard, but the promising Jonas Wind will be keen to offer an alternative attacking option.
Key players
Denmark should qualify comfortably with France from Group D, and will be happy to remain underdogs in the knockout stages. By reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2020, the Danes proved that their enterprising approach will test any defence and they will not be daunted by whichever opponent emerges from Group C as their last-16 opposition. Best hope: Quarter-final, with option to extend
Read more about each of Denmark's Group D opponents: