England face Denmark in their second Euro 2024 match in Group C, knowing victory will send the Three Lions through to the knockout stages.
Gareth Southgate’s side produced an unconvincing display in beating Serbia 1-0 on Sunday, and can expect a tougher examination from a Denmark side which includes Manchester United duo Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund. Eriksen scored as the Danes took the lead against Slovenia in their opening match, but a late equaliser saw the game finish 1-1.
Much of the talk since England’s first game has focused on the roles of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden, and how they fit into the team, but Southgate says he is shutting out the noise and is expected to stick with a similar line-up to the one which started well against Serbia before fading dramatically in the second half, in the hope of an improved performance in Frankfurt today.
Follow team news, line-ups and all the latest updates from England v Denmark below.
England v Denmark talking points: Bellingham to get his Phil of Foden
Another quandary for Southgate to resolve is fitting two of his best players into the starting XI without clipping either of their wings.
Jude Bellingham was the match-winner against Serbia and arguably England’s stand-out player, while Foden was on the periphery for much of the contest as he continues his struggles of bringing his club form at Manchester City to the international stage.
Southgate insisted after the game that the pair can co-exist but if it does not click soon, comparisons to the Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard issue that plagued a number of his predecessors could emerge.
England v Denmark talking points: Trent end?
Southgate’s most eye-catching decision for the Serbia game was the call to deploy Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside Declan Rice in midfield.
A right-back at Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold revealed after the win that the England coaching staff have been working with him on the move for over a year.
However, his performance split opinion and he was replaced for the final 20 minutes by Conor Gallagher so it remains to be seen if Southgate sticks with the plan or abandons it at the first opportunity.
England chase chemistry as Denmark hunt revenge in Euro 2024 clash with an edge
That is something Southgate now insists on for every game, as “it’s an important part of psychologically preparing our team” for the “narrative” of any occasion, but it is more distinctive for this one. Denmark are fired up. Their squad are constantly talking about the penalty that was given for England’s 2-1 victory in the Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley, and want to right that “injustice”.
The scorer Harry Kane is of course still there, but the player who was criticised for apparently diving isn’t. Raheem Sterling is one of three of England’s front six from that game who won’t be playing in Frankfurt, as Southgate attempts to get a new chemistry to blend. It still seemed elusive, on the evidence of the 1-0 win over Serbia. The manager said his staff “have challenged everybody to take that next step” in terms of performance in this game.
Read Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney’s full preview of tonight’s game:
How can I watch Denmark v England?
The match will kick off at 5pm BST on Thursday 20 June at the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt.
What TV channel is it on?
Denmark vs England will be shown live on BBC One and iPlayer, with coverage starting at 4pm. You can find a full list of which channel is showing each match here.
Everything you need to know about Denmark v England
Denmark were good value in their opening game, but will be disappointed to have thrown away a win after Christian Eriksen’s dream opening goal. Nevertheless, the 1992 champions have a history of causing upsets in this competition, and they’ll be hoping to do the same again in Frankfurt.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Group C fixture:
England v Denmark – Euro 2024
Welcome along to The Independent’s live coverage of England’s second group game of this Euro 2024, as they take on Denmark in Frankfurt today.
Source: independent.co.uk
