Mikkel Damsgaard eyed Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as he drifted forward. One shot from range peppered at the goal of Matvei Safonov was all it took to convince Denmark that the last 16 was in reach and by the end of their final group game against Russia, they had waltzed into the knockout stages of Euro 2020.
Denmark will now play Wales in the last 16, with Robert Page’s side having made it out of Group A with a draw against Switzerland, a win over Turkey and in spite of a 1-0 defeat to Italy in their last match.
For obvious reasons, it has been hard to judge the Danes at this tournament, but this was a night in which they finally showed their prowess. Joakim Maehle sealed it, waltzing through Russia’s defence, caressing the ball into the back of the net, and signing off by making his hands into a “10”, the shirt number of Christian Eriksen.
There was an element of both the sublime and the ridiculous about Russia’s defeat. Both Damsgaard and Andreas Christensen scored brilliant goals, but it was an errant back pass which tipped the balance of the game en route to an emphatic 4-1 scoreline.
Eyes on Copenhagen – and probably in Cardiff too – were half-trained on events between Finland and Belgium, but the Red Devils’ victory ensured Kasper Hjulmand’s side are the first Scandinavian representatives to progress.
How to watch Wales vs Denmark
- Date: Saturday 26 June
- Kick-off time: 5pm
- Venue: Amsterdam ArenA
- TV channel: TBC. All Welsh games will also be shown on S4C.
- Live stream: TBC.
- Highlights: TBC. Highlights will be shown on ITV Hub each matchday.
Denmark scouting report
Wales’ chief concern when looking at all the possible permutations will have been avoiding Belgium, but overcoming Denmark will be no mean feat in the next round.
As much as they capitalised on some obvious weaknesses from Russia – from overwhelming Safonov, the 22-year-old goalkeeper to testing him from far out – it was an utterly relentless performance which will have forced Wales to sit up and take notice.
Jannik Vestergaard was the culprit in giving away a penalty, but he once again showed what a threat he is from set pieces, but Denmark can deliver goals from all over the pitch – and it was Christensen, a centre-back by trade – who scored the goal of the night with such velocity.
Nor can Wales afford to give Hojbjerg an inch on the ball, the Tottenham midfielder constantly spraying balls into the box and taking on defenders.
One of the few causes for alarm – aside from Artem Dzyuba’s spot-kick – came through Aleksandr Golovin when he raced through the middle to take a shot at Kasper Schmeichel. Perhaps that is one area which Aaron Ramsey can exploit too.
Gareth Bale, likely to be utilised out wide with Kieffer Moore in the centre, will take inspiration from how Martin Braithwaite was able to trick Fedor Kudryashov to the turf. Braithwaite’s decision-making was inclined to let him down, but he showed enough to suggest it will be far from a straightforward evening’s work whether Page opts for a back three or a four.
More from i on Euro 2020
- What the Premier League could learn from Euro 2020’s controversy-free referees
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- In praise of Emma Hayes, the best pundit at Euro 2020 so far
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2SfRfXI
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