Euro 2024 team guide and best bets: Denmark
Denmark defied the odds to reach the final four in Euro 2020, gaining plenty of supporters along the way. Can they repeat the trick this summer?
We've rounded up everything you need to know about the Danes' prospects in our comprehensive team guide, which features tactical analysis, players to watch out for, predicted line-ups, betting tips and much more.
How Denmark qualified for Euro 2024
The Danes secured a comfortable passage to the Championships in Germany, topping their qualification group with seven wins from their ten matches.
Finishing level on 22 points with Slovenia, who they will face once again at this summer's finals, the 2020 semi-finalists edged pole position to their superior head-to-head.
Aside from an implosion in Kazakhstan in their first away clash — blowing a 2-0 lead in the dying minutes — their fate was never really in question.
A credible draw in Ljubljana and a dead-rubber defeat in Belfast were the only other blemishes on the record for a side who were free-scoring, racking up 19 strikes in 10 games.
Seven of those goals came from Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund, though he slowed up significantly having bagged five of those in his first two outings.
Denmark's squad for Euro 2024
Denmark named a 26-man squad ahead of the tournament:
Goalkeepers: Mads Hermansen (Leicester), Frederik Rønnow (Union Berlin), Kasper Schmeichel (Anderlecht)
Defenders: Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Alexander Bah (Benfica), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Mathias Jørgensen (Brentford), Simon Kjær (AC Milan), Rasmus Kristensen (Roma), Victor Kristiansen (Bologna), Joakim Mæhle (Wolfsburg), Jannik Vestergaard (Leicester)
Midfielders: Jacob Bruun Larsen (Burnley), Thomas Delaney (Anderlecht), Anders Dreyer (Anderlecht), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Morten Hjulmand (Sporting CP), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Nørgaard (Brentford)
Forwards: Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Kasper Dolberg (Anderlecht), Rasmus Højlund (Manchester United), Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge), Yussuf Poulsen (Leipzig), Jonas Wind (Wolfsburg)
Denmark's predicted starting XI for Euro 2024
Denmark's star player - Christian Eriksen
Experienced playmaker Eriksen was forced to miss the bulk of his country’s successful EURO 2020 campaign after collapsing 43 minutes into their opening match with Finland.
Those harrowing scenes will stay with football fans forever and though he managed to fully recover from his cardiac arrest, it is still hard to believe Eriksen has managed to return to the game's highest level so effortlessly.
After agreeing to terminate his contract at Inter Milan, Eriksen began his return in a brief loan spell at Brentford before eventually penning a three-year contract at Manchester United in 2022.
Though a place in the starting eleven is rare for him at club level these days, Eriksen remains a vital creative cog in his country's engine room.
The 32-year-old played every minute in the six matches he featured in during qualifying, registering one goal and three assists in the process, to help his country qualify for their fourth consecutive major tournament.
While his creative flair and vision from midfield will be an obvious asset, Eriksen’s greatest strength is perhaps now his vast experience.
Having already featured in five tournaments already, his leadership will be a valuable guiding light for the younger members of this promising Danish group.
Denmark's one to watch - Rasmus Hojlund
Having initially struggled following a blockbuster €73.9m move to Manchester United in the summer, the second half of the season saw young forward Hojlund begin to hit stride at Old Trafford.
The 21 year-old eventually finished with a respectable 16 goals in all competitions — including 10 in the Premier League — to establish himself as United’s leading centre-forward.
A last-minute strike to secure a 3-2 home win over Aston Villa appeared the turning point for Hojlund, who went on to bag six goals in his next five league outings.
And though a badly-timed muscular injury halted his purple patch, the ex-Atalanta man finished the season on a high with two goals in his final two league appearances.
His goal scoring touch wasn’t just limited to club duty either. Hojlund shone during EURO 2024 qualifying, amassing seven goals in eight matches to end up as the fifth-highest scorer across the entire continent.
His experience with United will only strengthen him as he prepares to lead the line for a country with high expectations following a disappointing Qatar 2022 World Cup.
With uncanny timing and positioning, Hojlund has a remarkable knack for being in the right place at the right time. Given how even three of the four sides in Group C appear, his prolific instincts could prove invaluable.
Denmark's manager - Kasper Hjulmand
After spending his entire playing career in his homeland, Hjulmand inevitably began his career as a manager via the same path.
Taking charge of Lyngby's youth side over 25 years ago, the now 52 year-old climbed through the club's ranks before taking the reins with the first team in 2006.
A Danish First Division title secured promotion in his first season as manager with the club, before he opted to take up a role as assistant coach with powerhouses Nordsaelland in the top-flight two years later.
Once again, Hjulmand soon found himself in charge of the senior side and, once again, he secured a league title in his first season. That success prompted a move to Germany in 2014 with Bundesliga outfit Mainz, where he replaced their outgoing boss Thomas Tuchel.
Hjulmand got off to a good start, steering his new club into third after eight matches in 2014-15, but things quickly turned sour and he was axed in Februay 2015. A return to the safe surroundings of Nordsjælland followed, before it was announced Hjulmand would take over as Denmark manager in 2019.
In his first major tournament at the helm, Hjulmand guided his country to their best ever finish at a European Championship three years ago when bowing out at the semi-final stage after a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England.
That left his stock extremely high, though a bitterly disappointing group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup — failing to win a single game — means the pressure is on this summer.
Denmark's Euro 2024 betting odds
Denmark to win EURO 2024 - 50/1
Denmark to reach the Euro 2024 final - 18/1
Denmark to qualify from Group C - 4/11
Denmark top goalscorer - Rasmus Hojlund 11/10, Jonas Wind 8/1, Kasper Dolberg 10/1, 12/1 BAR
*All best UK prices as of 30/05/24
Analysis and best bets for Denmark at Euro 2024
Expert analysis from Odds Now's Bradley Walker:
"While England are red-hot favourites to finish as group leaders, the race for second place in Group C is wide open.
"Denmark and Slovenia were evenly matched in their eventual points tally during qualifying but the Danes former did secure four out of six points across their two meetings.
"The pair clash again in their first group match in Germany, and another win for the Danes would set them off on a positive footing to replicate their Euro 2020 success.
“This tournament’s format means four of the six third-placed sides will also progress to the knockout stages, so Denmark are understandably a skinny price to reach the last 16.
"Kasper Hjulmand's side appear to have a little more depth in their ranks than Slovenia and Serbia, so they can be confident of sealing a top-two finish in Group C, which is a generous 4/5.
"Their clash with England will be a good indicator of how far this group are tuned up to go in 2024."
Brad's Best Bet:
Denmark to finish in the top two in Group C - 4/5 (BetMGM)