In the second Euro 2024 last-16 tie on Saturday, hosts Germany take on Denmark at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund for the late kickoff.
Under Julian Nagelsmann's guidance, Germany topped Group A and advanced to the knockout stages, while Denmark secured second place in the less eventful Group C.
Germany and Denmark last met competitively at the 2012 European Championships, where Germany won 2-1 in the group stage thanks to goals from Lukas Podolski and Lars Bender. However, their two subsequent friendly matches ended in 1-1 draws.
Historically, the Danes have remarkable memories of the 1992 European Championship final against Germany, in which they won 2-0 to claim their maiden major trophy.
Die Mannschaft, eager to overcome the disappointment of their last two World Cup campaigns, which ended in early exits, confirmed their knockout stage berth with a game to spare by scoring seven goals against Scotland and Hungary.
In the final group game, Germany needed just a draw against Switzerland to secure the top spot. Despite falling behind to Dan Ndoye's opener, an injury-time equalizer from substitute Niclas Fullkrug - his second goal of the competition - ensured they finished as group winners, avoiding a last-16 encounter with reigning champions Italy.
Ironically, Switzerland might now have a smoother path in the knockout rounds, while the Germans find themselves in a challenging bracket alongside heavyweights Spain, France, Portugal, and Belgium.
Germany enters this match unbeaten in seven games this year, with five wins and two draws. If they defeat Denmark, Julian Nagelsmann's men will face Spain or underdogs Georgia in the quarter-finals.
Julian Nagelsmann maintained the same starting lineup for all three Group A matches but will be compelled to make at least one change for the last-16 tie with Denmark.
Jonathan Tah is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Moreover, Antonio Rudiger is struggling with a hamstring issue and missed training earlier this week.
Despite this, there is hope that Real Madrid's center-back can still anchor Germany's defense, likely alongside Nico Schlotterbeck. Robin Koch and Waldemar Anton are ready to step in if Rudiger is unavailable.
Niclas Fullkrug, who scored as a substitute versus Switzerland, gives Nagelsmann additional options up front, though Kai Havertz is expected to retain his starting spot.
Group C was notable for its lack of goals. England, Slovenia, Serbia, and Denmark combined for the joint lowest-scoring men's Euros group in history, producing only seven goals across six games.
Denmark progressed by securing three draws without winning a single match. Their tally of just two goals included a stunning long-range strike from Morten Hjulmand against England, a goal-of-the-tournament contender so far. This performance allowed Denmark to reach the knockout stages of consecutive Euros for the first time.
Kasper Hjulmand's Danish side knows they must improve quickly to stand a chance against the Euro 2024 hosts. Like their opponents, Denmark are unbeaten in seven matches in 2024 and have only one defeat in their last 15 games.
However, Kasper Hjulmand faces a suspension challenge. Morten Hjulmand, a key player for Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon, is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards.
The Denmark head coach has several capable replacements, including Brentford's Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen, as well as Thomas Delaney, who has recovered from illness and played against Serbia.
Wolfsburg attacker Jonas Wind has been underwhelming since his assist for Christian Eriksen against Slovenia. As a result, Kasper Dolberg, Andreas Skov Olsen, or Yussuf Poulsen could potentially take his place in the starting side.
Germany: Manuel Neuer - Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, Maximilian Mittelstadt - Robert Andrich, Toni Kroos - Jamal Musiala, Ilkay Gundogan, Florian Wirtz - Kai Havertz. (4-2-3-1)
Denmark: Kasper Schmeichel - Joachim Andersen, Jannik Vestergaard, Andreas Christensen - Alexander Bah, Thomas Delaney, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joakim Maehle - Jonas Wind, Christian Eriksen - Rasmus Hojlund. (3-4-2-1)
Germany's performance against Switzerland in their final group match was lackluster, likely due to their secured last-16 spot. However, a revitalized German team is expected against Denmark in Dortmund tonight.
The Danish Dynamite has kept games tight throughout Euro 2024, but even with the expected rotations, Germany's defense should still effectively manage Denmark's attacks.
We (and probably everyone) anticipate the Euro 2024 hosts advancing to the quarter-finals, but this might happen after extra time or penalties. Denmark has been historically strong against the Germans, and they definitely have the potential to score.
