Looking to seal their place in the Round of 16 of the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024), England locked horns with Group C rivals Denmark at the Deutsche Bank Park on Thursday evening (June 20).
Having escaped with a slender 1-0 win over Serbia on Matchday 1, the Three Lions needed a strong showing to get the critics off their back. However, they had no such luck, as Denmark produced an excellent performance to restrict them to a 1-1 draw. In fact, England were lucky to get away with a draw, as the Danes were the ones who had more shots over the course of the game (16 to 12).
Conservative Approach Hurt England Against Denmark
Considering how star-studded the English squad is, the Three Lions should not have had too much trouble dominating proceedings against Denmark. Yet, Gareth Southgate could not find a way to make his team play up to their potential. Phil Foden had a little more joy than the game against Serbia, but that came at the expense of Jude Bellingham’s fluidity down the middle. Bukayo Saka also had a poor game by his lofty standards, while the defense afforded too much space to the Danish attackers.
The picture looks quite gloomy at the end of the match, but in the opening minutes, England looked on course for a comfortable win. After making inroads into the opposition third a few times, England got their noses in front through Harry Kane in the 18th minute. The Bayern Munich man was lurking inside the area when Kyle Walker‘s deflected cross found its way to him. The 30-year-old applied a clinical, close-range finish to give England the lead.
Unlike most teams, Denmark did not fall apart after England pulled ahead. They kept up the pressure and eventually equalized through Morten Hjulmand in the 34th minute. The Danish midfielder took aim from outside the penalty area and scored with the help of the inside of the left-hand post. Had England not dropped back, Hjulmand would not had the space to attempt such a shot.
Both teams had the opportunity to go in front in the second half, with Phil Foden striking the post in the 56th minute and Andreas Christensen skying his effort from close range in the 85th minute.
England Could Have Benefitted From From More Dynamic Substitutions
England manager Southgate fielded his strongest XI against Denmark. When the team’s tactics failed to bear fruit, the English manager made some changes, bringing on Conor Gallagher, Eberichi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, and Ollie Watkins. Out of the players he brought on, only Watkins showed some spark, adding to England’s threat in the final third.
For the second time in EURO 2024, Southgate chose not to field 2023-24 Premier League Young Player of the Season Cole Palmer. He also did not bring on Kobbie Mainoo, who is one of the most nimble-footed defensive midfielders around. Had the duo gotten a chance to make their case, England could have played with a higher tempo in the second half. They could have gotten another chance or two to score the elusive winner.
