Wales will attempt to recapture their form from Euro 2016 as they look to match their best-ever finish at the European Championships. Standing in their way of a quarter final place is Denmark, who have had an extremely difficult tournament. This last-16 tie will be held at the Amsterdam Arena. The Red Dragons unexpectedly came second in Group A, in which they only fell to defeat against Italy.
Denmark on the other hand secured their place in the knockout stages with a convincing 4-1 victory over Russia. Like Wales, Denmark came second in their group, however pundits have heaped praise on Denmark due to their difficult start. On their way to the knockout stages, Denmark have had to overcome the tragedy involving Christian Eriksen. The 29-year-old playmaker collapsed during their opening game, sending football fans worldwide into complete shock. Although, the midfielder is now in recovery, Denmark will be without their key player for the rest of the tournament. Like Denmark, Robert Page’s side made it through to the knockout stages against all odds and this sets up an enthralling encounter.
Match Facts
Date: 26th June, Saturday
Time: 5 pm (BST)
Venue: Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam
Referee: P Collina (Italy)
Form Guide:
Wales- LDDWL
Denmark- DWLLW
Recent Form
Wales come into this game off the back of their 1-0 defeat to Italy. This defeat was expected as Italy are now one of the favourites to win the tournament and matters were made worse when Ethan Ampadu got sent off. Manager Robert Page would have been slightly concerned with the result, as Italy made a wholesale of changes for this clash and still came out as comfortable winners. Wales were out-thought and out-fought on the day and this will likely result in changes in Page’s side. Prior to this, Wales have performed at an exceptional level and this was evident in the match against Turkey. Page’s men were defensively solid and were a constant threat on the break. Attackers Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Daniel James impressed throughout.
Denmark have had more of an inconsistent tournament so far, despite playing all of their games in Copenhagen. Evidently, the loss of Eriksen has had a significant impact both on the pitch and physiologically. Kasper Hjulmand will be hoping his side build on their impressive victory over Russia and take this form into the knockout stages. In Denmark’s opening game against Finland, they lacked their usual identity and this was mainly because of the game being restarted after Eriksen’s collapse. Against Belgium they were much brighter and adventurous, but couldn’t hold onto their early lead.
Team News
Predicted Lineups:
Wales (4-5-1): Ward; Roberts, Mepham, Rodon, Davies; James, Ramsey, Allen, Morell, Bale; Moore.
Denmark (3-4-2-1): Schmeichel; Christensen, Kjaer, Vestergaard; Wass, Hojberg, Delaney, Maehle; Braithwaite, Damsgaard; Poulsen.
Wales will be forced into making at least one change with Ampadu suspended for this clash, however it is unlikely Page will make drastic changes. His side will be set up to play on the counter and be defensively strong in their usual 4-5-1 formation. Bale and Ramsey will be the first names on the team-sheet as the pair have combined effectively at the tournament so far. It is inevitable that Page will return to the lineup, which drew with Switzerland and beat Turkey. This will leave no room for set piece specialist Harry Wilson, meaning Keifer Moore will be the target man yet again.
Denmark are likely to field the same eleven, which beat Russia comfortably. The Red Dragons will be fully aware that that their opposition will be on a high and will not underestimate the task at hand. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is set to continue his role at the heart of the Denmark midfield alongside Daniel Wass and Thomas Delaney. The Denmark danger man will be Yussuf Poulsen, who will be looking to expose any vulnerabilities in the Wales backline.
Likely Winner
Both teams come into this game with contrasting form. Denmark will look to control the match and will have the majority off possession. This is because of their midfield being far superior compared to Wales. Like every match so far, Wales will look to break on Denmark and utilize their wide players. Daniel James and Gareth Bale will be key in this match, as their sheer pace could cause Denmark a variety of problems. Keeper Schmeichel will also play a huge part for Denmark in this game. The Leicester City keeper has had a mixed tournament so far, but is known for his shot stopping and his ability to save penalties. This will be a low scoring affair and may even go to extra time. All-time Wales top scorer Gareth Bale will decide this tie and send his side through to the quarter finals.
Prediction: Wales 2-1 Denmark
