Euro 2012 Preview: Germany Vs Denmark

Germany are on the verge of qualifying from Group B, needing just one point when they face Denmark on Sunday, June 17, 2012. Germany have been the dominant team of the group of death prevailing over tough opponents in Portugal and Holland in their two games so far.

Considered at the start of the competition among the favourites to win the title, Joachim Loew’s wards have yet to do anything to negate that prediction. In Denmark, they face rivals they can ill afford to take for granted. Were Denmark to beat Germany and Portugal to prevail over Netherlands in the other Group B game on Sunday, Germany could still exit the competition, based on a comparison among the three teams other than Holland.

Having caused the first upset of the tournament by beating Holland and then coming close to upsetting Portugal, Denmark can be expected to come hard at the Germans.

For Germany, Mario Gomez has score all three of their goals, the first against Portugal and the other two against Holland, thereby repaying coach Loew’s faith in the Bayern Munich striker. Bastian Scweinsteiger had a hand in both the goals against Holland and midfielder Ozil playing a central attacking position was brilliant too.

While their defence is cited as the weak underbelly of the team, the Germans have been well served by the central defensive pair of Hummels and Badstuber, with the team conceding just the one goal in two games.

For Denmark, goal difference could prove the crucial yardstick, were they to lose to Germany, and Holland to beat Portugal. In that case one of the other three teams would join Germany in qualification from the group. Currently, Denmark’s goal difference of zero compares with that of Portugal’s. So to topple Denmark, in such a scenario, Holland (who currently have a goal difference of minus-two) would have to win by a three goal margin over Portugal.

Denmark’s defence which stood up against the Holland attack was found wanting against Portugal, when they failed to mark the rival forwards adequately and the latter were faster on the ball. While Bendtner has been in top form in attack for the Danes, midfielder Eriksen had a poor game against Portugal and he would want to make amends in the crucial game with Germany, on Sunday.

This match could well turn out to be a battle of strikers between Gomez and Bendtner, with the latter’s heading ability likely to cause the German backline a problem or two.

Germany’s probable eleven: Neuer, Hummels, Badstuber, Lahm, Schmelzer, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Muller, Podolski, Gomez.

Denmark’s probable eleven: Anderson, Jacobson, Kjaer, Agger, Poulsen, Joggersen, Zimling, Mikkelsen, Eriksen, Krhn-Dehli, Bendtner.

Tags: Denmark, Germany, Holland, Netherlands, Portugal, Prediction, Preview

Category: Euro 2012, Euro Preview, Football