Denmark vs Finland

Denmark

2021-06-12 Matchweek 1

Finland

62.644% Denmark

21.795% Draw

15.557% Finland

European Championship this season

Outcome Breakdown

Home

Draw

Away

53% Prediction hit rate

66.67% Wins

57% Both teams score

12% Goal less games

2.29 Avg goals

Parken

Grass, 19,433 capacity

Preview: Denmark vs Finland

As Denmark kick off their Euro 2020 campaign against Finland in Copenhagen, all eyes will be on the powerful Danish side led by Kasper Hjulmand, aiming to capitalize on Finland's recent struggles and make a strong statement in Group B.

Denmark

Denmark will head into their first Euro 2020 - Group B fixture following a 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday, the 6th of June, in an international friendly. Barcelona's Martin Braithwaite opened the scoring in the 18th minute, later picking up a yellow card before being replaced by RB Leipzig's Yussuf Poulsen shortly after halftime.

Andreas Cornelius doubled Denmark's lead in the 73rd minute, as Bosnia-Herzegovina failed to respond in the remaining minutes. This victory leaves Denmark with only one defeat in their last six games across all international competitions: LWWWDW.

Since July 1, 2020, Kasper Hjulmand has managed the Danish Dynamite, achieving 9 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses in 13 matches, with a 69% win rate. His overall career win rate is 40%, having coached at Lyngby, Mainz 05, and Nordsjælland before Denmark.

Though originally meant to succeed Åge Hareide after Euro 2020, the tournament's postponement allowed Hjulmand to take charge during the event. Key players like Leicester City's goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, AC Milan's Simon Kjær, and Chelsea's Andreas Christensen are available for selection on Saturday.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg from Tottenham, Thomas Delaney from Dortmund, and Inter Milan's Scudetto winner Christian Eriksen are also included in the squad. An attacking 4-3-3 formation is anticipated for Denmark's upcoming match.

Denmark famously won the UEFA Euro 1992 title by defeating Germany 2-0 in the final on the 26th of June, 1992.

Finland

Finland has struggled recently, failing to secure a win in their last six international matches, and they enter this group following three defeats: LDDLLL. Their latest setback came against Estonia, where Rauno Sappinen's penalty goal was the only score separating the teams after Finland could not muster a reply.

Coach Markku Kanerva, once a player for Finland with 59 caps and now the national team's manager since December 2016, boasts a 54%-win rate with 35 games under his belt, recording 19 wins, 3 draws, and 13 losses. His squad features notable players such as Teemu Pukki from Norwich City, Glen Kamara from Rangers, and Thomas Lam from PEC Zwolle.

While the squad might not be particularly flashy, Kanerva relies heavily on Pukki, who scored ten of Finland's 16 goals in the qualifying round. However, the prolific striker, who netted 26 goals in 41 appearances for Norwich last season, is a doubt for this match due to an ankle knock. A 4-2-3-1 formation is expected, with Union Berlin's Joel Pohjanpalo or Pukki leading the attack in front of a strong midfield trio.

Team form

Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.