Match Preview: Denmark vs Germany

Denmark take on Germany at the L’viv Arena, Ukraine, in a crucial game for the Danes if they wish to progress into the knockout stages. Despite two good performances, the Danes find themselves staring down the barrel as they take on a very impressive side from Deutschland knowing that anything short of a victory could spell trouble. Denmark will consider themselves a tad unlucky to have lost to Portugal after an impressive second half performance. A brace from Bendtner looked like it would earn them a point against their opponents led by the misfiring Christiano Ronaldo. But as luck would have it, substitute Varela scored with just three minutes left on the clock to hand Portugal the victory.

On the other hand, Germany have probably been the most impressive team so far and will go into the match high on confidence, needing a point to seal their place in the quarters. The Germans cannot take things too lightly knowing that mathematically, they still can be eliminated. Germany will have to be alert throughout the match as the Danes have had their backs against the wall in the past, and are more than capable of pulling off a stunning upset.

Recent Form:

Both teams have impressed so far in the tournament, and have been in good goal scoring form. Both the Germans and the Danes have scored three goals in their preceding two matches in the tournament and both have defeated Netherlands, who will most probably be heading home on Monday. Another similarity between the two is that their primary strikers are in red-hot form. Mario Gomez has scored all of Germany’s three goals in the competition so far, while Bendtner headed home a superb brace against Portugal. One thing for sure is that this match is going to be an exciting contest between two very good sides. Danish midfielder Dennis Rommedahl and Boateng of Germany will miss out on the match due to a hamstring problem and suspension respectively.

Last Five Matches:

Denmark- LWWLL

Germany- WWWLL

Head To Head:

Though Germany start off as favorites over Morten Olsen’s side, one should note that the Germans have not won in their last three matches against the Danes, having lost two and drawn one. Their last encounter ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw in a friendly which was played in August 2010. A leading betting website puts the odds at Denmark 6:1.6 Germany while the odds of a draw stand at 3.60

Possible Starting Lineups and Formations:

Denmark:- 4-5-1

Gk- Andersen

Def- Jacobsen, Kjaer, Agger, S.Poulsen

Mid- Kvist, J.Poulsen, Mikkelsen, Ericsson, Krohn-Dehli

For- Bendtner

Germany:- 4-5-1

Gk- Neuer

Def- Bender, Hummels, Badstuber, Lahm

Mid- Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Ozil, Podolski

For- Gomez

Impact:

This is a must win game for Denmark, while a draw would suffice for Germany. If Denmark can upset the Germans, Portugal would have to over come Netherlands by a significant margin to qualify. On the other hand, if Denmark lose or draw (the more likely result), they depend on Netherlands to defeat Portugal and by a handsome margin to stand a chance of progressing. A defeat at the hands of Denmark and a victory for Portugal could still send Germany home.

Match Prediction:

Germany 3-1 Denmark

The way the Germans are playing, they can only get better and better. They have an extremely potent attack and should be able to open up the Danish defense.