Denmark is the team that has captured the heart of every neutral at Euro 2021 and if his dream of running a deep tournament is to be lived, the Dane will have to beat Euro 2016 darling Wales in another surprising race on the big stage .
While Wales exceeded expectations by moving ahead of Switzerland and Turkey as the No. 2 team from their group, Denmark was the team that many looked to as a pre-tournament dark horse pick.
Teams advancing from this round of 16 matchups will be a real threat to advance to the semi-finals, with the Netherlands or the Czech Republic waiting to advance to the next round.
How to watch Wales vs Denmark
Date: Saturday, June 26
Time: 12 noon ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: fuboTV, ESPN App, PrendeTV
ESPN will broadcast the match and the network can be streamed on fuboTV (7-day free trial).
The match is also available in Spanish through Univision's PrendeTV app.
Denmark-Wales starting lineup
The starting XIs issued by both the teams before kickoff are as follows:
Wells (4-2-3-1, left to right): Danny Ward-GK - Ben Davis, Joe Rodan, Chris Mepham, Connor Roberts - Joe Allen, Joe Morrell - Daniel James, Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale - Keefer Moore
Denmark (3-4-3, left to right): Kasper Schmeichel-GK - Jannik Vestergaard, Simon Kajar, Andreas Christensen - Joachim Mahle, Thomas Delaney, Pierre-Emile Hjberg, Jens Strieger Larsson - Mikel Damsgaard, Kasper Dolberg, Martin Braithwaite
Denmark is playing for Eriksen
The match against Wales will be the first time Denmark will play at home at Euro 2021. After star player Christian Eriksson suffered a cardiac arrest during the team's opening match, there is no doubt that there are feelings at Parken Stadium and across the country. The country played a role in Denmark's incredible comeback from last place in Group B.
With Copenhagen separating Copenhagen just 385 miles from Amsterdam, where this round of 16 match will be played, and the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions favor a stronger Danish presence, Danish fans have turned Cruyff Arena into another parken. can. But how exhausted has the players experienced the emotional rollercoaster over the past two weeks? Or is the motivation to play for his teammate still strong enough to elevate him to a performance that saw him beat Russia 4-1?
"I think 99% of the world is going to support Denmark," admitted Wales defender Conor Roberts.
Will Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey Appear?
Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey are both coming out of subpar club seasons by their former standards and some expect them to be the difference makers in the first two group matches.
Bell has been instrumental in all the best Wales attacking activities during this tournament. His connection and understanding with longtime Welsh teammate Ramsey made for a dangerous combination against Turkey, and one on which Denmark would clearly be key.
Wales vs Denmark Odds and Predictions
Although not every result in the group stage went its own way, Denmark was arguably the better team in all three of their matches, winning the XG fight each time. It is currently the 4th best expected target in the Euro (xG of 5.9) and the 7th best expected target against it (xGA of 2.6 per FBref).
Wales don't make nearly as much (3.8 xG and 4.5 xGA per FBref) and they struggled to impose themselves against better teams like Switzerland and Italy's reserves. Apart from the magic of Bell, another dangerous attacking threat for Wales will come from big 6-5 centre-forward Kiefer Moore. But Denmark's tall, experienced centre-back should prove the match. Leading on a transition or set-piece goal the Welsh will be hoping for what should be an otherwise conservative approach to the game.
The Dane's deep, talented side, with players all over the field, ranks among the top leagues in Europe, making him the favorite longshot pick in this tournament. And that is why he would be expected to beat a team from Wales which, despite being the most talented player at Bell, does not have the same personnel quality.
Prediction: Denmark 2, Wales 1
Courtesy of DraftKings
- Wales to win (90 min): +430
- Moving Wales: +210
- Draw: +230
- Denmark to win (90 min): -122
- Denmark to move on: -286
- Overall goals over 2.5: +170
- Denmark -0.75 Asian Handicap: +112