Denmark faces Slovenia in their Euro 2024 opener in Stuttgart. Both teams know each other well from a tight qualifying group, but new challenges await.
Germany, Bollywood Fever: Denmark will face Slovenia in their opening Group C match at Euro 2024 in Stuttgart on Sunday, a matchup familiar from their closely contested qualifying group.
Both teams finished with 22 points, with Denmark topping the group thanks to a better head-to-head record. Despite their familiarity with Slovenia, Denmark’s assistant coach Morten Wieghorst anticipates a different challenge at the tournament.
“We know exactly what Slovenia are, they have quality as well, so it’s going to be an exciting group,” Wieghorst told Reuters. “But if you compare them to the qualifying campaign, the games we play in the Euros will be different, they will have a different nature, so it will be a great challenge.”
Slovenia demonstrated their quality with a 1-1 draw at home against Denmark nearly a year ago, but a 2-1 win in Copenhagen in November secured the Danes’ top spot in the standings. However, Denmark continues to grapple with issues that troubled them during the Qatar World Cup, where they struggled to create chances and were eliminated in the group stage.
In contrast, Slovenia has been unbeaten since their defeat in Copenhagen. Their impressive 2-0 friendly win over Portugal in March indicates they will be formidable opponents in Group C.
A strong start is crucial for both teams. Slovenia will face Serbia, who recently defeated Sweden 3-0 in a friendly, while Denmark will take on Euro 2020 finalists England, one of the tournament favorites.
Denmark will once again rely on their talisman Christian Eriksen. Eriksen, who suffered a heart attack in their Euro 2020 opener against Finland and made a successful return to the game months later, remains a key creative force.
“He has something you can’t train yourself to do, he has a fantastic ability to see the game and find a rhythm,” head coach Kasper Hjulmand told broadcaster DR. “I have often said, paradoxically, that he is our heart, he is the pulse of our team.”
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