England vs Denmark Preview: How to Watch on TV, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
By George Cannon
England host Denmark in the Nations League on Wednesday night as they look to cement their place at the top of group A2.
Gareth Southgate's side put in a strong second-half display against Belgium over the weekend to see off the world's number one ranked team 2-1 at Wembley. The performances against Wales and then the Red Devils have been much improved compared to September's lacklustre displays, and the Three Lions will be hoping to add to them in midweek.
The Danes come into this fixture full of confidence though after recording two consecutive wins, while knowing a surprise victory could see them jump to the top of the group. They contain plenty of Premier League talent, past and present, with the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Christian Eriksen and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg within their ranks, meaning it's likely to be a tricky tie for England.
Where to Watch on TV
When Is Kick Off? Wednesday 14 October
What Time Is Kick Off? 19:45 (BST)
Where Is it Played? Wembley Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports Main Event
Team News
England captain Harry Kane has recovered from a muscular problem that saw him start on the bench against Belgium on Sunday. That means the Tottenham striker is likely to return to the starting lineup for the visit of Denmark, while in-form forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin will likely lose his place.
Jadon Sancho could also return to the action from the start after missing the Wales match and then only playing the final few minutes from the bench over the weekend. Ben Chilwell also missed the friendly against Ryan Giggs' Wales due to breaching the Government's 'rule of six' guidelines and was then absent for the Belgium game due to a non-coronavirus related illness. He should have recovered in time to take his place for this one.
Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite and former Tottenham midfielder Eriksen have played in both of Denmark's matches over the last week, but their importance to the national team is likely to see them remain in the starting XI. Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand has no new injury concerns and will surely pick his strongest lineup available for this crucial Nations League match.
Predicted Lineups
England: Pickford; Dier, Coady, Maguire; Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Henderson, Chilwell; Sancho, Kane, Rashford
Denmark: Schmeichel; Wass, Kjaer, Christensen, Skov; Delaney, Hojbjerg; Poulsen, Eriksen, Braithwaite; Dolberg
Recent Form
England are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run, but their performances haven't always been at the level expected since Southgate guided his side to the World Cup semi-finals. An uninspiring victory over Iceland in September was followed by a laboured draw in Copenhagen to Wednesday's opponents. However, there have been more signs of life this month.
The Three Lions have only conceded one goal since they lost 2-1 to the Czech Republic a year ago - Romelu Lukaku's penalty on Sunday. They appear to have turned a corner proving once again they can compete with the top nations in the world, and England will be looking to secure their status as an elite side with victory over Denmark.
Hjulmand's men will be looking to spoil the party though with 4-0 and 3-0 victories over the Faroe Islands and Iceland respectively boosting their confidence ahead of the trip to Wembley. Eriksen has been struggling for game time at Inter, but he's scored in back-to-back games for the national side and will pose the biggest threat throughout the match to Jordan Pickford's net.
Here's how the two sides have fared in their last five fixtures.
England
England 2-1 Belgium (11/10)
England 3-0 Wales (8/10)
Denmark 0-0 England (8/9)
Iceland 0-1 England (5/9)
Kosovo 0-4 England (17/11)
Denmark
Iceland 0-3 Denmark (11/10)
Denmark 4-0 Faroe Islands (7/10)
Denmark 0-0 England (8/9)
Denmark 0-2 Belgium (5/9)
Ireland 1-1 Denmark (18/11)
Prediction
Despite some disconcerting displays England have been in good form over the last 12 months. Southgate has a strong squad to choose from and will be hoping his team can maintain their impressive run while extending the gap between themselves and the rest of the group.
Denmark have a good side containing players from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, but it should be too big an ask for the Scandinavian's.
Prediction: England 2-0 Denmark