DORTMUND, Germany — Denmark played plenty of good football at Euro 2024 but the 2-0 defeat by hosts Germany in the last 16 once again showcased the lack a cutting edge up front that is blunting their chances at major tournaments.
While they often look like world-beaters in qualifying, the Danes have now played seven games in a row at major tournaments – the Qatar World Cup and Euro 2024 – without winning any of them, scoring a mere three goals in the process.
“I am irritated, I should have scored,” striker Rasmus Hojlund said after his side’s loss to Germany according to Reuters. “I take that responsibility 100% on my shoulders, even if I am young and it’s my first finals.”
Brave and mature as that may sound, the responsibility is not his to bear.
Denmark’s problems go a lot deeper than some bad finishing by a raw 21-year-old. The fact that they have come to rely so much on him is a huge part of the problem, but there is no-one else.
Neither Yussuf Poulsen, Jonas Wind nor Kasper Dolberg are the kind of prolific scorers that every national team needs, and of the top 25 goalscorers in Danish history, only playmaker Christian Eriksen is still currently active.
At 32, Eriksen still has the vision and passing range that have made him one of his nation’s greats, but he no longer glides around the field with the same speed and energy as he did in the past; accommodating him requires sacrifices, and coach Kasper Hjulmand has yet to solve that puzzle.
To his credit, Hjulmand has tried to change his tactics to make the most of the resources available to him, but while his team regained its defensive solidity in Germany, it was at the expense of creativity.
Playing three centre backs and two wing backs robbed the Danes of the opportunity to field pacy, skilful wingers such as Andreas Skov Olsen, and when he was introduced he was shoe-horned into a system that did nothing to make the most of his talents.
Ultimately though, it is the lack of a reliable striker that is currently weighing the Danes down – having a predatory finisher up front who demands constant attention remains essential in modern international football.
Hojlund may in time prove to be that striker, but for now Hjulmand heads home to face questions about his future knowing that the puzzle remains unsolved, and a lack of goals has cost Denmark once again.
Hosts Germany beat Denmark 2-0 in a storm-interrupted encounter to reach the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 on Saturday.
Two second-half goals, one a Kai Havertz penalty and another a Jamal Musiala strike, allowed Germany to come out on top in Dortmund, where the last-16 tie was halted for 25 minutes late in the first half as a violent storm passed overhead.
English referee Michael Oliver was forced to take the two teams off the pitch due to torrential rain, hailstones, high winds, thunder and lightning, while some fans in the crowd of 60 000 found themselves caught underneath torrents of water streaming from the stadium roof.
Before that, Germany had an early Nico Schlotterbeck goal disallowed for a foul and were denied on several occasions by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
When play resumed, Germany thought they had fallen behind early in the second half when Joachim Andersen scored, but his effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR review, and the unfortunate Danish defender was then penalised for a handball in his own box moments later.
Havertz dispatched the spot-kick to put Germany ahead in the 53rd minute, and both he and Leroy Sane missed good opportunities before Musiala ran clear to make it 2-0 midway through the second half.
“It was a bit of a bizarre game,” Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said according to AFP.
“The first 25 minutes were our best of the tournament. Then we scored what I think was a legitimate goal, and (the referee) ruled it out which was petty.
“That kind of blocking happens at every corner. In England, where the referee is from, he would not blow the whistle for it. In the end, it was a game full of adversity. We fought well against the adversity.”
Germany could even have won by a wider margin but Florian Wirtz, who started the game as a substitute, had another effort disallowed late on.
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