Denmark will host Slovenia with an automatic playoff spot on the line for the winner. But with a four-point advantage over Kazakhstan, which is in third place in Group H, these two countries essentially have two chances to qualify for the championship the following year.
Preview (Denmark vs. Slovenia)
Some people may argue, and with good reason, that Denmark has made a mess out of trying to move up from a favorable group. In addition to their loss in Kazakhstan, they had to score late goals in both of their victories over Finland and their victories over Northern Ireland were made possible by VAR. Nevertheless, Denmark finished with 19 points from their eight games. It means they just needed to win their remaining two games to secure qualification. Kasper Hjulmand will understandably want to guarantee their spot at Euro 2024 as quickly as possible. This is especially true if they lose to Slovenia and Kazakhstan wins their next game.
That being said, there are no ifs or buts, and Hjulmand will be optimistic that his squad can continue their winning run into seven games at this point, having not suffered a home defeat since June 2022. Since Slovenia does not have the assurance of a postseason spot, they view this match as being much more significant. Similar to Denmark, they just need to win one of their two remaining games to qualify for Euro 2024. However, their worst matchup is away from home against Denmark, and if they are to avoid losing to Kazakhstan in their last match, they may be under a lot of pressure.
Their winning streak stands at four games in a row. They defeated Finland 3-0 at home before rallying for a 1-0 victory away in Northern Ireland. Additionally, since June 2022, Matjaz Kek’s side has only lost once in 14 games. Whether it happens on Friday or Monday, they will support themselves to cross the finish line.
Team News
Elias Jelert, Simon Kjaer, Christian Eriksen, and Rasmus Hojlund are out. Denmark will start at least four different players from the San Marino match. It seems most likely that Rasmus Kristensen and Andreas Christensen will be called back to play center back and right back. In midfield, Mathias Jensen or Thomas Delaney ought to have a chance. Yussuf Poulsen might defeat Jonas Wind to play in the attacking center.
Kek, meanwhile, had the option to choose the same Slovenia starting lineup from their away match against Northern Ireland. They won thanks to a free kick from Adam Gnezda Cerin. If a change is made, Andraz Sporar might have to make room for Jasmin Kurtic, who would be moved into central midfield. During this qualification campaign, Denmark has not been very impressive, as demonstrated in the match against San Marino. However, home-field advantage can be crucial on Friday, which is why we expect a tough win over their group rivals.
Denmark 2 – 1 Slovenia
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