Denmark vs. Iceland: The Danes Look Impressive

Denmark should be full of confidence as they prepare to host Iceland for a Nations League clash in Copenhagen on Sunday evening.

A first-half penalty from Christian Erkisen helped the Danes battle to a 1-0 victory over England in their last match. That result left them second in Group A2, with seven points from four games.

They picked up an impressive 3-0 win against Iceland in Reykjavik on October 11, and they should be able to pull off a similar result at the weekend.

The Mighty Have Fallen

Iceland have won legions of admirers across the world after punching above their weight in recent major tournaments. They went all the way to the quarter-finals at Euro 2016, beating England along the way, and then became the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup in 2018.

Iceland has a population of just 350,000, but it has produced several quality footballers, including Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jóhann Berg Gudmundsson and Alfred Finnbogason.

Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson had them playing a high-intensity brand of football inspired by Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side. They managed to secure a string of remarkable results, roared on by a passionate fan base, but they have struggled since Hallgrimsson left in 2018.

New manager Erik Hamren has presided over a difficult period for the team, who sit bottom of Group A2 after losing all four games thus far.

A Strong Spine

Denmark ripped Iceland apart when the teams last met. Their superior quality in every department was clear in that 3-0 victory.

Iceland’s greatest strength is the midfield, but it is no match for Denmark’s Pierre-Emile Hojberg, Thomas Delaney, Eriksen and Yussuf Poulsen.

Kasper Dolberg and Martin Braithwaite are dangerous in attack, while Kasper Schmeichel, Andreas Christensen and Simon Kjaer form a solid spine. They should be too strong and technically gifted for Iceland in this game, and a home victory looks likely.

Tip: Denmark -1 Asian handicap

Stake: One unit