It’s fair to say that not many people anticipated a Euro 2020 quarter-final match-up between Denmark and the Czech Republic, but with some stellar performances, both teams have upset the odds to make it all the way to the last eight.In this article, you will get to know about the history spurring Denmark and the Czech Republic on.
The Czech Republic opened their tournament with a 2-0 win over Scotland, and after a draw with Croatia and a narrow defeat to England, they advanced as one of the best third-placed teams. But the Czechs saved their best for the last 16, defeating 10-man Netherlands 2-0 to seal their passage to the quarter-finals.
Denmark, meanwhile, looked all but out of the tournament after losing their first two matches of the group stage. Their opening match was marred by the collapse of Christian Eriksen, and it’s clear that the team was still suffering the effects as they lost 1-0 to Finland and 2-1 to Belgium. However, with Eriksen having been released from the hospital, Denmark produced a stunning performance to beat Russia 4-1 and advance to the knockout stages. From there, a 4-0 hammering of Wales led them to the last eight.
It’s a difficult match to call, with little separating the two teams in the Czech Republic v Denmark betting, but both have substantial pedigree in the European Championships. Fans of both nations will have fond memories of past glories on the international stage, and the two teams will be hoping to channel that spirit into creating more memorable moments.
Denmark won the European Championships in 1992, having been completely unfancied at the start of the tournament. In fact, the Danes only gained entry to Euro 92 as a result of Yugoslavia’s disqualification due to ongoing conflict. But they surprised everyone by finishing above France and England in their group, defeating the Netherlands on penalties in the semi-finals, and then beating Germany 2-0 in the final. It remains the greatest moment in the history of the Danish national team, though the current crop of players will be hoping to run that close.
While the Czech Republic have never won the European Championships in their current independent state, Czechoslovakia triumphed in 1976, beating West Germany in the final. As the Czech Republic, they also have some good memories at the Euros. In 1996, they got all the way to the final at Wembley, having knocked out Portugal and France along the way. They agonisingly lost the final to Germany through Oliver Bierhoff’s Golden Goal. Euro 2004 also saw the Czechs go far, recording a memorable win over the Netherlands to make it to the semi-finals, where a stubborn Greece performance saw them knocked out.
With a place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 at stake, both sides will be desperate to create their own history and continue their remarkable journey at these Championships. Denmark have a tide of emotion behind them following the events in Copenhagen in their opening match, and the challenge for the Czech Republic is to stand firm against that momentum.
In Patrick Schick, the Czechs have one of the stars of the tournament, and the striker will be keen to notch another goal or two to help his chances in the UEFA Euro 2020 top scorer odds. It’s going to be a hugely intriguing battle, and it’s simply too close to call. The only thing for it is to settle down on our sofas on Saturday evening to see what unfolds!
