Prediction: Denmark vs Norway

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 111/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Ahead of Euro 2024, Denmark faces Norway in the second of two all-Scandinavian friendlies at the Brondby Stadium on Saturday evening.

Kasper Hjulmand’s team secured a 2-1 victory against Sweden in midweek, with returning hero Christian Eriksen playing a crucial role. Meanwhile, Norway relied on Erling Haaland, their star striker, in their 3-0 win over Kosovo.

Denmark

Premier League stars showcased their talent in Denmark and Sweden’s clash in Copenhagen on Wednesday. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg opened the scoring in just two minutes, swiftly answered by Alexander Isak. However, Eriksen, making an emotional return since his Euro 2020 cardiac arrest, netted the winning goal in the 86th minute, preserving Denmark’s unbeaten record for the year.

Denmark’s recent record includes a 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands and a 0-0 draw with Switzerland. They have obviously bounced back from their shocking 2-0 loss to Northern Ireland in the closing Euro 2024 qualifying match.

The final squad selection for the upcoming tournament will be submitted to UEFA before Saturday’s fixture.

Despite Isak’s goal ending Denmark’s streak of 11 consecutive clean sheets in home friendlies, they remain undefeated in 15 consecutive exhibition matches on home soil. They haven’t lost such a game without scoring since 2012, and they’ll be looking to continue the trend when Norway come calling.

Team News

Eriksen’s winning goal against Sweden has elevated him to an impressive tally of 41 goals for the national team. Additionally, he’s on the brink of making history in appearances, needing just one more cap to surpass Peter Schmeichel and secure the second all-time spot with 130.

Simon Kjaer, leading the cap count with 131, was an unused substitute in the previous match. However, he might join the lineup alongside Andreas Christensen, especially considering Joachim Andersen’s halftime substitution in the midweek victory.

Zanka, called up as a standby option for Euro 2024, replaced Andersen in the second half. With a quick turnaround for the next match, Hjulmand might want to consider some options for rotation.

Norway

As Eriksen celebrated his last-minute winner for Denmark, Erling Haaland, also plying his trade in Manchester, took the spotlight for Norway with a characteristic hat-trick against Kosovo at Ullevaal Stadion.

Haaland secured his 22nd career hat-trick within 75 minutes of play, a feat unmatched even by the likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, or Sergio Aguero. Norway’s victory snapped a three-game winless streak across all competitions.

Despite their impressive performance, Norway won’t be contending for European glory alongside Denmark. They amassed only 11 points in their qualification campaign, leading them to focus on their next stint in League B of the Nations League alongside Kazakhstan, Austria, and Slovenia.

Arriving in Copenhagen with a three-match winning streak in away friendlies, Norway’s recent successes include a 2-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland in November 2022. However, current manager Stale Solbakken wasn’t at the helm for all of these triumphs.

Solbakken last experienced success against Denmark in a 2000 Nordic Championships clash, during which he was part of the Norway XI. Since then, his nation has gone winless in five encounters against Denmark, with their most recent loss being a 2-1 defeat in a 2013 friendly.

Team News

AZ Alkmaar left-back David Moller Wolfe faced an early exit from the pitch 15 minutes before full time against Kosovo. However, Solbakken can turn to Julian Ryerson, a Champions League finalist with Borussia Dortmund, as a replacement.

Despite not featuring against Kosovo following his Wembley endeavors, Ryerson is poised to stake his claim for a starting position in this match.

Haaland’s three goals in the previous game brought his tally for the national team to 30 goals in just 32 matches. At the age of just 23, he now sits just three goals behind Jorgen Juve, the all-time leading men’s scorer for Norway.

Conclusion

Denmark has historically dominated matches against Norway since the start of the 21st century. However, similar to their recent match against Sweden, their past defensive solidity at home might not hold up against a motivated Norway side led by Haaland.

While it’s challenging to imagine a clean sheet for either side, Denmark should still secure another narrow victory in their last preparation match before the main tournament.

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 111/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet