The Telia Parken in Copenhagen will provide the backdrop to this important clash in League A Group 2 as Saturday’s hosts, Denmark, prepare for the visit of Belgium with both teams looking to start their Nations League campaign off on a winning note.
Denmark finished top of Group 4 in League B in the inaugural Nations League competition and finished ahead of Wales and Republic of Ireland thanks to a solid campaign which saw the Danes unbeaten in the group stages to clinch automatic promotion up to League A this term.
Off to Denmark! 🇩🇰 #DENBEL #COMEONBELGIUM 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/JzsQAcBdGk— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) September 4, 2020
Off to Denmark! 🇩🇰 #DENBEL #COMEONBELGIUM 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/JzsQAcBdGk
Indeed, Denmark have quietly but methodically set about their business on the international stage with an impressive sequence of results behind them as national coach, Kasper Hjulmand, has made his side a hard team to beat.
This is evident when looking at their results as Denmark are unbeaten in their last 15 matches overall in all competitions and includes a 2-1 win away at Wales in the Nations League as well as notable victories over Georgia 5-1 and Switzerland 1-0 on their way to automatic qualification for the European Championships in 2021.
Onto Belgium, and the current ranked world number 1 side are expected to finish top of this Group 2 which also includes England and Iceland, but the Red Devils have yet to really fulfil their potential in an international tournament.
Belgium finished runners-up on goal difference to last term’s Group 2 winners, Switzerland, in the Nations League as the two nations battled it out to see who could embarrass bottom nation, Iceland, the most!
However, it was in the subsequent European Championship qualifiers where Belgium really impressed as Robero Martinez’s side romped home in no uncertain fashion, winning Group I at a canter by recording an outstanding 100% record, winning all 10 of their group matches.
In the process, Belgium racked up a total of 40 goals during the qualifying phase, the most by any nation in the group stages, and with the likes of Lukaku, Hazard and Mertens in the final third with the midfield genius that is De Bruyne pulling the strings in the middle of the park, Belgium have to be considered amongst one of the favourites to win this Nations League outright.
Denmark shouldn’t be ignored though, and with very little international football prior to this competition, both teams to score here looks a likely outcome.