Denmark will host Serbia at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on Sunday for another UEFA Nations League fixture. Both teams are coming off strong performances in their opening match of the group stage, which now appears to be more competitive with the inclusion of Spain and Switzerland. Denmark and Serbia both understood the importance of securing points early and managed to do so.
Denmark, now under the interim management of Lars Knudsen following Kasper Hjulmand’s departure after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, began their Nations League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Switzerland. This win was an encouraging start for Knudsen, who is in a temporary role similar to Lee Carsley with England.
Denmark vs. Serbia: Team Form and Head-to-Head
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Denmark had a tough time at the Euro 2024, failing to win any of their group-stage matches, including a 0-0 draw with Serbia. They were eliminated in the round of 16 after a controversial match against Germany, which saw them have a goal disallowed and concede a dubious penalty. Knudsen’s successful debut now sets Denmark up for their third consecutive appearance in League A, with hopes of repeating their past success to reach the quarter-finals.
Serbia, despite a poor Euro 2024 performance and ongoing struggles, has retained manager Dragan Stojkovic. They secured a 0-0 draw with Spain in their opener, which was a positive outcome given their recent form. Serbia has won only two of their last 10 matches and narrowly qualified from their group at Euro 2024. Their strong showing in the Nations League earlier under Stojkovic led to their promotion to League A in 2022.
In the previous 4 encounters where these teams have met, Denmark has managed to secure a win in three of those matches while one match was drawn. Serbia have always been disappointing in the past and this gives them a perfect opportunity to catch up and imbalance the statistics.
Team News
Denmark faces challenges with injuries and retirements affecting their squad. Key players Simon Kjaer and Thomas Delaney retired after Euro 2024, and injuries have sidelined Joakim Maehle and Rasmus Hojlund. Young wing-back Patrick Dorgu made a notable debut by scoring just a minute into his appearance against Switzerland. Albert Gronbaek also made his debut in the attack.
Serbia’s squad has undergone significant changes since Euro 2024, with notable absences including Dusan Tadic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Vlahovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and Filip Kostic. New players such as Jan-Carlo Simic, Kosta Nedeljkovic, and Kristijan Belic have been introduced, and Andrija Zivkovic and Sasa Lukic both earned their 50th caps against Spain.
Denmark vs. Serbia: Probable Starting Lineups
Denmark: Schmeichel; Andersen, Vestergaard, Nelsson; Bah, Hojbjerg, Hjulmand, Kristiansen; Isaksen, Dolberg, Eriksen
Serbia: Rajkovic; Simic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Nedeljkovic, I Ilic, Lukic, Birmancevic; Samardzic, Jovic, Zivkovic
