Denmark’s Euro 2016 Campaign Faces Play-Off Future

As the qualification stage reaches its first climax Denmark’s Euro 2016 campaign has led them to where a play-off place is as much as they can hope for barring miracles in other matches given they’ve precious little chance of making a dent in the qualifying juggernaut that is Portugal when the two sides meet in the final game in the Estadio Municipal de Braga.

Denmark’s Euro 2016 Campaign

• Last match against Portugal
• Play-off place more likely than not
• Coach Olsen to retire after finals

Denmark’s Euro 2016 campaign has not been much for fans to write home about and those that like to bet on sports in Denmarkand back their national team as it fights for a place in the finals next year in France would seem likely to have a fair few matches to bet on before they get there, their second place in the table not really reflecting the truth state of affairs given both Portugal ahead of them and Albania behind have a game in hand.

Having a last match against Portugal was never going to make Group I a fairytale finish for Denmark’s Euro 2016 campaign, their previous encounter nearly a year ago now finishing a one-nil defeat for the home side in Copenhagen, a disappointment for fans that might well indicate how their last group match in the Estadio Municipal de Braga will go. Naturally anything could happen, but if we’re honest about it the Portuguese won’t be easily swayed however safe their own automatic qualification.

What is perhaps worse for Denmark is that there is hope. Hope not perhaps of one of the two qualification spots, Albania would have to be seriously unlucky to miss out on second place, but hope that Denmark’s Euro 2016 campaign could at least carry on into the play-off portion, with a decent result against a team of Portugal’s skill guaranteed to buoy the team’s esprit de corps despite facing a trickier furrow to plough.

Portugal Set To Qualify Top Of Group I

Perhaps Denmark are gambling news of Portugal’s recent friendly result against France which was a rather alarming one-nil defeat, can give them hope too, although the difference between a friendly and a Euro 2016 qualifier is a chasm, and with Ronaldo and Veloso ready to run riot the Danish defense is going to have to be on its toes the full ninety minutes, let them get even half a yard and you’re looking at a serious goal deficit in no short order, locking them down will be the ballgame.

The trouble there is that Portugal only need a draw, and a locked down game would suit them just fine, so they’ll settle into that easily and force the Danes to go on the offensive, and will quickly capitalize on any opportunities for a swift break. Of course Portugal won’t actually be aiming for a draw, they’ve won their last six competitive matches, and will doubtless to looking to extend that record, but they won’t risk much to achieve it in a game they don’t need three points from.

Denmark’s Euro 2016 campaign group stage participation may therefore come to a rather unfortunate end, but unfortunate probably sums up rather a lot of it. The nil-nil draw in Armenia was almost a disaster for the team’s prospects, adequate defense but no goals grabbed by the men up front, and if they can’t turn possession into a scoreline in the final third of the pitch against Portugal, they’re sunk. Their defense is solid, but they don’t have Ronaldo.

Denmark’s Euro 2016 Campaign Doomed To Play-Off Hopes?

Bendtner will need to pull his pants up in Braga

They do have Nicklas Bendtner, once of Arsenal, who has a couple of goals to his name in Denmark’s Euro 2016 campaign, and team captain Daniel Agger could well rally the lads to greater efforts after his return to Brondby has put him at the very heart of the national side. Of course for all that Morten Olsen, the team coach has made no secret of his plans to retire after this campaign, and it remains to be seen if the side will let him go out on a high in France or a low after a defeat in the play-offs.

The two-legged play-off route looks set to be quite the battle as several well respected teams find themselves adrift of expectations with a lot to prove, and indeed some of the best match ups of the qualification round could come in these do-or-die match pair ups. If the game against Portugal won’t end in a fairytale, the play-offs at least provide hope of a happy ending of sorts for both Olsen and the Denmark’s Euro 2016 campaign.

The odds, at ComeOn! Sportsbook tell the full story of the mountain Denmark’s Euro 2016 campaign needs to climb with the Portuguese getting 1.71 to come out the victor in their encounter, with Denmark at 5.40 to overcome Ronaldo and co. Even a draw is looking unlikely at 3.50 but given Portugal’s need of but a level scoreline and Denmark’s propensity for a stalwart defense that could be the wager of the night, I certainly wouldn’t be taking advantage of Danish gambling laws to bet on a win for the visitors.