EURO 2020 Preview: Does England’s “no real drama” approach make them favourites against Denmark? – tactical analysis

England are the big favourites against Denmark in their Euro 2020 semi-final battle, but they should not underestimate the inspired Danish team as we saw many of the big teams surprisingly withdrawal from the tournament in an unexpected turn of events.

The fact that England reached the semi-finals with “no real drama” as per the ex-Liverpool player Steve Nicol shows their confidence and trust in the process. Gareth Southgate hasn’t gone all out with his tactics, instead, he quietly planned his every move and adjusted to his opponents’ approaches while keeping the fundamentals of his strategy – a rather conservative style of play with no spectacular tactical twists.

Denmark on the other side have used their initial shock as an inspiration and have transformed their tactics to match up their strengths, aiming for a creative and attacking style of play which made them one of the most enjoyable teams to watch in the competition.

This preview in the form of a tactical analysis will examine both teams’ expected tactics and if the lack of drama so far will give England an advantage against Denmark.

Southgate should be flexible with England’s set-up

One of the biggest questions prior to the fixture is whether Southgate will opt for his 4-2-3-1 formation or will switch to a 3-4-3 similarly to their win over Germany. It is quite likely that he chooses the back three formation to match Denmark’s 3-4-3 but will this actually help the team nullify the opposition’s efforts? It might not.

The Three Lions will need to be quite flexible in their set-up due to Denmark’s movement in possession. Kasper Hjulmand’s side have successfully switched between the 3-4-3 and their previously used 4-3-3 in-game and have used this strategy to their advantage in their attacking actions.

The 3-4-3 scheme might be successful for England if they want more coverage in the wide areas and if they want to draw the opposition numerically as the Danes use their wing-backs quite actively. If the opposition decide to switch to a 4-3-3, though, it could be a whole another story, with Chelseas Andreas Christensen moving up in more of a defensive midfield position and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg accepting a more advanced position.

With the full-backs/wing-backs then joining their teammates in the opposition half, this could give Denmark an advantage in attack. Højbjerg became their playmaker in the tournament and is their main creative source, delivering the ball to the advanced areas and creating chances for his teammates. His presence closer to the final third could be crucial for Denmark’s successful attacking actions.

That’s why England need to increase their awareness for these tactical changes and be ready to adjust, especially defensively.

Dropping