Your bluffer's guide to the World Cup: Denmark đŸ‡©đŸ‡° | OneFootball

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Alex Mott·2 June 2018

Your bluffer's guide to the World Cup: Denmark đŸ‡©đŸ‡°

Article image:Your bluffer's guide to the World Cup: Denmark đŸ‡©đŸ‡°

In the latest of this series ahead of the World Cup in Russia, here is all that you need to know about Denmark so you blag your way through a conversation down the pub this summer.

Move over Laudrup brothers, there’s a new generation of Danes ready to become heroes.


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The key player is 
 Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen is in a field of one in this Denmark team. Truly their one and only world class player, it may be obvious to say that the team and their style of play revolves around him – but it really does.

The Tottenham man was far and away their top goalscorer, assist-maker and chance creator in qualifying, and then topped it all off with a hat-trick in the away leg of their play-off against Republic of Ireland. If the Danes are to do anything at this World Cup, they’re going to need a direct line to a Higher Power for their prayers and industrial quantities of cotton wool for Eriksen.

The young player to watch out for is 
 Pione Sisto

Ugandan-born but Danish-raised, Pione Sisto’s reputation has been slowly growing amongst scouts all over Europe over the past few seasons.

Having moved from Midtjyallnd to Celta Vigo last summer, the pacy left winger has become one of the Albicelestes key men in their fight to finish in a European place this term, becoming an ever-present in their starting XI and a constant source of assists from out wide. A move to one of Europe’s giants awaits.

I would like a fun fact about the coach. What can you tell me?

Article image:Your bluffer's guide to the World Cup: Denmark đŸ‡©đŸ‡°

Åge Hareide was a surprise choice when he took over from Morten Olsen in March 2016, but that’s not as surprising as the fact that the Norwegian coach used to rent a house from Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill back in the 90’s.

If I were to get a line of the national anthem tattooed onto my back, what should I go for?

“Hil hver en danneborger, som virker, hvad han kan!” which roughly translates as “Hail every Danish citizen, who is doing the best they can.”

Quite possibly the most Danish sentence anyone’s ever uttered.

Summarise this team for me in one emoji, please

🧠

Who will make their best XI in Russia?

Article image:Your bluffer's guide to the World Cup: Denmark đŸ‡©đŸ‡°

And finally, tell me how the team will perform in Russia?

France are clearly the stand-out side in Group C, but Australia and Peru shouldn’t exactly strike fear into this Danish side. They open up against the South Americans in Saransk, before taking on Bert van Marwijk’s men five days’ later. If all goes to plan, that’s two wins out of two, and final fight for first place against the French.

As we all know, you can’t trust the French – so we’re going to say Denmark top the group, and then lose to Croatia in the last 16.