A fine performance from Christen Eriksen was not enough to earn Denmark a win in their opening match at Euro 2024 after Slovenia battled back to earn a draw. Look back at the best facts, statistics and live Opta data with our Slovenia vs Denmark stats page.

Slovenia and Denmark played out Euro 2024’s first draw, after Christian Eriksen’s opener was cancelled out by Erik Janza in a stop-start 1-1 draw in Stuttgart. It’s a result that will suit both England and Serbia as the other two teams in Group C.

Three years since the footballing world stood still, Eriksen produced a magical display in midfield for Denmark, but his side were unable to convert their possessional dominance into victory.  

Eriksen collapsed in Denmark’s opening game of Euro 2020 against Finland after he suffered a cardiac arrest and received life-saving treatment on the pitch before eventually being resuscitated and taken to hospital. There was genuine concern that the then-Inter Milan player would not leave the pitch alive that day, let alone step onto the field of play again.

But Eriksen – appearing in his first European Championship game since that life-changing moment – produced one of his finest displays in recent memory.

His intelligence and technical quality were on display for the game’s opening goal. Alexander Bah took advantage of a lapse in concentration in the Serbia box to fire a quick throw-in into the feet of Jonas Wind. Wind then skilfully flicked the ball into the path of Eriksen, who expertly controlled on his chest before poking past Jan Oblak.

That goal saw him become the third oldest player to score for Denmark at a major tournament, and oldest to do so at the European Championships.

Eriksen, who made just 12 starts in a difficult domestic season with Manchester United, was on sparkling form, finding pockets of space in front of the Slovenian back four to get on the ball, turn, and feed his strikers.

He took five shots in the game, and created a further seven chances for teammates, becoming one of just two players to record both 5+ shots and create 5+ chances in a Euros match since the beginning of Euro 2020 (along with Gareth Bale for Wales against Turkey)

But Denmark, who completed 582 passes – the most they’ve ever completed in a single match at either a European Championship or a World Cup game on record – could only muster that one goal in the first half and then lost fluency and incision in the second period.

With the game at 1-0, Slovenia were always in the game and grew in confidence as the matched ticked by.

Their attacking threat was sporadic, but when it did come it was mainly via the aerial route, with crosses and long throws into the box their best way of generating chances.

Adam Gnezda Cerin and Andraz Sporar both should have done better with chances from such situations, before Janza finally made their aerial danger count.

A corner from the right bounced its way across the area and sat up perfectly for him to slam home from the edge of box via a deflection of Morten Hjulmand.

That had come just moments after Benjamin Sesko had cracked the post with a fizzing volley. The RB Leipzig man didn’t see a lot of the ball, but flashed his obvious talent when the opportunity arose, going close on two occasions. Denmark had clearly identified him as Slovenia’s major threat, given he was fouled (4) more times than any other player on the pitch. He’s one to watch as the tournament progresses.

Rasmus Højlund had Denmark’s best chance of the second half, stretching at the back post to tap in a low cross by marauding wing-back Victor Kristiansen but Jan Oblak smothered his effort. Kasper Hjulmand’s side will be disappointed at how much their attacking potency fizzled out in the second period.

This draw opens the door for England to take a stranglehold on Group C as they prepare for their opening game against Serbia later tonight.

Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Slovenia vs Denmark stats from their Euro 2024 Group C clash at the Stuttgart Arena in Germany.

The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own post-match analysis.

Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well. 

Slovenia vs Denmark: Post-Match Facts

  • Slovenia are yet to win a match at the UEFA European Championship (D3 L1), with their four matches the most any nation has played in the competition without recording a single victory.
  • Erik Janza became only the third Slovenian player to score a goal at a European Championship after Zlatko Zahovic and Miran Pavlin. Janza’s goal was also Slovenia’s first to be scored from outside the box since Zlatko Zahovic at EURO 2000 (v Yugoslavia).
  • Denmark’s Andreas Christensen completed all of his 89 passes against Slovenia, the most passes any player has made whilst maintaining a 100% passing accuracy in a match on record (since 1980) at the UEFA European Championship.
  • Christian Eriksen (32y 123d) became the third oldest player to score for Denmark at a major tournament, behind Michael Laudrup in 1998 (34y 009d) and Jon Dahl Tomasson in 2010 (33y 299d). Eriksen is the oldest ever to score for the country at the UEFA European Championship.
  • Erik Janza has now scored three goals for Slovenia (11 appearances) with all three of his goals coming in competitive fixtures (2 in Euro qualifying, 1 at EURO 2024) and with two of his three goals coming against Denmark.
  • All 10 of Denmark’s starting outfielders recorded a shot in this match, only the third time a team has seen each of their outfield starters do so on record at the EUROs (since 1980) after England v Spain in 1996 and the Netherlands v Italy in 2000.
  • Kasper Schmeichel (37y 224d) became the second oldest player to play for Denmark at the European Championship finals (behind Morten Olsen – 38y 308d) and the oldest goalkeeper, overtaking his father Peter (36y 216d in June 2000).
  • Denmark completed 582 passes against Slovenia, the most they’ve ever completed in a single match at either a UEFA European Championships or a FIFA World Cup on record (since 1980).
  • Christian Eriksen created seven chances from set plays versus Slovenia; the most by a player in a game at the EUROs since Scotland’s Gary McAllister in 1992 v Germany (8).

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