We look ahead to this 2023 Women’s World Cup Group D match at the Sydney Football Stadium with our England vs Denmark preview and prediction.
England vs Denmark Stats: Quick Hits
- England are the favourites for this match, with a 66.5% chance of victory according to the Opta supercomputer.
- Denmark have never defeated a European nation at the Women’s World Cup in three previous attempts, losing all three matches.
- Sarina Weigman has lost just one of her 33 matches in charge of England in all competitions.
Match Preview
Both England and Denmark started their 2023 Women’s World Cup campaigns with a 1-0 victory.
England come into this game off the back of a tricky encounter with Haiti, winning 1-0 thanks to a re-taken Georgia Stanway penalty in the first half. That was one of 11 shots on target that they posted in the victory, which was the most on record (since 2011) in a FIFA WWC match.
Denmark only attempted two shots on target in their 1-0 win over China PR, both coming in the final 15 minutes of the game, with the second of those providing the winning goal in the 89th minute via Amalie Vangsgaard.
Sarina Wiegman has turned England into one of the powerhouses of women’s football, leading them to European Championship glory last summer. Overall under Wiegman, England have lost just one of their 33 matches in all competitions (W26 D6), with that defeat coming against Australia in a friendly in April (2-0).
Weigman’s tournament record as a coach is phenomenal, with the Dutch coach losing just one of her 20 matches across the Women’s European Championships and World Cup combined (winning the other 19) – that was the 2019 Women’s World Cup final defeat to the United States while in charge of the Netherlands.
England vs Denmark Head-to-Head
This will be the 18th meeting between England (eight wins) and Denmark (six wins) in all competitions (three draws), with the Lionesses winning each of the last three encounters, most recently a 2-0 victory in a friendly back in May 2019. England’s goals that day came from Nikita Parris and Jill Scott.
Despite 18 previous meetings, this will be the first FIFA Women’s World Cup match between Denmark and England. They have met three times previously at the European Championships, with England winning the first two encounters (both in 1984) before losing in 2005 (2-1).
Denmark will have to create history here, as they have never beaten a fellow European nation at the Women’s World Cup. Their previous three attempts have all ended in defeat, losing in 1991 against Norway (2-1) and Germany (2-1) and then in 1995 against Norway again (3-1).
England vs Denmark Prediction
The Opta supercomputer makes England the favourites for this match before kick-off, with a 66.5% chance of defeating Denmark. A win for either side here will ensure qualification to the knockout stage, with Denmark being given a 12.4% chance of following up their 1-0 victory over China on matchday one with another three points.
A draw would be far from a disaster for either side, with both nations facing opposition that they should be expected to defeat in their final game in Group D. The chance of a draw is 21.1%.
England vs Denmark Squads
England: Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Niamh Charles, Keira Walsh, Alex Greenwood, Millie Bright, Lauren James, Georgia Stanway, Rachel Daly, Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Jordan Nobbs, Hannah Hampton, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Esme Morgan, Jess Carter, Laura Coombs, Chloe Kelly, Bethany England, Katie Zelem, Ellie Roebuck, Katie Robinson, Alessia Russo.
Denmark: Lene Christensen, Josefine Hasbo, Stine Ballisager Pedersen, Rikke Sevecke, Simone Boye Sørensen, Karen Holmgaard, Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen, Emma Snerle, Amalie Vangsgaard, Pernille Harder, Katrine Veje, Kathrine Møller Kühl, Sara Thrige, Nicoline Sørensen, Frederikke Thøgersen, Kathrine Larsen, Rikke Madsen, Luna Gevitz, Janni Thomsen, Signe Bruun, Mille Gejl, Maja Bay Østergaard, Sofie Svava.
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