England vs Denmark International Friendly 05-03-2014

England vs Denmark - Competition: International Friendly
Match date: Wednesday, 5 March 2014

As usual, despite the supposed friendly nature of this contest, England supporters will be demanding a victory. Of course, with the 2014 World Cup trip just around the corner, many players will be playing for their chance to represent their country in South America. The English are a bit short at centre-back for this match with Phil Jagielka and Phil Jones both absent, likely giving Chris Smalling a chance to impress after a lackluster campaign with his club Man Utd. Other than that, the attack looks strong with Rooney and Sturridge leading the line, flanked by Southampton captain Lallana and in-form Arsenal winger Oxlade-Chamberlain. But expect halftime to end a few players' days, as Roy Hodgson will want to get a look at fast-improving Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling before he begins to trim down his WC squad. Pressure will be high as always on the Englishmen; however, it looks like Hodgson will be fielding a strong side from the outset of this one.
Denmark team emerged on the wrong side of World Cup qualifying, finishing 2nd place in their respective group behind Italy. That is typically good enough to earn a playoff but they were the odd team out after finishing with less points than all the other 2nd place teams. But they went out in style, trouncing Malta 6-0 after earning an impressive 2-2 draw with Italy. Nicklas Bendtner made his return to the national side after serving his lengthy suspension and is likely to feature here at Wembley Stadium from the outset. The big forward has been on his best behavior at Arsenal since then, crediting his transformation to fatherhood. However, Christian Erikson, a key cog in the Danish midfield who is enjoying a breakout season at English club Tottenham, will not feature here after picking up a thigh injury. Furthermore, manager Morten Olsen will be keen on giving some invaluable playing time to the younger crop of rising talent, as the visitors have little to play for. However, the Danes aren't known for lying down, so expect a mixture of youth and experience to make this game tough on the hosts. 

Head to Head:

Last Meeting: 09.02.2011, Denmark - England 1:2
Wins England: 13 - Wins Denmark: 3 -Draws: 4 

Kick Off Time: 20:00 GMT - 21:00 CET
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom

You can watch the match here: Link 1 , Link 2 [Live Scores]