Play-offs daunt Denmark's Højbjerg

Denmark had a sobering night on Sunday, with their 2-1 friendly defeat to UEFA EURO 2016 hosts France following Albania's 3-0 success in Armenia – a result which means Morten Olsen's side can only make it to next summer's finals through the play-offs.

Schalke midfielder Pierre Højbjerg – on loan from Bayern München – is aware that Sunday's play-off draw is unlikely to bring any good news for the Danes. "It doesn't matter who you play," he told UEFA.com. "It is always going to be difficult, because it is two games where it is all or nothing. Every team will give a little bit extra in those games."

Denmark went into Sunday knowing that they would finish second in Group I if Albania failed to win in Yerevan, and confirmation of Armenia's defeat in the run-up to kick-off against France might explain their sluggish start, Olivier Giroud scoring twice in the first six minutes in Copenhagen.

"We didn't start well – that is obvious," Højbjerg noted. "They scored two in the first six minutes. It's not OK. We need to be more focused. When fans pay to come to Parken and watch us on a Sunday night, we have to show that we appreciate that. This was not acceptable.

Albania celebrate qualifying©AFP/Getty Images

"Maybe it was because we knew the result of the other game before we went out, but we cannot deliver a performance like the one we did in the first ten minutes, where we were not there. There were simple mistakes."

Denmark rallied a little, Erik Sviatchenko's spectacular strike ending a run of three games without a goal, and as they prepare for their next big task, Højbjerg took some consolation from having been outclassed by a strong France team.

"For me it, they are one of the favourites to win the European Championship next summer," the 20-year-old explained. "They have a fantastic team. They have a good coach too, a good spirit, good strength, and they are good technically and tactically. They are very strong."