Germany vs Denmark facts

Memories will be stirred of Denmark's finest footballing hour as they take on hosts Germany in the round of 16 of UEFA EURO 2024 at the BVB Stadion Dortmund.

Germany won the sides' last competitive meeting, in the EURO 2012 group stage, but Denmark will look back to the final of EURO '92, a famous 2-0 victory in Sweden giving them their only major silverware.

Hosts Germany finished top of Group A to reach the EURO 2024 knockout stages, although – having beaten Scotland 5-1 and Hungary 2-0 – they needed a 92nd-minute equaliser from substitute Niclas Füllkrug to rescue a 1-1 draw against Switzerland on Matchday 3 to claim first place in the section ahead of the Swiss.

Denmark were second behind England in Group C, sealing progress with a goalless draw against Serbia in their final fixture after their games against both Slovenia and England had finished 1-1.

The winners of this tie play Spain or Georgia in the quarter-final in Stuttgart on 5 July.

Previous meetings

Matches 28
Germany wins 15
Denmark wins 8
Draws 5
Germany goals 55
Denmark goals 38

The sides' last competitive meeting came on Matchday 3 of EURO 2012, an 80th-minute Lars Bender goal giving Joachim Löw's Germany a 2-1 win at the Lviv Arena and a place in the quarter-finals at the expense of Morten Olsen's Danes. Michael Krohn-Dehli had cancelled out a 19th-minute opener from Germany's Lukas Podolski, making his 100th international appearance.

Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller both started for Germany with Toni Kroos a late substitute; Christian Eriksen and Simon Kjær were in the Denmark line-up.

The teams have since shared two 1-1 friendly draws, most recently in Innsbruck on 2 June 2021. Yussuf Poulsen's 71st-minute equaliser earned a draw for a Denmark team coached, as now, by Kasper Hjulmand; Florian Neuhaus had given Löw's Germany side the lead early in the second half.

A Joshua Kimmich goal two minutes from time had given Germany a 1-1 draw at the Brøndby Stadion on 6 June 2017; Eriksen had given Denmark, coached by Åge Hareide, an 18th-minute lead.

Germany may hold the upper hand against Denmark overall with 15 wins and only eight defeats, but it is more even in competitive encounters, with two wins each in their four matches.

Indeed, that 2012 loss is Denmark's only reverse in their last six games against Germany (W2 D3).

The nations' competitive ties have all come at final tournaments, Denmark winning 2-0 against West Germany in the 1986 FIFA World Cup group stage thanks to a first-half penalty from Jesper Olsen and John Eriksen's second-half strike.

West Germany turned the tables as hosts of the European Championship two years later, Jürgen Klinsmann giving them a tenth-minute lead at the Parkstadion in Gelsenkirchen before Olaf Thon wrapped up the win five minutes from time. Franz Beckenbauer's side reached the semi-finals as group winners, with Sepp Piontek's Danes ending the group stage with no points.

Denmark's finest hour came against Germany four years later in the final of EURO '92 as Richard Møller Nielsen's men beat Berti Vogts' Germany to win their only major title in a tournament they had only entered as late replacements for Yugoslavia. Goals from John Jensen (18) and Kim Vilfort (78) earned a 2-0 triumph at Gothenburg's Ullevi Stadion.

The countries first met in a Copenhagen friendly on 6 October 1912, which Denmark won 3-1. The Danes won their first three games against Germany, who finally prevailed 2-1 in Nuremberg in 1928.

Germany handed Denmark their heaviest defeat in a friendly on 16 May 1937, winning 8-0 in Breslau – now the Polish city of Wroclaw – with Otto Siffling hitting five of those goals.

EURO facts

Germany

No side has featured in the European Championship more often than Germany, who are making their 14th appearance in 2024. They have featured in every edition of the tournament since their debut in 1972.

Winners in 1972, 1980 – both as West Germany – and 1996, Germany were also beaten finalists in 1976, 1992 and 2008 and have reached a further three semi-finals.

Germany and Spain, with three wins each, are the most successful sides in European Championship history.

EURO 2020 ended in Germany's earliest exit since bowing out in the 2004 group stage, however, Löw's side losing 2-0 to England at Wembley in the round of 16. They had finished second in Group F behind France on four points, ahead of holders Portugal and Hungary.

Germany are led by 36-year-old former Hoffenheim, Leipzig and Bayern München coach Julian Nagelsmann, who replaced Hansi Flick on 22 September 2023.

Germany lost three of their six matches in autumn 2023 (W2 D1) but are unbeaten in their seven games in 2024, winning five including three in a row before the Matchday 3 draw with Switzerland,

Their wins against Scotland and Hungary at EURO 2024 have made it three victories in Germany's last nine EURO finals matches (D3 L3), the other a 4-2 defeat of Portugal on Matchday 2 at EURO 2020.

Germany have now qualified from the group stage in nine of their 12 EURO finals campaigns since 1980 – including each of the last five.

The Mannschaft's record in the round of 16 is W1 L1. They beat Slovakia 3-0 in 2016 but lost 2-0 to England at EURO 2020.

Germany have won 15 of their 19 games at the BVB Stadion Dortmund, most recently beating France 2-1 in a friendly on 12 September 2023 thanks to goals from Müller and Leroy Sané. Their sole defeat at the stadium came in the 2006 World Cup semi-final, a 2-0 extra-time loss to Italy.

Denmark

Denmark are making their tenth EURO appearance, and a second in succession. They have missed only two of the last 11 tournaments, a run stretching back to 1984.

Hjulmand's experienced squad reached the last four at EURO 2020, their best showing at any finals since they famously won the competition in 1992.

Denmark progressed from Group B at EURO 2020 despite losing their first two fixtures, against Finland (0-1) and Belgium (1-2). A 4-1 win against Russia on Matchday 3 took them through as section runners-up behind the Belgians and they went on to beat Wales 4-0 and Czechia 2-1 before losing 2-1 after extra time to England in the semi-finals.

The Danes reached EURO 2024 as Group H winners, finishing level with runners-up Slovenia on 22 points (W7 D1 L2). Surprisingly beaten 3-2 in Kazakhstan early on, they won six of their next seven qualifiers, booking their place with a 2-1 home win against Slovenia in their penultimate fixture.

Denmark are unbeaten in their seven matches in 2024, winning three and drawing four including the last three.

Hjulmand's side have lost only two of their 17 matches since the 2022 World Cup – both in EURO 2024 qualifying, against Kazakhstan on 26 March 2023 (2-3) and Northern Ireland on 20 November (0-2) – winning ten.

The 2-1 extra-time defeat by England in the semi-final of EURO 2020 is Denmark's only loss in their last seven games in the final tournament (W3 D3); they have not lost a EURO game in 90 minutes since that 2-1 reverse against Belgium in Copenhagen on Matchday 2 of EURO 2020.

This is Denmark's first match in Dortmund.

Links and trivia

Have played in Germany:
Jannik Vestergaard (Hoffenheim 2010–15, Werder Bremen 2015–16, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2016–18)
Simon Kjær (Wolfsburg 2010–13)
Joakim Mæhle (Wolfsburg 2023–)
Jonas Wind (Wolfsburg 2022–)
Yussuf Poulsen (Leipzig 2013–)
Frederik Rønnow (Eintracht Frankfurt 2018–21, Schalke 2020/21 loan, Union Berlin 2021–)
Andreas Christensen (Borussia Mönchengladbach 2015–17)
Thomas Delaney (Werder Bremen 2016–18, Borussia Dortmund 2018–21)
Kasper Dolberg (Hoffenheim 2023 loan)
Mathias Jørgensen (Fortuna Düsseldorf 2020 loan)
Christian Nørgaard (Hamburg 2012–13)
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Bayern München 2012–14, Augsburg 2015 loan, Schalke 2015/16 loan)
Jacob Bruun Larsen (Borussia Dortmund 2016–20, Stuttgart 2018 loan, Hoffenheim 2020–)

Nagelsmann was Poulsen's coach at Leipzig between 2019 and 2021.

Have played together:
David Raum & Yussuf Poulsen (Leipzig 2022–)
Benjamin Henrichs & Yussuf Poulsen (Leipzig 2022–)
İlkay Gündoğan & Andreas Christensen (Barcelona 2023–)
Marc-André ter Stegen & Andreas Christensen (Barcelona 2022–)
Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller & Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Bayern München 2013–15)
Toni Kroos & Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Bayern München 2013/14)
Emre Can & Thomas Delaney (Borussia Dortmund 2020/21)
Joshua Kimmich & Yussuf Poulsen (Leipzig 2013–15)
Robin Koch & Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds United 2022/23)
Oliver Baumann & Jakob Bruun Larsen (Hoffenheim 2020, 2021–23)
David Raum & Jakob Bruun Larsen (Hoffenheim 2021/22)
Leroy Sané & Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Schalke: 2015/16)

Neuer, Müller and Kroos plus Højbjerg were all part of Bayern's treble-winning squad in 2012/13.

Sané scored in Bayern's 4-3 win at home to a Manchester United side including Eriksen and Rasmus Højlund on Matchday 1 of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League. Højlund was on target for United with Kimmich and Jamal Musiala each setting up a goal for Bayern.

Sané was also on target in Bayern's 2-0 win against Christensen's Barcelona in the 2022/23 Champions League group stage, Kimmich and Musiala each providing an assist.

Penalty shoot-outs

Germany have won their last six competitive penalty shoot-outs, losing only their first:
3-5 v Czechoslovakia, 1976 European Championship final
5-4 v France, 1982 World Cup semi-final
4-1 v Mexico, 1986 World Cup quarter-final
4-3 v England, 1990 World Cup semi-final
6-5 v England, EURO '96 semi-final
4-2 v Argentina, 2006 World Cup quarter-final
6-5 v Italy, EURO 2016 quarter-final

Denmark's shoot-out record is W2 L2:
4-5 v Spain, 1984 European Championship semi-final
5-4 v Netherlands, EURO '92 semi-final
4-2 v Mexico, 1995 Confederations Cup group stage
2-3 v Croatia, 2018 World Cup round of 16