Denmark vs Germany: Under-21 EURO background, form guide, previous meetings

Denmark and Germany have been familiar foes at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in the last few years, although their quarter-final in Székesfehérvár will be their first knockout tie in the competition.

• Germany, the Group A runners-up, are looking to end a run of four successive U21 EURO quarter-final defeats although they have appeared in the last three semi-finals, while Group C winners Denmark have reached the knockout stage for the first time in three tournaments.

• The winners of this tie will face the Netherlands or France in the semi-final on 3 June in Szekésfehérvár.

Previous meetings
• This is the fourth successive tournament in which the sides have been paired together after their meetings in the group stage in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Germany won all of those three contests, scoring three goals in each.

• Two years ago Germany kicked off their campaign with a 3-1 defeat of Denmark on Matchday 1, Marco Richter scoring twice (28, 52) and Luca Waldschmidt once (65); Robert Skov's 73rd-minute penalty was all the Danes could manage in reply. Germany went on to win the group with seven points, one more than runners-up Denmark who were therefore eliminated.

• Jacob Bruun Larsen, Magnus Kofod Andersen and Victor Nelsson all started that match for Denmark with Peter Vindahl Jensen, Anders Dreyer and Andreas Poulsen unused substitutes. Arne Maier played the first half for Germany before being replaced, with Markus Schubert and Lukas Nmecha unused substitutes.

• Germany were 3-0 winners against Denmark on Matchday 2 at the 2017 tournament, Davie Selke (53), Marc-Oliver Kempf (73), and Nadiem Amiri (79) getting the goals in Kraków. Germany also progressed to the semi-finals in that tournament, as section runners-up to Italy, and ultimately went on to lift the trophy; Denmark finished third on three points.

• Kevin Volland (32, 48) and Matthias Ginter (53) got the goals in another 3-0 Germany win against Denmark in 2015; that Matchday 2 defeat did little damage to the Danes, however, who won the section on six points with Germany (five points) also progressing in second place.

• Both sides won away when the teams were paired in qualifying for the 1994 finals, Germany triumphing 4-1 in Ronne before a 1-0 Danish success in Celle – but neither qualified for the tournament, both finishing behind Spain.

• Germany are unbeaten in the six friendlies between the sides (W3 D3), winning the last two – most recently a 2-1 home success in Lübeck in September 2015, goals from Timo Werner and substitute Levin Öztunali overturning Casper Nielsen's first-half opener for Denmark.

• Morten Hjulmand were in the Denmark side that drew 2-2 at home to Germany in a U19 friendly in April 2018.

• Substitute Andreas Poulsen was part of the Denmark U19 team beaten 3-1 by Germany in an April 2017 friendly.

• Two Gustav Isaksen goals were not enough to prevent Denmark suffering a 4-3 loss to Germany in a U17 friendly in October 2017.

Form guide

Denmark
• This is Denmark's fourth successive U21 final tournament, and a sixth participation in the eight or 12-team finals. They were eliminated in the group stage in 2006, 2011 on home soil, 2017 and 2019, but did reach the semi-finals in 2015, losing 4-1 to eventual champions Sweden.

• Two years ago in Italy, the Danes were eliminated having finished second in Group B behind eventual runners-up Germany with six points from their three games (W2 L1).

• Their 2021 results mean Denmark have now won nine of their 18 group stage games in the finals overall, losing seven.

• A place in the 2015 semi-finals equalled Denmark's most successful U21 campaign; they also reached the last four in 1992 having previously got to the quarter-finals in 1978 and 1986.

• Albert Capellas succeeded Niels Frederiksen as coach after those 2019 finals and oversaw an unbeaten qualifying campaign, the Spaniard's side picking up 26 points from their ten matches (W8 D2) to win Group 8 by six points from Romania.

• Bruun Larsen provided seven assists in qualifying, more than any other player, and also set up Denmark's Matchday 1 goal at these finals.

• The Danes have won all three games at the 2021 tournament, finishing first in Group C after victories against France (1-0), Iceland (2-0) and Russia (3-0). Their goal difference of +6 is the joint best alongside Group D winners Portugal.

• Denmark, Spain and Portugal all came through the group stage without conceding a goal.

• Denmark are in the quarter-finals for the fourth time (W1 L2). They were beaten by Bulgaria on away goals in 1978 (4-1 h, 0-3 a) and England in 1986 (0-1 h, 1-1 h) but defeated Poland in 1992 (5-0 h, 1-1 a).

Germany
• Champions in 2009 and 2017, Germany were runners-up to Spain in the 2019 final in Italy, going down 2-1 in Udine having finished first in Group B ahead of Denmark, Austria and Serbia before beating Romania 4-2 in the semi-finals.

• This is the ninth time Germany have qualified for an eight or 12-team final tournament. Aside from their two titles, they were semi-finalists in 2015 and quarter-finalists in 1998. They also reached the last eight in 1990, 1992 and 1996.

• As West Germany, they were runners-up to England in 1982.

• Germany reached the semi-finals or better in each of the last three U21 EUROs, and have now progressed from the group stage in five of their last six finals appearances. They are unbeaten in six group stage matches (W3 D3) and have lost only one of their last 13 (W7 D5).

• Stefan Kuntz – who has been in charge since August 2016, leading the team to that 2017 European triumph – oversaw a 2021 qualifying campaign in which Germany finished five points ahead of runners-up Belgium in Group 9 despite losing home (2-3) and away (1-4) against them. Germany won their other six matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Wales and Moldova, including the last three.

• Germany came second in Group A at these finals having finished level on five points in a three-way head-to-head with the Netherlands, who won the section, and eliminated Romania. They won their opening fixture against co-hosts Hungary 3-0 before draws against the Dutch (1-1) and Romania (0-0), Lukas Nmecha and Bote Baku sharing the four goals with two each.

• Germany's record in U21 quarter-finals is W1 L4. They were victorious in their first, as West Germany, against Spain in 1982 (0-1 a, 2-0 h), but have lost their last four, most recently a 1-0 defeat by Greece in 1998 in their sole previous one-off last-eight tie.

Links and trivia
• Have played in Germany:
Andreas Poulsen (Borussia Mönchengladbach 2018–)
Nikolas Nartey (Köln 2017–19, Stuttgart 2019–, Hansa Rostock 2019/20 loan, Sandhausen 2020/21 loan)
Jacob Bruun Larsen (Borussia Dortmund 2015–20, Stuttgart 2018 loan, Hoffenheim 2020–)

• Have played together:
Mads Roerslev & Vitaly Janelt (Brentford 2020–)
Jacob Bruun Larsen & Lukas Nmecha (Anderlecht 2021–)
Nikolas Nartey & Ismail Jakobs, Salih Özcan (Köln 2017–19)

• Germany's Josha Vagnoman scored against Nikolas Nartey's Sandhausen in Hamburg's 4-0 home victory in the 2. Bundesliga on 15 December 2020.

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