The draw for the European Championship is about to begin, and the focus is usually on how to avoid the top teams in the first tier and concentrate on the first place.
II. 3. On the team of the fourth bracket. However, for the teams in the first tier, there are also strong opponents to be reckoned with in the other three tiers, and they are eager to avoid playing against them. In particular, the second-tier teams are not much different from the first-tier teams in terms of their performance in the group stage. For example, top teams such as France, Spain, and England dare not take it lightly when they encounter any team from the second bracket. Although many people think that the second band is not as strong as the third band overall, in reality, the third band is mainly due to the Netherlands' improved average score. On the whole, the second grade is better.
Turkey, for example, although they are not a traditional European powerhouse and have never lifted a trophy, the most fearsome thing is their uncertainty. Otherwise, how would they have made it to the last four of the World Cup and the European Championship?In this European preliminary round, Turkey even beat Croatia to enter the competition, which few teams in Europe can do. Therefore, there is no doubt that Turkey is definitely the ace in the second bracket and a strong opponent that the other three brackets are not willing to face. In fact, in the second tier, in terms of cards and strength, it is not Turkey that is the strongest, but the team that will be introduced below. Last year, this team was definitely a hot topic that any team would be afraid to avoid. But this year, their deterrent power has diminished dramatically, and they are no longer intimidating.
The reason is that in just one year, they have gradually diluted the image of a strong team that they have struggled to establish. That team is Denmark. Let's take a look back at last year. Why was Denmark so intimidating last year?Because they beat France in the UEFA Nations League. If France is in poor form, or disdain to participate in the UEFA Nations League, such an explanation is clearly untenable. After all, as long as the whole of Europe is a little stronger, who will disdain the UEFA Nations League?If France doesn't care, then Denmark doesn't need to care. It can be said that Denmark at that time was indeed a bit like Bayer Leverkusen now, the lineup may not be luxurious, but it runs smoothly without obvious flaws. Such a team may even break into the semi-finals of the tournament. At the time, there were people who did think so.
Denmark did not perform well in the group stage of Euro 2021, with only one win and two defeats, but miraculously made it to the knockout stage and eventually reached the last four. This performance cast a magical halo over the Danish side, and in the semi-finals, Denmark could have even beaten England to reach the final. In this way, the championship may no longer belong to Italy. It is also like rekindling the Danish fairy tale that has been dusty for thirty years. Sadly, however, in less than a year, Denmark has lost this aura. At the World Cup in Qatar, Denmark was unexpectedly eliminated from the tournament. In the group stage, they suddenly lost their form against France, whom they had beaten before.
What's more, they lost to Australia, the weakest team, and this game left Denmark directly out of the knockout round, and also completely shattered their magical aura. Although Denmark topped their group in the European qualifiers, it was largely due to the weaker group they were in. They clearly couldn't beat Slovenia easily and only got ahead of them in the final stages of the group stage. In addition, there was a 3-2 upset defeat by Kazakhstan, which made Denmark a bit humiliated. Therefore, at the current point in time, seeing Denmark in the second tier of the list, one cannot help but have the feeling that Denmark is lying there quietly, without aggression and deterrence. For teams of other grades, if you draw Denmark, you can draw it, just play, and there is no special feeling. Obviously, this mentality was unimaginable last year.
Of course, for Denmark, maybe this form is not a bad thing, because in the absence of fanfare, this team may burst into new strength. Entering in a low-key manner and playing in a high-profile manner may be the right way for Denmark to release its energy. Just like the Danish fairy tale in 1992, didn't it also start with a wild card competition?Didn't the trip to the semi-finals of the last European Championship start with Eriksen's sudden fainting?So let Denmark sit quietly in the second tier and see which three teams can awaken their long-dormant power.