EURO 2020 has been an emotional rollercoaster for Denmark and there could be a few more twists to the tale in their final Group B game with Russia.
The Danes were favourites to finish second in the section behind Belgium before a ball was kicked but the collapse of talisman Christian Eriksen in their opener against Finland cast a dark cloud over the tournament.
It was no surprise Denmark ended up losing to the Finns after the terrible decision to restart the game once Eriksen had regained consciousness and was taken to hospital.
Kasper Hjulmand's men were desperate to deliver a victory for their recuperating star in the next game against Belgium but ended up losing 2-1 after taking an early lead.
I tipped them to lose that night but Denmark still have a chance of going through thanks to Russia's win over Finland in the other group game.
A Danish victory over the Russians, coupled with another Belgian triumph against the Finns, would see three teams finish on three points, with goal difference deciding who takes second place.
How the bookies view it
Home advantage makes Denmark the favourites at a best 13/17 with SBK while the Russians are as big as 43/10 with the same firm. A draw would be enough for Stanislav Cherchesov's to go through and that pays 3/1 at Unibet.
Head to head
These teams have met just once since the collapse of the Soviet Union, with Russia winning 2-0 in Copenhagen in a 2012 friendly (below). Denmark had a dismal record against the USSR, winning just once in a 1986 World Cup qualifier and losing the other eight meetings.
Players to watch
Mikkel Damsgaard was a livewire for Denmark against Belgium and was unlucky not to score with a fine solo effort. The Sampdoria winger is 3/1 at SportNation for a goal while McBookie price him at 7/2 for an assist.
Russian battering ram Artem Dzyuba has been setting up chances instead of converting them so far at the Euros. He's 13/2 with McBookie for another assist which looks a good long-odds option.
Anything else catch the eye?
I suspect Russia will sit back and try to frustrate Denmark in a bid to get the point they need. So whether we see a thriller or not will depend on if the Danes can make an early breakthrough. I'm hoping they will, with over 2.5 goals priced a best 21/20 at Betfair.
With the Russians probably on the back foot, I like the look of the 20/21 McBookie are offering on them picking up the most bookings. Dmitri Barinov looks a good bet to pick up one of those cards after being booked against the Finns. That took his tally of yellows to 17 for the season so he's overpriced at 5/2 with Unibet to be carded.
We could see a lot of corners as Denmark push for that vital goal and they are 4/6 with Paddy Power to win the most corners, which looks a good option for accas. Over 9.5 match corners also appeals at 6/5 with Boylesports.
This Euro 2020 match between Russia and Denmark will be played on Jun 21, 2021 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Russia vs Denmark prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
