Denmark will be looking to advance past the group stage of a European Championship for the first time since 2004 when they line up for this summer's competition.

The Red and Whites won Euro 1992 but have largely struggled to make an impression since, being eliminated in the group stages in three of their last four participations in the tournament.

Denmark did make the quarter-finals in 2004, though, and will fancy their chances of advancing through an open group which includes Belgium, Finland and Russia.

Kasper Hjulmand's side will, of course, not be regarded as one of the favourites to win the competition, but this year, perhaps more than ever, has opened up the possibility of an underdog rising to the summit.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at Denmark ahead of Euro 2020.

GROUP

There is no getting away from the fact that Belgium will be the strong favourites to top Group B, leaving Finland, Denmark and Russia to battle for one or potentially two other qualification spots.

Denmark will be determined to get off to a positive start against Finland on June 12, which would leave them with some breathing room ahead of their second match against group favourites Belgium on June 17.

The Red and Whites will also know that the clash with Russia on June 21 is likely to be key in terms of qualifying for the knockout round, and it will be fascinating to see what transpires in the section.

DENMARK FIXTURES

June 12: Denmark vs. Finland (5pm, Parken, Copenhagen)
June 17: Denmark vs. Belgium (5pm, Parken, Copenhagen)
June 21: Russia vs. Denmark (8pm, Parken, Copenhagen)

HOW THEY QUALIFIED

Denmark secured their spot in the finals of Euro 2020 courtesy of finishing second in Group D behind Switzerland, picking up 16 points from their eight matches during an unbeaten campaign.

Four wins from eight matches is relatively low considering that they finished second, but the Red and Whites did not lose a single game and scored 23 times, conceding just six goals in the process.

Denmark actually drew their first two qualification matches against Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland but then managed back-to-back wins over Georgia and Gibraltar to move onto eight points.

A goalless draw with Georgia was followed by an impressive 1-0 win over Switzerland in October 2019, before they thumped Gibraltar 6-0 in their penultimate match.

Denmark's Group D challenge came to an end with a 1-1 draw against the Republic of Ireland in November 2019, and they showed enough to suggest that teams will be wary of them this summer.

RECENT FORM

Denmark will be feeling good about their preparations for this summer's competition, having picked up two positive results in their friendly encounters this month.

Indeed, the Danes held Germany to a 1-1 draw on June 2, with Yussuf Poulsen on the scoresheet after Florian Neuhaus had opened the scoring for Joachim Low's side in the first period.

Denmark then rounded off their preparations for Euro 2020 with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday evening, with Martin Braithwaite and Andreas Cornelius on the scoresheet in Brondby.

Hjulmand's side have lost just one of their last 12 matches in all competitions, including three straight victories over Israel, Moldova and Austria in their 2022 World Cup qualification section, scoring 14 times in the process and conceding zero, which is an indication of their recent form at competitive level.

Belgium are actually the only side to have beaten Denmark since September 2018, suggesting that the Red and Whites could be potential dark horses for Euro 2020.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Jonas Lossl (Midtjylland), Frederik Ronnow (Schalke)

Defenders: Jens Stryger Larsen (Udinese), Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Joachim Andersen (Lyon), Daniel Wass (Valencia), Mathias Jorgensen (Copenhagen), Joakim Maehle (Atalanta), Jannik Vestergaard (Southampton), Nicolai Boilesen (Copenhagen)

Midfielders: Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Norgaard (Brentford), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham), Thomas Delaney (Dortmund), Anders Christiansen (Malmo), Christian Eriksen (Inter Milan), Mikkel Damsgaard (Sampdoria), Robert Skov (Hoffenheim)

Forwards: Martin Braithwaite (Barcelona), Andreas Cornelius (Parma), Andreas Skov Olsen (Bologna), Yussuf Poulsen (Leipzig), Kasper Dolberg (Nice), Jonas Wind (Copenhagen)

STAR PLAYER - Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen ended up playing an important role in Inter's Serie A title triumph, having worked his way back into favour under Antonio Conte, who has since left San Siro.

The 29-year-old is the most decorated player in the Denmark squad, scoring 36 times and registering 24 assists in 108 appearances at international level, but he is actually incredibly inexperienced in the European Championship due to his nation missing out on Euro 2016.

Indeed, Eriksen played just three times at Euro 2012, as the Red and Whites were eliminated in the group stages.

Denmark often look to the former Tottenham Hotspur attacker for inspiration, and he was impressive during qualification for this tournament, scoring three times and providing four assists.

There are a number of recognisable names in the Denmark squad, but Eriksen will undoubtedly be an important player for the national team during this summer's European Championships.

MANAGER - Kasper Hjulmand

Hjulmand has only been in charge of Denmark since July 2020 but has an impressive record at the helm, winning nine, drawing two and losing two of his 13 fixtures for the national side.

Originally, the 49-year-old was due to replace Age Hareide after Euro 2020, but the fact that the tournament was pushed back 12 months due to the coronavirus outbreak means that Hjulmand will lead the team into the European Championship.

It would be fair to say that the Dane is relatively inexperienced when it comes to management, but he has been in charge of Nordsjaelland on two separate occasions and was also Thomas Tuchel's successor at Mainz, spending one season in charge of the Bundesliga outfit.

On the international stage, Hjulmand is largely an unknown, but there have certainly been signs of encouragement in the early stages of his tenure.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD

Best finish: Winners (1992)

Denmark famously won the European Championship in 1992, beating Germany 2-0 in the final courtesy of goals from John Jensen and Kim Vilfort, and there were plenty of familiar names in their starting XI.

Indeed, a certain Peter Schmeichel featured between the sticks, while Brian Laudrup operated in the final third of the field against a Germany side including the likes of Stefan Effenberg and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Denmark had overcome an incredibly gifted Netherlands side on penalties in the semi-finals, meanwhile, and 1992 remains a famous year in the history of the European nation.

The Red and Whites had previously finished fourth in 1964 and made the semi-finals in 1984, but they have been eliminated in the group stages in three of their last four participations.

Denmark did reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2004, though, finishing second in Group C, eliminating Italy in the process, before losing 3-0 to the Czech Republic in the last eight.

PREDICTION

Denmark last reached the quarter-finals of this competition in 2004, and we are tipping them to make the final eight this summer; claiming second in Group B behind Belgium would see them take on the runners-up in Group A, which might be Switzerland, in the round of 16.

A quarter-final against Germany could then be on the agenda depending on what happens elsewhere, but we are not expecting the Danes to progress past the final eight of the tournament.

VERDICT: Quarter-finals body check tags ::