Southgate's England look to be better against Eriksen-inspired Denmark

WEIMAR, Germany : If England tempered lofty expectations as a favourite for Euro 2024 with a nervy and unconvincing 1-0 win over Serbia, the Three Lions will hope to make a firmer statement when they clash with Denmark on Thursday and build on their Group C lead.

Marauding midfielder Jude Bellingham's first-half brilliance was the one major bright spot in a tournament opener that likely sent Gareth Southgate back to the drawing board as he continues to figure out how to make all his talented pieces fit.

"This team is still coming together," Southgate said on Saturday. "Everybody's expecting us to waltz through. There's a lot of hard work ahead."

Denmark can exact some revenge against England, who edged them 2-1 in the semi-finals of the 2020 European Championship.

The Danes drew 1-1 with Slovenia in their opener on Saturday, an afternoon flushed with emotion at the return to the Euros of midfielder Christian Eriksen. Three years after he suffered a cardiac arrest during play at the last tournament, Eriksen scored the Danes' lone goal.

He was the only Danish player to maintain his level throughout the game, however, and they conceded an equalizer in a disappointing result.

Denmark have tasted glory on the international stage, winning the 1992 European Championship - an accomplishment that has eluded England in their 10 previous appearances. Their loss to Italy in the 2020 final was the Three Lions' best result.

On the heels of his outstanding season at Real Madrid, the 20-year-old Bellingham showed on Sunday that he is ready to shoulder the heavy England expectations, joining fellow Englishman Michael Owen as only players to score at both a European Championship and a World Cup before the age of 21.

Manager Gareth Southgate was