16:27
A tale of two City … goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel and Danny Ward will become the first two Leicester City goalkeepers to face each other in the knockout stages of a major international tournament this evening. Ward is very much the understudy at the King Power Stadium, having watched Schmeichel play 114 consecutive Premier League games since he joined the club from Liverpool three years ago. He only played five games for Leicester last season but has acquitted himself every well since becoming Robert Page’s No1 for Wales in this tournament.
16:11
Those teams: There are two changes to the Denmark team that trounced Russia in Copenhagen. Kasper Dolberg comes in for Yussef Poulsen up front, while Jens Stryger Larsen replaces Daniel Wass at right wing-back. Neither Poulsen nor Wass are in the matchday squad.
Robert Page makes three changes. Ben Davies, Chris Mepham and Kieffer Moore return to the starting line-up, with Neco Williams, Chris Gunter and the suspended Ethan Ampadu making way.
15:57
Wales v Denmark line-ups
15:50
Updated
15:45
Robert Page speaks
“He wears the armband for a reason,” he said of his captain Gareth Bale. “He’s a model professional, looks after himself and he has a family. He’s great around the changing room, he’s got a great group of friends in here. It’s not about Gareth Bale. It’s about us as a nation and all of us together.”
On the state of his squad’s fitness: “Everyone’s fit other than Ethan [Ampadu] for a one-game suspension,” he said. “I’ve known [the team] for a while. We had to tweak things against a very strong Italy team. We’re capable of adapting to a couple of formations and different personnel. We’re ready for a battle, because that’s what it’s going to be. It’s all-out now. The gloves are off. We’re fully ready for it.”
15:45
Kasper Hjulmand speaks
“I have great respect for them and all that they have achieved recently, including that semi-final [in 2016],” said Denmark’s coach, when asked about tonight’s opponents. “It’s a country that supports their national team 100 per cent, and the players are working for each other.”
On tonight’s game: “We are very much looking forward to it! After three very emotional matches in Parken [Stadium] – we have great expectations for this tie.”
15:33
Updated
15:30
Round of 16: Wales v Denmark
The Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam is the venue for the first of the Euro 2020 knockout games and it features two of this tournament’s most popular sides.
There seems to be a particularly keen Band of Brothers feel around both today’s squads, the players of Wales apparently having described themselves as a gang of friends on a (booze-free) stag do, while Denmark’s footballers made no shortage of new friends on the back of the dignity and togetherness with which they faced near tragedy in their opening game.
While this is Denmark’s first match away from the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, they as good as have home advantage because the famously sunlit uplands of Brexit mean Wales fans aren’t allowed to travel. Kick-off in Amsterdam is at 5pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
