Whether it's the World Cup or the European Championship, the last thing you want is to run into the host. After all, no matter how strong or weak the host is, it has the bonus of playing at home after all, and has subtle advantages in all aspects. And, if you beat the hosts, there's a good chance you'll be a public enemy in the rest of the game.
Of course, it's not good to meet the host, but not all teams are afraid of the host. In the history of the tournament, there are many teams that can be called the host killer, such as Brazil, which has eliminated the host in the World Cup many times, which must have been impressive for Sweden in 1958, Chile in 1962, and the United States in 1994. However, Brazil, as the host, has also been carved by the two teams for a hundred years, there are two Maracana tragedies in the history of the World Cup, one is the 1950 World Cup, Brazil lost 1:2 to Uruguay at home, lost the championship; The other time was the 2014 World Cup, where he lost 1:7 to Germany, which was unbearable. Uruguay and Germany are also famous host killers in football history. It can be said that no matter which host meets Germany and Uruguay in the tournament, there must be no bottom in their hearts.
However, we have looked at the host team from the perspective of a non-host team. From the host's point of view, are there any teams that are likable?
Note that this does not refer to those fish belly teams, such as Saudi Arabia, such as the national football team. Such a team can't go far in the World Cup, and if it wants to meet the host, it is likely to be in the group stage. And with their strength, the host can easily take it.
And the team we're talking about today is really strong. Although it is not comparable to France, England, Spain and other top teams, it is at least a second-tier team in Europe. What's more, they have also won the European Cup.
However, they are indeed the hosts and favourite opponents of a major tournament such as the World Cup and the European Championship. Because, from 1984 to the present, they have met the host 7 times in the tournament, and all of them have lost. It can be said that when the host meets them, he finds a sense of security.
Denmark.
In the quarter-finals of this European Championship, the match between Denmark and the host Germany, although it was shattered by a thunderstorm, there was no substantial change in the trend of the game, Germany can be said to have won completely, and if Havertz was more aggressive, the score would not be limited to 2:0.
Denmark are not weak, with three consecutive draws in the group stage, and even England did not beat them. But when they met the hosts in the knockout round, they still failed to create a miracle.
Prior to that, Denmark had lost to the hosts five times at the European Championships, France in 1984, Germany in 1988, Sweden in 1992, the Netherlands in 2000 and England in 2021. Of course, there is no fixed host for Euro 2021, but the match between Denmark and England was played at Wembley.
It is worth mentioning that Denmark created a fairy tale to win Euro 1992, but even so, they still lost one game in the group stage, and they lost to hosts Sweden.
In addition, Denmark has also been beaten by the hosts once in the history of the World Cup, losing to France in 1998.
In the fairy tale of 1992, Denmark can be interpreted as a team that is good at making miracles. But if they meet the host, the miracle is null and void. From the point of view of the draw, the host will always draw a European second-tier team, obviously, drawing Denmark is safer and more secure than drawing Sweden, Switzerland, and Serbia.