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Christian Eriksen and Denmark played out a 0-0 draw with Switzerland in a friendly as both sides prepare to take part in the Euro 2024 tournament this summer.
For Eriksen, it was an opportunity to get a full 90 minutes under his belt, as gametime has been scarce at Manchester United recently.
In the lead up to the game, his selection for the national side was a hotly debated topic.
Former Real Madrid and Denmark midfielder, Thomas Gravesen, claimed that he should not have been selected and that it was a “scandalous” decision.
On the other hand, both Rasmus Hojlund and the Danish coach, Kasper Hjulmand, have asserted that the 32 year old should be getting more game time at Old Trafford.
The midfielder was one of the better performers in a rather drab game and almost grabbed an assist, as his 23rd minute corner was headed back across goal and off the line by the Swiss defence.
The former Inter Milan player was involved again in the 39th minute as he lofted a beautiful ball over the Swiss backline which really should have resulted in a better chance for the Scandinavians.
Eriksen almost sent the home ground into raptures as his second half long range free kick seemed destined for the back of the net, only to be denied by the flying Yann Sommer.
He finished the night with a decent 7.1 rating from Sofascore and most of his side’s dangerous moments were orchestrated by him.
He was heavily involved on the ball, having 70 touches and completing 81% of his 53 passes.
He also took three of Denmark’s seven shots with one on target and two flying wide of the mark.
One weak spot of Eriksen’s performance was the fact he lost possession 18 times but the nature of his creative role will always result in a greater turnover of the ball, as he strives to make things happen.
A solid if not spectacular performance by Denmark will serve as good practice against a Swiss team that always play their heart out in international tournaments.
His club-and-country teammate Rasmus Hojlund also played in the match but was unable to get on the end of any of Eriksen’s passes in what was a frustrating night for him.
The Danes have the theoretically much easier task of the Faroe Islands on Tuesday night as Eriksen will aim to get another 90 minutes under his belt, so he can convince Erik ten Hag he is worthy of more minutes in the final two months of the season.
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