Denmark vs Ukraine 7 June 2026 Prediction

Denmark and Ukraine will both miss the upcoming World Cup. The teams will face each other in their final friendly before the Nations League, which starts only in September. Which side can head into the summer break with a win?

It Was Close

Denmark surprisingly missed out on a World Cup spot. In their qualifying group, Denmark faced Scotland (0-0, 2-4), Greece (3-0, 3-1), and Belarus (6-0, 2-2). The team finished second and reached the playoffs. In the semifinal, Denmark had little trouble beating North Macedonia (4-0), allowing its opponent almost nothing in attack — just 0.15 xG. Then, in the final, Denmark faced Czech Republic. In a very even match, the team lost (2-2, 1-3 on penalties) and failed to qualify for the tournament.

The latest friendly is also worth noting. Denmark faced DR Congo (0-0), and the draw was fair based on the balance of play: 0.81 against 0.83 in expected goals. Many will likely criticize Denmark for this result, but DR Congo are currently in a strong emotional state after qualifying for the World Cup despite difficult circumstances. The team had been at risk of being excluded from the World Cup because of an Ebola outbreak.

Denmark’s squad includes its main leader and most valuable player — Napoli center forward Rasmus Hojlund. He scored 12 goals and added five assists this season. He was also Denmark’s main attacking force in qualifying, with five goals and one assist in six matches. However, Brentford attacking midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard was not called up. He did not have his best Premier League season, but he was an important player in the two decisive playoff matches, recording one goal and two assists. Even without him, Hojlund is capable of fighting for balls and creating chances on his own.

Another Miss

Ukraine last played at a World Cup back in 2006. In qualifying, Ukraine faced France (0-2, 0-4), Iceland (5-3, 2-0), and Azerbaijan (1-1, 2-1). The team performed well enough to finish second and reach the playoffs. However, in the semifinal, Ukraine deservedly lost to Sweden (1-3), offering little resistance — 0.76 xG against 2.38. That ended their path to the World Cup.

Several players in Ukraine’s squad deserve special attention. Anatoliy Trubin of Benfica is the team’s starting goalkeeper and played from the start in almost every league match for his club. In central defense, PSG’s Illia Zabarnyi is a key player for Ukraine, but he was not called up for these friendlies because of the Champions League final. That is a major loss, as Ukraine do not have a full replacement for him.

In the second half of May, it was announced that Italian specialist Andrea Maldera would become Ukraine’s new manager. He replaced Serhiy Rebrov, who led the team through the qualifying cycle for the upcoming World Cup. Maldera became the first foreign manager in Ukraine’s history. On May 31, he took charge of his first match, and Ukraine beat Poland away from home (2-0). Still, it is hard to call that win fully deserved: Ukraine had only three shots on target across the entire match. Poland had two shots on Trubin’s goal, six more were blocked, and another six went wide. That suggests the home team controlled much of the game.

Denmark vs Ukraine Predicted Lineup

Denmark (4-3-3): Jorgensen – Maehle, Provstgaard, A. Christensen, R. Kristensen – Jensen, Hojbjerg, Eriksen – Dorgu, Hojlund, Osula

Will not play: Damsgaard (not called up)

Manager: Brian Riemer

Ukraine (4-2-3-1): Trubin – Mykolenko, Matviyenko, Sarapiy, Romanchuk – Bondarenko, Ocheretko – Sudakov, Tsygankov, Yarmolenko – Yaremchuk

Will not play: Zabarnyi (not called up)

Manager: Andrea Maldera

Referee: Sigurd Kringstad (Norway)

The referee has worked Norwegian league matches since 2014. He has also officiated some European competition matches. In the 2025/26 season, he handled 11 matches, in which he:

• showed no red cards
• issued 44 yellow cards
• awarded one penalty

Denmark vs Ukraine Prediction: Denmark to Win at 1.65

• Main prediction: We believe Denmark are closer to winning this matchup. Ukraine only recently appointed Maldera as manager, and the team is unlikely to produce convincing soccer immediately under a new coach — that takes time. In addition, the visitors will be without key center back Illia Zabarnyi of PSG. He was left out after the recent Champions League final. That gives Denmark’s best player, Rasmus Hojlund, who had a strong season, a better chance to create problems for Ukraine’s defense. All factors point toward Denmark to win at 1.65. A higher-risk option is correct score 2-1 at 8.60.
• Goals prediction: As noted above, Ukraine will find it difficult to keep a clean sheet without Zabarnyi, so Denmark, led by Hojlund, should be able to score. Still, the visitors should not be written off either: Ukraine have scored in seven of their last eight matches, failing to find the net only against a very strong France side. Our pick is both teams to score — yes at 1.92.