Denmark draws Iceland in Euro under-21 decider

After going undefeated through the qualification group stage, the Danes have drawn Iceland in their deciding playoff hurdle to reach the 2015 UEFA under-21s European Championships in the Czech Republic next summer.

The first leg will be played in Denmark on October 8, while the return leg will take place on October 14 in Iceland.

The arguably best Danish under-21 squad in decades stormed through a tough qualification Group 2, most recently beating the likes of Russia (4-2) and Bulgaria (7-1) in the process,  amassing an impressive 37-9 goal difference.

READ MORE: Danish young guns closing in on Euros

Still won't be easy
The Danes ended up being seeded in the draw but could still have ended up drawing tough teams such as the Netherlands, Croatia or Serbia. But in the end, Iceland popped out of the bowl, which leaves the Danes firm favourites next month.

But the tough Icelanders won’t be a walk in the park, finishing second in their Group 10 behind unbeaten France, a team they managed to draw 1-1 away and lose just 3-4 to at home.

"All 14 teams left are really strong," coach Jess Thorup said in a DBU press release. "But we had the advantage of being seeded so we avoided the biggest teams."

"It's tough to say who we would have liked to draw the most, but my initial reaction is that Iceland is an okay draw for us."

The other draws were Slovakia-Italy, France-Sweden, England-Croatia, the Netherlands-Portugal, Ukraine-Germany and Serbia-Spain. Czech Republic has already automatically qualified as hosts.




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