
Group C gets underway as Slovenia, managed by Matjaz Kek, face Kasper Hjulmand's Denmark on Sunday afternoon in Stuttgart.
For Slovenia, this will be a brand new chapter for the entirety of their 26-man squad, as they all get the chance to feature in their first-ever major international tournament, and the nation's first since 2010.
As for De Rød-Hvide, they will be hoping to put behind their poor displays in Qatar eighteen months ago, and reach the levels they did in the last edition of this exact competition.
The two sides both qualified from the same group, finishing on the same amount of points (22). They shared a score draw in Slovenia, whilst Denmark narrowly edged it with a 2-1 victory in Copenhagen.
Slovenia have never beaten Denmark in their six meetings.
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Team news
Slovenia
After being called up to the preliminary squad, Josip Ilicic came off the bench to score the winner in a warm-up game against Armenia last week, in what was his first appearance for the national side since November 2021, and he'll be hoping for further minutes against Denmark on Sunday.
Right back Petar Stojanović has made a full recovery from a muscle injury which saw him miss the final friendly earlier this month, although Panathinaikos winger Benjamin Verbič is a slight doubt after failing to complete Wednesday's training session.
Sought-after striker Benjamin Sesko is set to lead the line for Zmajčeki.
Denmark
Captain Simon Kjær did not start either of Denmark's pre-tournament friendlies amid fitness issues, and he will have his minutes managed in Germany.
Kasper Hjulmand has already encountered further injury issues within his squad, with Victor Nelsson being replaced by Mathias Jorgensen after succumbing to injury. There is good news though, as Christian Norgaard is reportedly fine after he missed training on Thursday due to precautionary measures.
Christian Eriksen is firing and set to start his first Euro match since the traumatic incident in 2021, whilst Rasmus Højlund is likely to be at the forefront of the attack.
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Likely lineups
Slovenia
Oblak (GK); Karničnik, Brekalo, Bijol, Janža; Stojanović, Elšnik, Gnezda Čerin, Mlakar; Šporar, Šeško
Denmark
Schmeichel (GK); Andersen, Christiansen, Vestergaard, Kristiansen, Hjulmand, Højbjerg, Mæhle, Eriksen, Wind, Højlund.
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Key players
Slovenia - Benjamin Sesko
On Sunday, all eyes will be on one of the hottest prospects in world football right now; Benjamin Sesko, who will lead the line for his country in his first taste of a major international tournament.
The RB Leipzig striker had a fine season, where he scored on eighteen occasions as he helped fire Die Rotten Bullen to a UEFA Champions League place.
His performances were so good, that he had attracted interest from the trio of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal in the previous few weeks, but he rejected the Premier League giants in order to sign a new contract.
Scoring in all of his side's final seven games of the season, Sesko will be looking to continue that fine form with his national team, who will look to cause an upset against the likes of England and Denmark in Group C.
So far in his senior career, the Slovenian striker has scored 11 goals in 29 international caps.
Denmark - Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
Despite a difficult season at club level, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg never fails to disappoint on the international stage.
The Dane has scored three goals in his last three international matches, in a more advanced midfield position that sees him play a pivotal role in this courageous Denmark side. In Euro 2020 he was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament and he'll be hoping to do the same this time around, starting with his side's group stage opener against Slovenia in Stuttgart.
Denmark reached the semi-finals of this competition three years ago, and if they are to produce anything similar to that emotional run which culminated in a harsh extra-time loss at Wembley Stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur man will be crucial.
As the midfielder seeks a move away from North London in the summer transfer window, this tournament could be the perfect audition for Højbjerg on the continental stage.
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Match details
Where is the match being played?
This group stage tie will be played at the Stuttgart Arena - the home of Bundesliga side VFB Stuttgart. The capacity of the venue is 54,272.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off for the Group C opener has been set for 17:00 BST.
How can I watch?
In the United Kingdom, viewers will be able to watch this clash on ITV 1, with pre-match coverage commencing from 16:10 BST.

