PSV Einhoven star Jan Heintze said Thursday that Denmark will attack Holland from the start in Friday's Euro 2000 Group C clash at the De Kuip Stadium, even though a cavalier approach could mean an early exit for Bo Johansson's men.
Czech striker Jan Koller may be the biggest man at Euro 2000 standing 2.02m tall, and weighing in at 103kg, but France's World Cup-winning defense reckon they can cut him down to size when the two sides meet in Group D on Friday.
Heintze, an uncompromising defender in his second spell at PSV, was in the Danish side that lost 3-0 to World Cup holders France on Sunday and he believes that despite a poor start, the 1992 European champions can upset the tournament favorites.
"We will attack right from the start just as we did against France," said the 36-year-old left back. "It's the only way we know how to play.
"If you try to defend against a team with so much quality, like the Dutch, you will get hurt."
Heintze said the team was disappointed to lose their opening match but was encouraged by their offensive approach in the opening 15 minutes.
"We could have been 2-0 up in the first quarter of an hour but we did not put our chances away and we paid for that.
"We dominated the early stages against the champions of the world and we can take something positive from this."
FRANCE IS CONFIDENT OF REPEATING VICTORY
Meanwhile, France will be looking to repeat their classy 3-0 victory over Denmark, while the Euro 96 finalists need a result after their luckless 1-0 defeat to Holland.
Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes that France can already adapt tactics to the job in hand.
"I think that's the very strength of this team," he said. "It's this ability to change structure during the course of a match - according to the changes in the scoreline."
In their 24 matches together since that 3-1 victory over Bulgaria at Euro 96, France have kept a clean sheet on no fewer than 17 occasions.
For Desailly, who is likely to man-mark Koller on Friday, France's record stands by itself. "Nobody has a better defense in the world," he trumpeted.
The Czech giant himself was equally confident, saying: "That's two matches now in which I have failed to score. So I think I will get one against France."
The lines have been drawn, let battle commence - (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
