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Both teams with new coaches in charge

Gundmundson won't bring any revolutionary changes on the Danish team, we can expect he'll get them to play a faster game, which is exactly what he did in Lowen and Iceland demanding a defense that attacks very early and runs a lot

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Gudmundur Gudmundson, former Iceland's coach, has lead Denmark through a few unofficial games, but today will be his official debut with one of the top teams in the world. Ulrik Wilbek stepped down in April after a game with France, leaving Gudmundsson great players to work with.

Gudmundsson has made almost no changes to the team, and the ones he did make were not his choice. Thomas Mogensen retired saying he can no longer keep on playing both for his club and national team. That means St. Raphael's middle back Olsen will be given a chance again alongside Spellerberg and Mensah Larsen.

The Danes have to do without their key defenseman Klaus Thomsen, who injured his knee early in the season. He will miss the World Championship and, rather surprisingly, Danish veteran Kasper Nielsen, who is currently replacing Spoljaric in Berlin, got invited to join the national team as his substitute.

Everything else is pretty much the same. With Knudsen retired, Toft Hansen and Noddesbo took over the lineman position. Markussen, who is doing increasingly better as Skjern, is back.

- I've analyzed the opponents we are to face. Lithuania are playing good defense we saw how fast they can be in the game with Russia. This is a task we need to take seriously - Gudmundson said. His greatest star Mikkel Hansen missed a couple of practice session with a cold, but that was more to prevent him from spreading the virus. The Danish medical team said he will be fit and ready for the meeting with Lithuania.

Gudmundsson won't make miraculous changes to the Danish game, but they will probably get faster with Gudmundson demanding the very same thing he demanded in Lowen and Iceland - defense that attacks early and runs a lot. The coach from Iceland pays much more attention to tactics than his predecessors.

- We saw Lithuania tend to play the 5-1 defense and that is what we tried to play again in our practice sessions.

Lithuania are one of those teams that somehow always fail to secure a spot in the great competitions and that tradition probably won't change any time soon. Their last attempt to qualify for Qatar was not successful as they lost to Russia by 19 goals in two games. They were doing well in both by half times and then allow the opponent to destroy them as the games resumed.

Following yet another failure, coach Savukynas left and Juskenas, his assistant, stepped in, signing a contract valid untill 2020. Juskenas worked at ZTR Zaporozje in Ukraine last season and Lithuania clearly have long-term goals with him.

He said there won't be any great chances on the team, but also said that some players who didn't get as much time in the game before, such as middle back Petreiks, will play a bigger role.

- Every opponent is tough, but we need to play well against Belarus. We won't be surprised by bad results though - the newly appointed coach said.

- Our team underwent changes and the opponent we're meeting are tough. We'll try and do well for our country - new team captain and Creteil's middle back Grosas said.

They would have been a much stronger team if Ziura and Kirvelevicius didn't choose to play for Austria. Grosas, Puerto Sagunta Malaskinsas, Augustas Strazdas, Povilas, and goal keeper Rasimas will be the key players on the team. 

The very important goal keeper Vaskevicius is not on the team this time, just like right back Rackauskas.

- The main objective now is not the EC, it's getting our game to a new level and proving that we're capable of fighting - Juskenas said.