Denmark 2-0 Wales
There’s a buzz about Welsh football right now.
And whatever the outcome was going to be in this UEFA Nations League clash in Aarhus, fans and players will remain optimistic.
It’s only four games into the Ryan Giggs era but the footballing legend has a nation starting to smile smiling again.
Two years after the joy of reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016, and eight months after hard-core fans were strongly opposed to his appointment (including voicing plenty of myths), there is a spring back in the step of the Dragons with exciting football and decent results.
This, however, was going to be a real test.
Highlights of the game
SBOBET followers will know Denmark have already proved they can live with the world’s best, drawing with both World Champions France and runners-up Croatia this summer.
And after the ‘commercial row’ between the Danish FA and players’ union – which is still in the process of being resolved – which saw a side full of students, Futsal players and semi-professionals fielded in midweek, they were back to full strength.
Welsh preparations were hardly helped when their flight to Denmark was delayed leading a pre-match press conference to be cancelled.
Wales took that minor disruption in their stride – further proof that the new set up has retained a firm focus on the job in hand – results.
Giggs is his own man as he has already proved by bringing his own young guns with his focus on the future as some of the stalwarts of the Chris Coleman regime (who did a fine job) were benched and the squad rejuvenated by young, hungry talent.
Football never stands still and the inclusion of the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Connor Roberts, Chris Mepham and David Brooks shows Giggs will not either.
They all featured in Denmark (two starters, two from the subs bench) alongside the current day stars of the national team, Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey (skipper under the leadership of the late Gary Speed and Coleman) – Bale was also awarded the captaincy after regular skipper Ashley Williams travelled to Scandinavia but was not included in the 23-man squad to face the Danes.
However, Giggs is well aware of the important balance of youth and experience and the ‘old guard’ of James Chester and Chris Gunter were recruited back into the starting line-up, acknowledgement from Giggs this was his toughest assignment to date.
It so proved that, while these sides were well matched for long spells, a world-class talent in the home side proved the difference.
A low finish just after the half-hour from Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen – given too much time and space – fired them in front before he added a second from the spot after the luckless Ampadu was adjudged to have handled in the box.
Eriksen’s decisive contribution means he has now been involved in 20 goals in his past 18 appearances for the national team (15 goals and five assists).
UEFA Nations League odds will favour Denmark to win their group if Eriksen continues in this vein.
Wales did have their moments. Ramsey drilled the ball over Kasper Schmeichel’s bar in the early stages and the Danish number one then had to leap on the ball with Roberts waiting to pounce from Ampadu’s deflected attempt.
Even Bale was off-song, firing wide after racing through on goal.
It couldn’t last as Eriksen’s first-time shot from a Henrik Dalsgaard cross went in off the post.
Wayne Hennessy denied the home side a second goal with a fine save to keep out PioneSisto’s volley but Eriksen scored the match-clinching second from the spot and the game was won.
Both keepers were called into action in the closing stages but there were no further goals and Wales had suffered their first competitive defeat of the Giggs era against streetwise opponents.
Key statistics
In normal time, aside from the defeat of their ‘stand-in’ side in midweek, Denmark have now gone nine games unbeaten.
They have also kept seven clean sheets in their last nine home games.
Bale has 11 goals in his last 12 outings for both Wales and Real Madrid.
Wales have only lost twice away from home in two years.
Since Mark Hughes won in Belarus in 1999, the subsequent five Welsh managers have lost their first competitive away game.
What’s next?
It’s a friendly against Austria next for the Danes (October 16).
After this – and their superb start to the tournament against a depleted Ireland – Wales meet Spain at the Millennium Stadium before hoping to create more UEFA Nations League highlights with the return trip to Dublin.
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