Denmark and Wales both need a response when they meet at Parken on Sunday after opening their Nations League campaigns with defeats.
Denmark’s was considerably more chaotic.
Brian Riemer’s side found themselves 2-0 down to Norway after just 18 minutes on Thursday. Mikkel Damsgaard’s free-kick and a Rasmus Højlund header dragged them level, only for Erling Haaland to score his second of the night and give Norway a 3-2 victory.
Wales had a very different evening in Lisbon.
Craig Bellamy’s depleted side lost 1-0 to defending Nations League champions Portugal. João Félix scored the only goal, although Brennan Johnson hit the crossbar late on as Wales threatened an unlikely equaliser. Portugal had 23 attempts to Wales’ five, but Bellamy’s side stayed in the game until the end.
That leaves both teams on zero points in League A Group 4, with Norway and Portugal already three points ahead.
It’s only matchday two, but neither will fancy spending the rest of the campaign playing catch-up.
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What are the best betting tips for Denmark vs Wales?
Denmark to win & over 1.5 goals
Denmark lost in Oslo, but there were enough positives in their performance to avoid overreacting to the result.
Going 2-0 down inside 18 minutes could have killed the game. Instead, Damsgaard pulled one back before Højlund made it 2-2 on the hour.
Haaland eventually decided it, but Wales don’t possess anything resembling Norway’s attacking threat.
Bellamy’s side deserve credit for keeping Portugal to one goal on Thursday.
However, they spent long periods defending and failed to register a shot on target. Portugal finished with 23 attempts and 10 corners.
Doing that again three days later could be difficult.
Denmark also return to Parken, where they should have far more control than they enjoyed against Norway.
The hosts have won each of their last three meetings with Wales, including a 2-0 Nations League victory in Copenhagen and that memorable 4-0 win at Euro 2020.
Rather than taking Denmark at a short price on their own, combining the home win with at least two match goals gives us a more interesting route.
Rasmus Højlund to score or assist
Højlund didn’t need long to make his mark on this Nations League campaign.
The striker headed Denmark level against Norway on Thursday, continuing an encouraging start to the season for club and country.
His matchup on Sunday also looks favourable.
Wales travelled to Portugal without Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor, while Nathan Broadhead and Harry Wilson are among the other players missing from Bellamy’s squad.
Ben Davies, Ben Cabango and the rest of the Welsh defence performed admirably in Lisbon, but another game against a physical centre-forward arrives barely 72 hours later.
Højlund gives Denmark a focal point that Portugal didn’t always have on Thursday.
Damsgaard can find him from set-pieces and open play, while Patrick Dorgu and Joakim Mæhle provide width. Højlund can also bring Denmark’s runners into play if Wales crowd the penalty area.
Backing a goal or assist means he doesn’t have to finish the move himself.
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What have the managers said?
Brian Riemer:
Denmark’s immediate concern after Thursday’s defeat is the loss of Albert Grønbæk.
Riemer confirmed after the Norway game that the midfielder has suffered an injury that will rule him out for the remainder of this Nations League window.
“He’s out of this Nations League.”
Riemer described the setback as “super unfortunate”, particularly because Grønbæk had been in good form and was expected to provide another option behind Denmark’s attack.
The Denmark boss now has little time to address what went wrong in Oslo. His side conceded twice inside the opening 18 minutes and, despite recovering to 2-2, were undone by Haaland again with 16 minutes remaining.
Craig Bellamy:
Bellamy wasn’t happy simply to accept a respectable defeat in Portugal.
Wales were forced to defend for long spells, but their manager was proud of the resilience they showed.
“It was a difficult game for us. We had to suffer a lot.”
Bellamy also admitted Wales “could have done more with the ball” before pointing towards the number of players missing from his squad.
His attention quickly turned towards improvement rather than celebrating a narrow scoreline.
“There’s more for us.”
That will need to come quickly. Copenhagen is the second of two difficult away games in four days before Wales return home to face Norway.
What is Denmark’s predicted team?
(4-2-3-1) Jørgensen; Kristensen, Andersen, Provstgaard, Mæhle; Hjulmand, Højbjerg; Isaksen, Damsgaard, Dorgu; Højlund.
Injured: Alexander Bah, Kasper Dolberg, Albert Grønbæk.
Riemer could make a couple of changes after the defeat in Oslo, with Gustav Isaksen pushing to start after coming off the bench.
Højlund should keep his place after scoring against Norway, while Damsgaard also strengthened his case with an excellent free-kick. Denmark are already without Bah and Dolberg, while Riemer has confirmed Grønbæk will play no further part in this window.
What is Wales’ predicted team?
(4-2-3-1) Ward; Neco Williams, Cabango, Davies, Dasilva; Ampadu, Sheehan; Brooks, Jordan James, Brennan Johnson; Koumas.
Injured: Harry Wilson, Nathan Broadhead, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor, Isaak Davies.
Unavailable: Karl Darlow.
Bellamy could understandably consider changes after a demanding night in Lisbon, but Wales’ injury list limits his options.
Daniel James and Kieffer Moore both came off the bench against Portugal and could come into contention if Bellamy wants fresher legs in attack.
Rodon’s absence remains particularly important defensively, while Wilson’s injury removes one of Wales’ most reliable creative outlets.
Denmark vs Wales prediction
Both sides lost on Thursday, but the manner of those defeats was very different.
Denmark scored twice in Oslo and recovered from a dreadful start before Haaland eventually decided the game.
Wales spent considerably more time hanging on.
Bellamy will take encouragement from reaching the final stages only one goal behind Portugal, and Johnson hitting the bar showed they can still threaten when an opportunity arrives.
Repeating that defensive effort three days later is the concern.
Denmark should have more of the ball at Parken, and Højlund gives them a genuine penalty-box threat. Damsgaard also looked dangerous against Norway.
Wales can make this awkward again, but the hosts should have enough to get their first points on the board.
Score prediction: Denmark 2-0 Wales
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