Rasmus Hojlund’s penalty gives Denmark 1-0 win over Wales

Wales vs Denmark

Rasmus Hojlund’s penalty gave Denmark a 1-0 win over Wales, ending Craig Bellamy’s side’s extended international break with a disappointing result.

The decisive moment came after what BBC described as a poor error from Danny Ward, who had kept Wales in the contest with two terrific saves before the penalty.

Hojlund settles a tight contest

Hojlund ultimately settled the Nations League match from the penalty spot, leaving Wales without a result despite the goalkeeper’s earlier interventions.

Ward had twice bailed out his side before the spot-kick, according to the BBC account of the game.

The 1-0 scoreline brought a disappointing end to the camp after Wales had produced what was described as a superb showing against Norway on the previous Thursday night.

That contrast shaped the mood around the result: Wales had entered the match after a strong performance against Norway but could not carry that positive outcome into the meeting with Denmark.

The defeat, however, did not end Wales’ hopes in the competition.

The win over Norway means Bellamy’s team still have everything to play for in November, when they return to Nations League action.

Wales are scheduled to face Norway in Oslo on 14 November before completing the campaign against group leaders Portugal at Cardiff City Stadium.

Wales’ recent Nations League picture

OneFootball’s assessment of Wales’ form said the team had won only one of its seven matches this year.

Its Nations League campaign had begun with two goalless away defeats against Portugal and Denmark.

Wales then responded with a 2-1 victory over Norway in Cardiff, a result that gave them a crucial lift before the Denmark fixture.

That victory was significant in the tournament context because it was described as Wales’ only win in the competition at that point.

Both of Wales’ Nations League goals had also come in that latest home match, underlining the importance of the result against Norway.

The defeat by Denmark therefore followed a campaign that had shown both difficulty and resilience: Wales had failed to score in two away matches, then found a way to score twice against Norway before being held to a 1-0 loss by Denmark.

OneFootball said Wales would again rely on their passionate support and listed experienced defender Ben Davies in the squad.

The same source said Wales were missing a long list of players, including Harry Wilson, Karl Darlow, Nathan Broadhead, Joe Rodon, Rubin Colwill, Dylan Lawlor and Isaak Davies.

Denmark’s advantage in the fixture

Denmark’s victory continued a strong recent record against Wales.

OneFootball said Denmark had won the last four meetings between the two teams, including a 4-0 victory in Euro 2020.

Wales had struggled offensively in those four encounters, scoring just once across them, according to the same assessment.

The overall head-to-head record was listed as eight wins for Denmark and four for Wales, with no draws.

Denmark had also beaten Wales 2-0 in the reverse fixture, giving the Danish side an earlier result to draw confidence from before the latest meeting.

Those figures provide the broader context for the 1-0 result: the latest score was narrow, but it extended a run in which Denmark had controlled the recent head-to-head record.

OneFootball’s fixture preview had listed the round-four meeting for 04 October at 23:45 at Cardiff City Stadium in Caerdydd.

Denmark’s mixed campaign

Despite their strong record against Wales, Denmark had not entered the fixture with an entirely consistent Nations League campaign.

The team had recorded one win and two losses in its first three matches of the competition.

Its two most recent outings before the Wales meeting had ended in defeats: a 4-2 loss to Portugal and a 3-2 away loss to Norway.

Denmark’s only away match in the competition had therefore resulted in defeat, a detail OneFootball identified as a challenge for the team on the road.

The Danish side had previously secured a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Wales, but its wider recent form meant the team still had defensive concerns to address.

Rasmus Hojlund and midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard were identified as important players to watch, with both having scored in the tournament.

Hojlund’s penalty made the forward the match-winner against Wales, adding the latest decisive contribution to the tournament record described before the game.

Listed line-ups

OneFootball listed Wales’ team as Ward; Williams, Cabango, Davies, Dasilva; Ampadu, J James; D James, Cullen, Thomas; Koumas.

Denmark’s listed team was Hermansen; Kristensen, Andersen, Provstgaard, Maehle; Hjulmand, Hojbjerg; Daghim, Damsgaard, Daramy; Hojlund.

The line-ups placed Hojlund among Denmark’s attacking options alongside Daghim, Damsgaard and Daramy, while Wales’ selection included Davies in defence and Ampadu in midfield.

The match itself was ultimately decided by one penalty rather than a high-scoring contest.

For Wales, the immediate task is to recover before the next Nations League fixture in Oslo on 14 November.

The Norway match will be followed by the campaign finale against group leaders Portugal at Cardiff City Stadium, leaving Wales with two more scheduled opportunities to affect the final outcome of their Nations League run.