Denmark beat Wales 2-0 at Parken Stadium on Sunday, a result that leaves Craig Bellamy’s side bottom of Nations League Group A4 with no points and no goals from their opening two fixtures. Wales had lost Thursday’s opener 1-0 to Portugal, and the manner of this defeat leaves them already facing an uphill battle to avoid relegation from the group. Denmark arrived under similar pressure after being beaten 3-2 by Norway on Thursday, but they rose to the occasion and, on the balance of play, should have won more comfortably.
Wales were very much second-best in a first half they were fortunate to reach level. Denmark repeatedly played their way through a porous Welsh midfield, with Neco Williams caught out by Joachim Andersen’s pass from the back before Isaksen flashed a shot wide. Isaksen then delivered a cross that Patrick Dorgu headed off target. The hosts thought they had taken the lead after 24 minutes when Wales were exposed by a counter-attack led by Mikkel Damsgaard and Isaksen met Rasmus Hojlund’s cross with a thumping volley, only for VAR to rule the goal offside in the build-up. Damsgaard struck a post seconds later, and it looked a matter of time before Denmark scored.
Dorgu then headed straight down the tunnel in a potential injury blow for Manchester United, and Wales began to create chances of their own. Sorba Thomas was just off target from 20 yards after an Andersen error, and Wales went even closer two minutes before the interval. Brennan Johnson reached the byline after working a one-two with Thomas and pulled the ball back to Connor Roberts, whose shot under pressure was tipped away from close range by Filip Jorgensen.
Bellamy had happy memories of the Parken Stadium, having scored the Wales winner there as a 19-year-old in a 2000 Euro qualifier. He had promised changes given the short turnaround between fixtures and made six, with Charlie Savage’s surprise promotion the headline act. The son of former Wales international Robbie Savage joined the squad after several withdrawals, his previous two caps both having come against Gibraltar. Daniel James, Kieffer Moore and Sorba Thomas formed a reshaped frontline, while Chris Mepham and Connor Roberts were drafted into the defence.
Williams fired straight at Jorgensen at the start of the second half, but Wales were behind after 53 minutes from a free-kick. Damsgaard delivered the ball and, while Hojlund wheeled away celebrating the final touch, it ultimately went in off the unfortunate Ben Davies for an own goal. Isaksen put the contest beyond Wales after 66 minutes. Moore headed off the Wales goal line, but the Lazio winger was quickest on to the loose ball and his deflected strike went in off the underside of the bar.
Mohamed Daramy spurned a great chance to add further Danish gloss, and both sides had late efforts ruled out, with a Williams header disallowed for a push by Ethan Ampadu. It does not get any easier for Wales, who host Erling Haaland’s Norway on Thursday before a return date against Denmark in Cardiff.