Prediction: Wales vs Denmark

Wales and Denmark will meet at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday, October 4, as their Nations League campaign continues with a quick return fixture.

Denmark won the first meeting 2-0 in Copenhagen. Wales will hope home advantage helps produce a different performance, although Craig Bellamy still has several important absences to work around.

Verdict: Denmark to win
Best odds: 43/50
Bookmaker: 1xBet

Wales opened this Nations League campaign with two defeats and no goals, losing 1-0 in Portugal before suffering a 2-0 defeat against Denmark.

The performance in Copenhagen gave Bellamy plenty to think about. Denmark repeatedly found room in midfield, while Wales struggled to get enough support around the attack. Reaching halftime without conceding kept the contest alive, but the pressure eventually told.

A Ben Davies own goal broke the deadlock before Gustav Isaksen added the second. Wales had moments of its own, including a Connor Roberts chance, yet the home side created the more convincing threat.

Bellamy now has to find a way of keeping possession without leaving his defense exposed when the ball is lost. That is difficult against a Denmark team with players who can receive between the lines and quickly turn toward goal.

Cardiff should help Wales play with more energy. Brennan Johnson and Daniel James can stretch a defense, and Kieffer Moore gives the team a target when playing through midfield becomes difficult.

The service into those players needs to improve, though. Long spells spent defending leave the forwards isolated, while hopeful balls toward Moore become much easier to handle if nobody is close enough to collect the second ball.

Wales faces Norway before this rematch. That game will offer Bellamy another opportunity to adjust the balance of the team, with the opening two performances suggesting there is still work to do.

Wales Team News

Harry Wilson, Nathan Broadhead and Karl Darlow withdrew from the squad before the international window. Wilson has a quad problem, while Broadhead is dealing with a thigh injury.

David Cornell, Charlie Savage and Joe Taylor were called up as replacements. Joe Rodon also missed the original squad through injury.

Wilson’s absence is particularly significant because Wales loses a player capable of creating a chance from a set piece or finding a pass through a crowded defense.

Danny Ward started in Copenhagen and remains an option in goal. Davies, Chris Mepham, Neco Williams and Roberts give Bellamy an experienced defensive group, with Ethan Ampadu important in front of them.

Savage started the first Denmark game, while Johnson, James, Sorba Thomas and Moore all featured from the beginning. Bellamy’s choices for the return will also depend on fitness and minutes played against Norway.

Denmark’s opening results have shown both the team’s attacking ability and the defensive work still needed under Brian Riemer.

A 3-2 defeat in Norway was followed by the victory over Wales, leaving Denmark with four goals from the first two matches. The clean sheet in Copenhagen was a useful response after conceding three in the opener.

The midfield looks capable of causing Wales similar problems in Cardiff. Morten Hjulmand and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg provide a base from which Mikkel Damsgaard can move into more advanced positions.

If Wales pushes players forward to make better use of home advantage, Damsgaard should have opportunities to find space behind the midfield. Rasmus Hojlund can then occupy the center-backs while Isaksen attacks from a wider position.

There is a balance to strike. Denmark cannot allow Johnson and James repeated opportunities to run into open space, especially if both fullbacks move forward together.

Patrick Dorgu’s absence also takes away a useful outlet. His ability to carry the ball and attack the penalty area helped give Denmark another route forward in the first meeting.

Even so, the visitors have enough attacking options to approach this game positively. The midfield advantage from Copenhagen is the strongest reason to favor them again, provided they maintain their discipline when possession changes hands.

Denmark hosts Portugal before traveling to Cardiff, so the final selection will depend partly on how demanding that match proves.

Denmark Team News

Dorgu has left the Denmark squad through injury after being forced off during the first Wales game.

Andreas Skov Olsen and Nikolas Nartey were subsequently called up. Andreas Christensen, Alexander Bah, Albert Gronbaek and Kasper Dolberg had also withdrawn from the squad.

Mohamed Daramy replaced Dorgu in Copenhagen and is one option for the return fixture. Skov Olsen gives Riemer another attacking choice.

Filip Jorgensen kept goal in the 2-0 victory, with Joachim Andersen, Oliver Provstgaard, Joakim Maehle and Rasmus Kristensen all starting in defense.

Hjulmand and Hojbjerg should remain central to the midfield plans. Damsgaard, Isaksen and Hojlund offer a familiar attacking combination, although the Portugal fixture could influence how Riemer distributes minutes across the squad.

Wales vs Denmark key factors to consider

• Denmark won the first meeting 2-0 in Copenhagen on September 27.
• Wales lost both of its opening Nations League matches without scoring.
• Denmark scored four goals across its first two group games.
• Wilson and Broadhead are unavailable for Wales.
• Dorgu has withdrawn from the Denmark squad through injury.
• Both teams have another Nations League fixture before the return in Cardiff.

Conclusion

Wales should be more competitive at home, particularly if Bellamy can get Johnson and James receiving the ball higher up the field. Moore also gives the hosts a way to threaten from crosses and set pieces.

Denmark still looks better equipped to control midfield. Damsgaard’s movement and the support around Hojlund should test a Wales team that struggled to contain those combinations in Copenhagen.

Dorgu’s injury is a setback, but Denmark has alternatives. Wales has a harder job replacing Wilson’s creativity, and the early evidence favors another away success.

Denmark to win is the best selection.

Verdict: Denmark to win
Best odds: 43/50
Bookmaker: 1xBet

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