Christian Eriksen scored twice as Denmark beat Wales 2-0 at Ceres Park in their opening UEFA Nations League fixture.
The Tottenham Hotspur ace tucked away from inside the box just over half an hour in, before adding a second from the penalty spot after the interval.
Despite seeing plenty of the ball in Aarhus, the Dragons could only muster a couple of late attempts on target through Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the UEFA Nations League clash between Denmark and Wales at Ceres Park in Aarhus. The Dragons lead the way at the top of Group B4 thanks to their emphatic 4-1 victory over Republic of Ireland in Cardiff three days ago, kicking off a new era under Ryan Giggs in the best manner possible.
The visitors did not have the best preparation possible for this second outing in the inaugural competition, however, having had their flight out of Cardiff delayed by more than five hours yesterday, seeing them arrive in Aarhus in the early hours of this morning. That is nothing compared to their opponents, though, as Denmark were forced to field a side of lower league and futsal players earlier this week. Thankfully for them, peace appears to have been restored - for now!
WALES TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Mepham, Davies; Ampadu, Allen; Roberts, Ramsey, Lawrence; Bale
SUBS: Ward, A.Davies, Dummett, Woodburn, King, Vokes, Brooks, Ledley, Wilson, Lockyer, Roberts, Smith
Starting with a look at the team named by the visitors, Ryan Giggs has made two changes from the win over Ireland three days ago. Chris Gunter, who had otherwise been an ever-present over the past eight years or so, returns to the side after being dropped last time out, while James Chester is fielded in the heart of defence. David Brooks and Ashley Williams, who is not in the squad at all, make way.
With Williams absent from the matchday 18, despite being part of Wales's travelling party, Giggs has handed the captain's armband to the talismanic figure of Gareth Bale. Bale, preferred to the likes of Gunter, Aaron Ramsey and Chester, notched his 30th senior international goal in the week, taking him two past previous record goalscorer Ian Rush. The Real Madrid forward (5) and Ramsey (6) have been responsible for 11 of Wales's last 16 competitive away goals.
Giggs could surprise us slightly by going with a five-man backline, which would likely mean Gunter tucking into a central defensive position, but it is more likely that the Dragons will line up in a now-familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. That will mean Connor Roberts pushing into a more advanced wide position, three days on from netting his first goal in senior football. Tom Lawrence, with three goals in his last five international starts, will be used on the opposite flank.
DENMARK TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Schmeichel; Larsen, Kjaer, Jorgensen, Dalsgaard; Delaney, Schone, Eriksen; Sisto, Braithwaite, Poulsen
SUBS: Lossl, Ronnow, Boilesen, Vestergaard, Knudsen, Christensen, Fischer, Christiansen, Jensen, Norgaard, Lerager, Cornelius
In terms of the hosts, they are back to full strength following Wednesday night's farce against Slovakia. It says it all that manager Age Hareide took the day off, instead letting assistant John Jensen overlook the 3-0 away loss. On reflection, that defeat was not all that bad considering the Danes were made up of local futsal players and a string of lower-league players.
A whole new XI for Hareide, then, with Kasper Schmeichel back in goal and Christian Eriksen slotting into central midfield. The Tottenham Hotspur playmaker has scored seven goals in his last 11 international outings - he is far more of a direct goal threat for the Danes than he is for Spurs. UEFA have this down as a 4-3-3 formation, meaning Eriksen will partner Thomas Delaney and Lasse Schone in the middle.
Up top, Denmark are relying on Pione Sisto, Martin Braithwaite and Yussuf Poulsen to chip in with goals. Finding the back of the net has been a bit of a problem for Hareide's men of late, but they are far more solid at the back - that 3-0 loss to Slovakia aside, when fielding what can best be described as a reserve side - so a low-scoring affair is expected today. Elsewhere, Simon Kjaer and Mathias Jorgensen will link up in the heart of defence.
Gareth Bale will skipper Wales this afternoon in the absence of regular captain Ashley Williams, who is left out of the matchday squad entirely. Williams drops out as one of two changes from the 4-1 win over Republic of Ireland, with David Brooks also making way for James Chester and Chris Gunter to come in.
Denmark are back to full strength this evening, but they have hardly had the best of preparation. Hareide has had just two training sessions with his group, and yesterday's was surely only a low-intensity workout, though he has insisted that there can be no excuses. The experienced boss claims that his players know each other well enough and can click into gear without much practice.
There was a fear on the back of the 3-0 loss to Slovakia that Denmark would once again have to field a team of futsal and lower-league players, but a temporary agreement regarding commercial rights has been agreed between the players' union and the Danish Football Federation.
A statement on Thursday read: "It has been agreed that the DBU and the Player Association will resume negotiations on a new permanent agreement so that the first negotiation meeting will take place on Monday, September 10. In today's agreement, the DBU and the Player Association have agreed that the match against Wales is played under the same terms as before and that the commercial rights are handled as before in the term of the agreement."
John Jensen had to take charge of the Danish Dynamite for that 3-0 loss against Slovakia and, despite the margin of defeat, the ex-Arsenal man insisted afterwards that he was incredibly proud, hailing his "24 heroes". The dispute quite simply had to be resolved by today, though - fielding a reserve side, at best, in a friendly is one thing; doing so in a competitive fixture is another matter entirely.
Denmark are currently ranked at ninth in the World after a positive World Cup showing that saw them reach the knockout stages, but that will take a dent following their heavy loss at the hands of 26th-ranked Slovakia. All focus is now on Euro 2020, of course, and victory against Wales today will ensure that the off-field matters - which were dragged onto the field this week - can be forgotten about at last.
Defeat for the Danes today, though, and they will already have a bit of a mountain to climb as their opponents will be on six point from six. The top-placed side in Group B4 will earn promotion to the top tier, while the side at the bottom will drop down a level. Following this opening Nations League clash against Wales, Hareide's men then take on Republic of Ireland in Dublin next month before a double-header in November, including a trip to Cardiff.
World Cup fever has been and gone in these parts, with more than two months passing since Denmark were eliminated from the tournament by finalists Croatia on penalties. The Danes beat Peru 1-0 in their opening group fixture prior to playing out a 1-1 draw with Australia and a goalless stalemate with eventual winners France - the only 0-0 of the competition. It was a case of job done for the Scandinavians, but they squander a glorious chance in the last 16.
Denmark led 1-0 inside the opening 60 seconds against Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, only for Mario Mandzukic to level up three minutes later and the Danes to lose on penalties. Their only match since then was that 3-0 loss to Slovakia, marred by the ongoing row between the Danish FA and the players' union, making it no win in four matches since seeing off Peru in their World Cup opener.
It is just two wins in eight matches going further back, in fact, with the other triumph coming against Mexico in a pre-World Cup friendly in Brondby. Denmark have actually failed to score in half of their last eight matches, being kept out by Chile, Sweden, France and most recently Slovakia, but at the other end they have kept six clean sheets in nine games, including a shutout against Les Blues.
Denmark beat Peru and then played out draws with Australia and eventual tournament winners France en route to reaching the last 16 of the World Cup, where they were beaten by Croatia. It was seen as an opportunity missed for the Danes, and now they head into this game on the back of a huge fallout between the players and the national side's union.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! This will be the ninth meeting between the two sides, with Denmark and Wales sharing four wins apiece across those previous encounters. The Dragons have won their last two away matches in this fixture, having lost the first three by a 1-0 scoreline. That most recent triumph came exactly a decade ago.
Wales are ranked 19th in the world ahead of this fixture after dropping down from their high of eighth place a few years back. The Dragons saw off Ireland 4-1 in their UEFA Nations League opener on Thursday evening to give Ryan Giggs the perfect start in his first competitive game in international management, and now they can seriously tighten their grip at the top of Group B4 with all three points here.
Tom Lawrence got Wales up and running early on, before Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey added their names to the scoresheet before the end of the first half. A fourth followed from Connor Roberts, who has been rewarded with a second start in succession - this time in a more advanced wide position - rendering Shaun Williams' strike nothing more than a consolation. It was, in the view of many supporters, the Dragons' best attacking performance in many a year.
The 4-1 win very much ushered in a new era for Welsh football, following on from what was ultimately a disappointing qualifying campaign last time around. The Dragons made themselves incredibly tough to beat, but too many draws under Chris Coleman - a record five in a row at one point - cost them a place in the World Cup finals. It all came to an end with a crushing 1-0 loss to Ireland last October, so Thursday's win would have felt all the sweeter.
Joe Ledley, Chris Gunter and James Chester, all undroppable under Coleman, were left out for Giggs' first competitive match in charge. Two of those return today, but it is fair to say that Giggs is going to do things his way. There was a risk that things were starting to become stale with regards to the national side and, while Coleman's success in guiding the Dragons to the European Championship semis will never be forgotten, the time was right for fresh blood to come on board.
It was Wales's first competitive win over Republic of Ireland at the fifth attempt, and also their biggest margin of victory in that fixture - including friendlies - in their history. That may have been Giggs's first competitive outing, but he also has three friendlies under his belt. A 6-0 thrashing of China was followed up by a 1-0 loss to Uruguay in the Far East, before playing out a respectable 0-0 draw with Mexico in the United States at the end of last season.
All-in-all it has been a positive start for Giggs, then, and another win today - even if not with the same swagger as we saw against Ireland - will ensure that he has fully won over the fanbase. Not everyone backed the appointment when it was made in January, with Giggs not exactly the most loyal of players when it came to his country back in the day, but there are not many doubters out there right now.
Wales can move six points clear of Ireland and Denmark at the top of Group B4 with victory in Aarhus ahead of facing the Irish for a second time on October 16. Then they have a home match against Denmark to look forward to exactly a month later, with the sole aim of finishing top of the pile and potentially earning a backdoor route into Euro 2020. There are also friendlies against Spain and Albania pencilled in before the year is out.
DID YOU KNOW? Wales have lost just one of their last six away matches in all competitions, not including games played at neutral venues, although that came last time out as they suffered a 1-0 loss to France last November. Denmark, meanwhile, have not conceded more than one competitive home goal in a match since drawing 2-2 with Sweden in November 2015.
With kickoff at Ceres Park now just a couple of minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
John Jensen: "We need the right players playing in that. The players who played on Wednesday night were happy that the proper team would play Wales. I don't think the semi-pro players should play against Wales, especially in the Nations League. The ending of that story could not have ended up any better. I was split down the middle between the players union and the Danish FA. I could see 48 hours before we played Slovakia that the dispute may not end up very good. If we did not turn up in Slovakia then Uefa would punish the team in the future."
Ryan Giggs: "The lads were magnificent [against Ireland], scoring some brilliant goals and playing great football. I can't be much happier. I said to the players: 'The bad news is you have to keep to that standard. It's as simple as that. When you drop below those standards, you're letting me down and you're letting yourselves down. It's not easy because there were some really good performances and, as a team, they performed well. But you have to keep getting better. You've got to keep improving. There are loads of things we could have done better. We'll work on that over the next few days."
KICKOFF: Wales, who have lost just three of their last 16 matches since reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016, get us up and running in Aarhus. The Dragons are aiming to make it two wins from two in the UEFA Nations League, three days on from thrashing Republic of Ireland.
As expected, the Dragons will be going with four at the back, meaning that Chris Gunter is in his regular full-back position and Connor Roberts pushed into an advanced wing position. Plenty of noise being generated early on in Aarhus.
It is all pretty frantic in the Denmark final third but, picking up from where he left off against Ireland, Ethan Ampadu helps to break up the attack and Wales clear their lines. The Dragons yet to really get the ball forward so far.
The hosts are trying to keep the ball on the floor in the final third, but it is all pretty sloppy at the moment. Wales have not offered a great deal, but the way this game is panning out will suit them more so than their opponents.
SAVE! The first shot of the evening comes via the boot of Aaron Ramsey following some nice build-up play. It was a pretty disappointing effort in the end, though, with the ball floating well over Kasper Schmeichel's crossbar.
Ramsey still with the only attempt of the contest so far, sending a long-range shot a fair distance over the bar a few minutes ago. Denmark have seen more of the ball in the final third, but there has been very little between the sides.
Near enough Wales's best moment of the match so far, as Tom Lawrence makes the most of a loose ball in midfield by driving forward and picking out Aaron Ramsey. The Arsenal man's cross was there for Gareth Bale to attack, but he took out his opponent in the process.
SHOT! Another positive attacking move from the Danes, which this time culminates in a shot. A poor effort from Thomas Delaney, however, as he sends Christian Eriksen's layoff spinning over the crossbar from 20 yards. Wayne Hennessey watched it on its way.
Ethan Ampadu really is a special talent. The youngster intercepts the ball deep in his own half and, five or six seconds later, is on the edge of the opposition box to get a deflected shot in. Kasper Schmeichel just about claimed it before Roberts could.
Wales are the side on top at the moment, with Tom Lawrence's deep free kick causing some problems, only for the offside flag to go up on the far side. Denmark having to sit back a little and soak up the pressure.
Good opening for Wales, which they fail to make the most of. Joe Allen perhaps could have struck the ball but instead slid it through for Connor Roberts down the right, but the cross went right the way through the box without any contact.
The Dragons very much on top now in Aarhus, pressing for an opening goal. They were guilty of slightly overdoing it in that last attack, with Roberts' cross just out of Lawrence's reach in front of goal. We are midway through the contest here.
We surely won't see a worse effort than this today, as Christian Eriksen gets right under the ball and thumps it into the stands - some doing in a ground boasting a running track around the outside. The hosts starting to wrestle back some control.
CLOSE! A long throw into the Wales box is left by Wayne Hennessey, who is bailed out by James Chester's back-post header. From the corner, Thomas Delaney strikes his volley as sweet as you like, sending it inches wide of the target.
Wales are edging possession in the opening half an hour and have had the odd opening in front of goal, but it is Denmark who are now back on top at Ceres Park. Thomas Delaney's volley is the closest we have come to an opener in this Group B4 clash.
CLOSE! The first time we have seen Gareth Bale run at the Danish defence, and he comes within inches of opening the scoring. The Real Madrid ace carried the ball forward and then blasted it across Kasper Schmeichel's goal from the angle.
GOAL! DENMARK 1-0 WALES (CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN)
Make that eight goals in 12 international outings for Christian Eriksen! From the first on-target attempt of the evening, the Spurs man made the most of some space inside the box, quickly turning and directing the ball in off the inside of the post.
Joe Allen arguably most at fault for that Eriksen goal, having failed to close down the Danish midfielder in time, but take nothing away from the quality of the strike. The first touch set him up perfectly to blast across Wayne Hennessey, and just like that the hosts lead.
SAVE! This is a superb stop from Wayne Hennessey to keep Wales in the match, just a few minutes after they conceded to Christian Eriksen's well-taken strike. The ball deflected into the path of Pione Sisto, who rifled the ball towards the top corner - a strong hand from Hennessey.
Denmark are really starting to dominate the ball now; Wales could do with half time. It had been evenly matched up until Christian Eriksen's strike, but since then the hosts have looked confident in possession and clearly want a second goal.
Better from Wales over the past couple of minutes, as they manage to get a few touches of the ball high up the field. A couple of crosses into the Denmark box, but not enough to really trouble the hosts' backline.
Certainly some positives for Wales to take from this first half, but ultimately they have not really created anything in front of goal despite seeing 50% of the ball. Gareth Bale's floated ball from deep has too much on it for Ben Davies.
We are into the one minute of added time at the end of the first half in Aarhus. Bar a five-minute spell of Danish dominance after taking the lead, there has been so little between the two teams across the opening 45 minutes.
HALF TIME: DENMARK 1-0 WALES
With eight starters from their most recent competitive outing, a penalty-shootout defeat to Croatia in the last 16 of the World Cup, Denmark looked far stronger compared to the side that went down 3-0 to Slovakia in midweek. Neither side could really make the most of their spells on the ball during the opening quarter of the contest, with Aaron Ramsey and Christian Eriksen both wayward with their efforts from range.
Denmark had fired a blank in half of their last eight outings heading into this match, but they soon tightened their grip on proceedings in Aarhus. Shortly after Thomas Delaney had volleyed agonisingly wide, Eriksen found his range at the second attempt by taking a touch to control the ball in the box and then directing it past Wayne Hennessey via the inside of the post.
Hennessey had to be alert to keep out a Pione Sisto belter as Denmark closed in on a second, but it did not arrive before the interval. Plenty for Ryan Giggs to ponder at the interval, then, while Age Hareide may also contemplate a chance in personnel at the break.
DENMARK SUBS: Lossl, Ronnow, Boilesen, Vestergaard, Knudsen, Christensen, Fischer, Christiansen, Jensen, Norgaard, Lerager, Cornelius
WALES SUBS: Ward, A.Davies, Dummett, Woodburn, King, Vokes, Brooks, Ledley, Wilson, Lockyer, Roberts, Smith
KICKOFF: We are back under way at Ceres Park, where there is news of a half-time change to bring you. It is a Danish change, as Viktor Fischer is on in place of Pione Sisto for the second 45. Wales remain as they were from the first half.
The visitors probing away early in this second half, but the game has not really got going since the restart. Giggs will no doubt be looking towards his bench as we approach the hour mark, with a point being seen as a good result.
Denmark do not tend to score many goals, but they know how to shut the opposition out. Schmeichel has kept five clean sheets in his last 10 home outings, so it may be a case of seeing things through from this point on as far as they are concerned.
Gareth Bale is the only candidate to take on the free kick from 25 yards, but he can only send it straight into the Denmark wall following a long build-up. Kjaer was the player who blocked the ball and he is now receiving treatment.
The Denmark skipper is now back on the field following some treatment. Christian Eriksen's strike just after half an hour in is proving to be the difference between the sides in Aarhus, with 54 minutes now on the clock.
Denmark have offered very little in an attacking sense since the restart, despite their fresher legs. Wales are probing away but, much like in the first half, they are not making the most of possession when high up the field.
Still no shots on target for Wales, which is a real disappointment when you consider how well they performed against Ireland just a few days ago. Two for Denmark, meanwhile, one of which gave us the game's only goal thus far.
WALES SUB! Wales have just lost their way over the last five minutes or so, making this first change no real surprise. David Brooks, a starter against Ireland earlier this week, is on for Connor Roberts out wide.
SHOT! Martin Braithwaite somehow wiggles his way through a couple of opposition defenders and shoots into the side-netting. Wayne Hennessey appeared to have it covered, but I have no idea how the Denmark striker even managed to get away the shot.
PENALTY! The referee has pointed to the spot, giving Denmark a glorious chance to double their advantage. Viktor Fischer's cross hit Ethan Ampadu's hand from point-blank range - a very harsh call from the officials, and one the hosts will be keen to take advantage of.
GOAL! DENMARK 2-0 WALES (CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN, PEN)
Christian Eriksen makes no mistake from the penalty spot, sending Wayne Hennessey the wrong way. His incredible goalscoring run at international level goes on, but a penny for Ryan Giggs's thoughts - was that worthy of a penalty in the first place?
More on that penalty decision. The ball did hit Ethan Ampadu on the hand, and the Chelsea youngster did move his body slightly, so you can see why the referee gave it. That was one of those that some officials give and others wave away.
Eriksen at the double for Denmark to put them in control of this UEFA Nations League tie. A good result for Republic of Ireland, you'd imagine, as they remain within three points of top spot. Still plenty of the game left to play in Aarhus...
Star man Eriksen drags his latest shot right across the face of goal. Wales have lost their way and have still yet to register a shot on target all evening - that has to change if they are to salvage something from this tie.
SHOT! Moments after Eriksen dragged his shot wide, Joe Allen balloons the ball over the crossbar following some impressive work from David Brooks down the left. Surprised Giggs has not yet made a second change, with more fresh legs needed.
WALES SUB! Here comes that second Wales change - Tyler Roberts is on for Ethan Ampadu as the visitors go with a more attacking shape. Viktor Fischer has just sent the ball right across the face of goal - Denmark closer to netting a third goal as things stand.
Wales now having to do a bit of defending as we enter the final 15 minutes of this UEFA Nations League contest. A Welsh goal in the next five minutes or so will set us up for a grandstand finale, but they do not look like netting.
YELLOW CARD! Ben Davies with a pretty fair challenge on Simon Kjaer. The full-back did not win the ball, though, and the referee has further punished him by showing the game's first yellow card. Wales running out of time to pull one back in Aarhus.
WALES SUB! Ben Woodburn, back in the squad today after being overlooked entirely against Ireland, comes on for Tom Lawrence here. Seconds beforehand, Martin Braithwaite trickled the ball wide of Wayne Hennessey's post.
SAVE! Aaron Ramsey's shot is blocked aside. From the rebound, Gareth Bale looked to pick out the top corner, but Kasper Schmeichel got back brilliantly to scoop it away from goal. The Dragons finally starting to knock on the door now.
SAVE! Another top save from Wayne Hennessey to keep out Thomas Delaney's shot from inside the box. Wales counter through Gareth Bale, whose cross is met by Aaron Ramsey. The header was on target but saved by Kasper Schmeichel - looking like another home clean sheet for him.
DENMARK SUB! A second sub of the evening made by Age Hareide, who brings on former Cardiff City flop Andreas Cornelius for Yussuf Poulsen. A good shift from the outgoing player, and the Danes now on the brink of a return to winning ways.
We are now into the final couple of minutes at Ceres Park. Both teams have had chances to score over the last 10 minutes or so, but it is looking almost certain that Wales are going to fall to a rare away loss here.
Hareide still has one change available to make and it would be a surprise if he doesn't make the most of it. Kasper Schmeichel has just been cautioned for slowing the game down, eating up valuable seconds as we enter added time.
Denmark just need to see through another couple of minutes are they will be off the mark in the UEFA Nations League. Not a disastrous result for Wales by any means, but a disappointing one on the back of their win against Ireland on Thursday.
FULL TIME: DENMARK 2-0 WALES
The full-time whistle sounds in Aarhus, meaning a pretty comfortable victory for Denmark in the end. Christian Eriksen proved to be the matchwinner, finishing off the inside of the post in the first half and then adding a second from the penalty spot after the restart. The Danes join Wales on the top of the Group B4 standings.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from Ceres Park. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from France's high-profile clash with Netherlands can be found here. Thanks for joining!
