Wales are set to test their standing in the upper tier of the UEFA Nations League when they host Denmark at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday. The match represents a crucial opportunity for Craig Bellamy’s side to build on the confidence gained from ending a six-match winless streak with a 2-1 comeback victory over Norway on Thursday.
Ben Davies, the Tottenham defender and Wales captain, emphasized that the team is driven by a desire to demonstrate they can compete effectively against elite opposition. Having secured Wales’ first-ever win in Nations League A, the squad remains hungry to add to that milestone.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where you feel like you’re not competing against bigger teams,” Davies said. “But I thought we laid a good marker down the other night to show that we do belong playing against these teams – it was a much better all-round performance.”
Davies, who played the full 90 minutes against Norway, noted that the team returned to the principles that originally earned them promotion to this league. He expressed hope that replicating that disciplined approach will yield positive results against the Danes.
The Norway triumph alleviated mounting pressure on the Welsh camp, which had followed a heavy defeat to North Macedonia in November with losses to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Romania, Portugal, and Denmark, alongside draws against Northern Ireland and Ghana. While Wales benefited from Torbjorn Heggem’s early second-half red card against Norway, Davies pointed out that they had already created significant problems for the World Cup quarter-finalists before the sending-off.
“The teams at this level are all strong. All the games are going to be tough but we’re here to compete and here to try to give the best account of us that we can,” Davies added. “I thought we did that the other night and it was really pleasing to get the three points. It gives us, as a group, a lot of confidence going into the games coming up.”
Wales will welcome Denmark back to Cardiff to redeem themselves after a difficult outing in Copenhagen last Sunday, where they were comprehensively beaten. Although Wales showed resilience in their opening Nations League match with a narrow loss to Portugal ten days prior, the away defeat to the Danes proved demoralizing.
Davies highlighted the significance of home support, contrasting the controlled atmosphere in Cardiff with the challenges faced abroad. “It does make a big difference going away. We didn’t get a grip on the game in Denmark whereas when we played Norway in Cardiff, it’s our home, our fans, our atmosphere. It felt like a different game and we had much more control… you just know you have to try to make your home advantage count,” he explained.
Bellamy faces selection decisions as he looks to maintain momentum against a Danish side ranked 17 places above Wales at 21st in the FIFA rankings. The manager is expected to rotate his squad, with Davies likely to feature given his importance to the side. However, several key players remain sidelined due to injury, including Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor, David Brooks, and Harry Wilson.
Six games winless is a long drought. Hopefully this victory is the start of something better for Wales.
Playing Denmark away was brutal, but home advantage matters. Can they really handle the Danes now?
Good to see them bounce back. That Norway win felt massive for their confidence.