UEFA Nations League: It’s Time to Resume Normal Service

Denmark vs Wales

Heard the one about the international football match featuring two students, a salesman and an internet star?

It’s certainly handy to know as it will likely be a quiz question for decades to come.

For as Denmark prepare to get their UEFA Nations League campaign underway, they are doing so amid the backdrop of a bizarre tale.

Read on, SBOBET fans.

Talking Points

It all stems from a row which threatened to turn their first international break of the autumn into something of a farce.

A row between the national team and the Danish Football Association (DBU) meant players from Denmark’s top two divisions, as well as those based overseas, were unavailable for the midweek friendly with Slovakia.

Denmark are back to their full strength when they face Wales for their first UEFA Nations League match — Denmark’s amateur squad leaves the pitch after their international friendly loss against Slovakia

Perhaps it was no surprise the match ended in a 3-0 Danish defeat, and that ticket prices were even slashed to €1 because of the depleted Danish team.

Danish futsal players also featured in the makeshift starting 11 with the Association describing the result as an ‘honourable defeat’.

Christian Offenberg, who led the attack, is a part-time salesman who also plays for Danish third-tier side Avarta.

Right-back Simon Vollesen, who plays in the Danish fifth tier, is a student, as is Adam Fogt, while Rasmus Johansson is best known in his country as the internet freestyle footballer who has tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and YouTube.

It was in Denmark’s interests to act as they did this week to avoid possible reprisals from UEFA, but it was a far cry from the side which so entertained and progressed at Russia 2018 and were within a penalty shoot-out of reaching the quarter-finals.

Well, now the big guns are coming back in Aarhus.

It will be the likes of playmaker Christian Eriksen and talented goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel up against Gareth Bale and Co, rather than emergency stand-ins (who fared rather well given the circumstances, even if their first caps may also prove to be their only caps).

The row has not been resolved, incidentally. Merely that talks between the sides have started amid hopes the difference over commercial rights can be ironed out.

Even manager Age Hareide will be back in charge after former international midfielder and Arsenal man John Jensen was in caretaker charge for the friendly against Slovakia.

Now they entertain a Wales side which showed some real class to produce some of the UEFA Nations League 2018 highlights so far.

A 4-1 success over a depleted Republic of Ireland side was an impressive start for Ryan Giggs in his first competitive game as manager.

It was also a modicum of revenge for it was the Irish who defeated them on Welsh soil 11 months ago to end their World Cup qualifying hopes – Ireland missed out in a play-off defeat to Denmark, ironically.

It was a carnival atmosphere and a fabulous start as the Giggs tenure got underway in earnest.

And the footballing legend will prepare his team meticulously again, as he would whether he was to face an experienced Danish side or the unknowns who played in midweek.

This, then, is a true managerial test for Giggs who retired playing for the national team in 2007. It is also a test for Danish resolve.

History

This is actually the first meeting between the nations for a decade. In November 2008, Wales won 1-0 in a friendly in Denmark with Craig Bellamy scoring the goal in Brondby for John Toshack’s men.

The only survivors from either side that night were then-youngsters Bale and Aaron Ramsey, now arguably the two key figures in the class of 2018.

Before that, they had previously met in qualifiers for Euro 2000 with late goals giving Denmark a 2-0 win over Wales – playing at Anfield, Liverpool – after Wales had triumphed in Denmark a year prior, again with Bellamy netting a late winner.

In their eight meetings, each nation has four wins apiece.

Betting Tip

	Denmark vs Wales	Over 2.25 Goals @ 2.11
	September 10, 00:00 (GMT+8)

So that is why many of you may think something has to give at the ninth attempt, and the odds on a 1X2 draw are an attractive @ 3.20.

A 1-1 draw will pay out odds of @ 5.60.

Denmark are favourites @ 2.07, compared to Wales @ 3.55.

The UEFA Nations League 2018 betting odds also favour the hosts in Asian Handicap betting.

Denmark are priced -0.50 @ 2.08 with the Welsh + 0.25 @ 2.16.

Even total goal 4-6 @ 4.80 will have a certain temptation for some, while for Denmark to lead at both half-time and full-time then go for Half Time Full Time HH @ 2.75.