Denmark vs Portugal UEFA Euro Qualifying 14-10-2014

Denmark vs Portugal - Competition: UEFA Euro Qualifying
Match date: 14 October 2014 - Kick Off Time: 19:45 BST
Venue: Parken, Kobenhavn

 

Denmark have an excellent opportunity at home this midweek to stamp their authority on Group I. Portugal pose a difficult task, but the hosts have more than enough quality to put in an upset bid, especially considering they have won their last 3 matches in Copenhagen while going unbeaten in their last 4 in the Danish capital. Furthermore, on home soil overall they’ve lost just once in their last 6 contests, most notably defeating Sweden and holding Italy to a 2:2 draw. The hosts have gotten their European Championship Qualifying off to a nice start as well, claiming 3 points at home against Armenia and then drawing on the road 1:1 with Albania. This start has them sitting in 2nd place of the table, 4 points above the Portuguese (with one extra game played), and oft-controversial striker Nicklas Bendtner has been a big reason for their success, as the imposing lead man now has 2 good assists over their first 2 games. But Christian Erikson is a big part of Denmark’s plans, and while the creative midfielder isn’t in the best of form for his club right now, he will be looked to as the imaginative spark for the hosts at the Parken.

Portugal team have followed up their poor World Cup showing over the summer with perhaps even more disappointing displays. In their opening Euro qualifier, they lost at home to Albania 1:0, failing to consistently threaten their opposition in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. A return to less-intense competition in a friendly match with France on Saturday saw the comeback of Ronaldo to the line-up, but once again the Portuguese failed to capitalize on their opportunities, and by the time Ricardo Quaresma scored in the 77th minute from the penalty spot, France already held a multiple-goal lead and would hold on in the end for all of the bragging rights. New manager Fernando Santos however will be pleased with his team’s performance, and his competitive debut this Tuesday will be interesting to see how well he utilizes tactics, deploys his troops, and motivates his players. A coach signing typically has a ripple effect of newfound confidence for the team and the desire to play for the new boss, and while the going won’t be easy in the Danish capital, the players and traveling support will be more than up for this match.

Probable lineups:
Portugal: Patricio – Soares, Pepe, Carvalho, Eliseu – Moutinho, Carvalho, Gomes – Nani, Ronaldo, Danny.
Denmark: Schmeichel – Ankersen, Bjelland, Kjaer, Boilesen – Kvist, Hojbjerg – Schone, Eriksen, Krohn-Dehli – Bendtner.

You can watch the match here: Link 1 , Link 2 [Live Scores]