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Denmark and Tunisia played out an entertaining goalless draw at the Education City Stadium in the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, November 22.
Tunisia entered this game on the back of four wins, one draw, and one defeat. They fell 5-1 to Brazil in their last game and also had a player sent off.
The Danes entered this contest on the back of four wins and two losses in six games in the UEFA Nations League. They finished second behind Croatia in League A Group 1. Coach Kasper Hjulmand fielded a strong lineup for this game.
Denmark began the game on the front foot and created a couple of early chances in the first half. They kept 62% possession of the ball, allowing their players to pass the ball around and move forward effectively. They attempted three shots with two of them on target, forcing 'keeper Aymen Dahmen to make some important saves.
Tunisia had the ball for very short durations and it took them a while before they looked inventive with the ball. At first, they could not progress the ball into the final third. However, they slowly began playing some intricate passing combinations to create chances. They attempted eight shots but hit the target just once.
Denmark and Tunisia went into the break deadlocked at 0-0 after a balanced opening 45 minutes.
Denmark seemed to be revitalized by their half-time team talk and looked to take the initiative in the second period after coming out. In a similarly dominant fashion to the first, the Danes kept possession of the ball for lengthy spells. They were in possession for 61% of the second half and attempted eight shots with three on target.
Tunisia, however, were wasteful with their chances and the trend continued in the second half as well. They attempted five shots but none of them were on target as they did not test Kasper Schmeichel effectively. The home team faced a setback as Thomas Delaney was injured and replaced at half-time. They were also unlucky that Christian Eriksen's appeal for a penalty was waived in the dying embers.
Denmark and Tunisia played out a mixed 90 minutes as the game ended 0-0 and the teams shared the points. On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points.
#5. Both Denmark and Tunisia arrived in the final third but were wasteful
Despite making slow starts to the game, both these sides cannot be faulted for their approach to the game in the initial exchanges. Denmark looked fluid in midfield from the get-go but were unable to put away their two attempts on target in the first half and were met with a determined Dahmen in goal.
Tunisia, on the other hand, turned up the style for a couple of moves over the course of the game. They played intricate, one-touch passes and moved fluidly to arrive in Denmark's box. However, they barely hit the target, with just one in 13 attempts on target.
#4. Tunisia play smooth football and their players have strong fundamentals
Denmark and Tunisia are 20 FIFA ranking positions apart with the Europeans in 10th. Prior to this game, most were expecting Denmark to win, albeit after struggling. However, not many gave Tunisia their credit for defending well and earning a clean sheet and one point.
Goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen made a total of five saves throughout the match, at times single-handedly keeping his side in the game. Youssef Msakni and Ellyes Skhiri combined well with their wide-men and used positional rotations to create opportunities.
#3. Goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Aymen Dahmen had great games
As is usually the case in a goalless draw, the goalkeepers in this one, too, were in the thick of the action. Dahmen was called upon to make five good saves to keep Tunisia in the game. Schmeichel, on the other hand, made just one save but kept the clean sheet anyway.
#2. Tunisia will look to push their luck in this edition of the FIFA World Cup
Tunisia did well to earn qualification to the World Cup in Qatar and will be greeted by several thousand fans each time they take to the pitch thanks to the proximity of the event to home.
The weather suits them and is disadvantageous for most other teams, giving them an added edge should they be able to hold teams until fatigue plays a part late in games. They also have a squad mixed with youth and experience and their lineup against Denmark had an average age of just 27.3 years.
#1. Denmark can be over-reliant on Christian Eriksen to bail them out
It is very rare that Denmark have a bad game or simply do not show up and play a boring brand of football. However, when they are sometimes on the back foot in an unexpected situation, the team naturally turns to Eriksen to bail them out. Granted, he is a supremely talented player but progression and success in knockout tournaments is a team effort, not just based on individuals.
