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A superb brace from Kasper Dolberg was added to by goals from Joakim Maehle and Martin Braithwaite as Denmark hammered Wales 4-0 to sail into the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2020.
The Gareth Bale-led Welsh side started brightly but soon ceded control of the game to their opponents. Dolberg’s excellent 27th-minute strike from distance made the Danish dominance count as Wales struggled to break out of their half and were easily second-best going into the half-time interval.
Wales’ hopes of mounting a swift comeback took a hit three minutes into the restart as Dolberg bagged his second with another well-taken finish. Their subsequent attempts at clawing their way back into the game were easily thwarted by a well-organised Danish defense.
The game was then put beyond the reach of Wales by Maehle, who grabbed Denmark’s third goal with a well-taken left-footed effort in the 88th minute. Harry Wilson was then sent off for a late challenge on the Danish wing-back to pile more misery on the Welshmen. The fourth Danish goal, scored by Braithwaite deep into injury time, rubbed more salt on Welsh wounds.
Denmark progress to play either the Netherlands or the Czech Republic in the next round in Baku, while Wales will next take to the pitch in September on their road to the 2022 World Cup.
On that note, here are the player ratings from the game.
Wales Player Ratings:
Danny Ward: 4/10
The tournament ended on a sour note for one of Wales’ top performers as a poor display from his defenders meant that Ward was comprehensively beaten for all four of Denmark’s goals.
Connor Roberts: 4/10
Didn't feature much in the game either in a defensive or offensive sense before an unfortunate injury forced him off with five minutes left to play in the first half.
Chris Mepham: 4/10
Mepham looked slow and indecisive alongside Rodon in the backline, allowing the Danish attackers too much time and space in and around the Welsh goal.
Joe Rodon: 4/10
Despite picking up an early booking, Rodon was guilty of being too aggressive and overly physical throughout the game as the Welsh defense failed as a unit.
Ben Davies: 4/10
A disappointing outing for the normally consistent Welsh left-back, who struggled to deal with Braithwaite’s pace and directness throughout the game.
Joe Morrell: 5/10
Spent most of his time on the pitch making clearances and helping out defensively as the Danish pressure pinned the Welsh inside their own half.
Taken off on the hour mark for the more attacking Harry Wilson as Wales looked to go on the offensive.
Joe Allen: 4/10
Overwhelmed by the pace and energy of the Danish midfielders and attackers, Allen struggled to provide defensive cover and was ineffective on the rare occasions that he forayed forward.
Aaron Ramsey: 4/10
Ramsey’s bright start soon fizzled out as the Danish dominance on possession meant he struggled to get on the ball much and wasn’t allowed a lot of time to affect things when he did find himself in possession.
Gareth Bale: 5/10
Although a couple of warning shots from distance were the closest he came to scoring, Bale was Wales’ biggest threat and looked dangerous whenever he got on the ball.
Kieffer Moore: 4/10
The Welsh target man cut a frustrated figure up top and was left rather isolated against a strong Danish defense that dealt well with his physicality and aerial prowess.
Replaced in the second half as Wales changed their approach.
Daniel James: 4/10
The speedster was Wales’ most promising attacking outlet as he used his pace to get into a few promising situations that ultimately came to nothing.
Was taken off in the second half having tired himself out running as Wales tried to switch up their plan of attack.
Substitutes:
Neco Williams: 3/10
A disappointing outing for the Liverpool full-back, whose most notable contribution to the game was to shank a clearance straight to Dolberg, who promptly scored his second goal of the game.
As was the case with all Welsh players, Williams was unable to help create much offensively as he spent most of his time on the pitch defending his own goal.
Harry Wilson: 0/10
Came on at the hour mark and struggled to make an impact on proceedings as Denmark dominated possession.
Wilson let his frustrations get the better of him soon after the third goal went in and was (perhaps harshly) sent off for a lazy challenge on Maehle.
Tyler Roberts: N.A.
Came on for the final 10 minutes but barely got a touch of the ball as Denmark continued to attack at the other end.
David Brooks: N.A.
Brooks’ first and only notable contribution to the game was to pick up a booking barely a minute after coming on for a late challenge from behind on Cornelius, following which he barely featured for the rest of the game.
Denmark Player Ratings:
Kasper Schmeichel: 5/10
Barring a couple of early efforts that flashed past his goal, Schmeichel was never unduly troubled as his defenders effectively kept the opposition at bay.
Andreas Christensen: 6/10
Playing on the right of the Danish back three, Christensen had to keep tabs on James in the first half and Bale in the second. He dealt with both players quite effectively.
Simon Kjaer: 6/10
Marshaled the Danish defense well from the middle of the back three, showcasing his excellent positioning by snuffing out a number of Welsh attacks.
Jannik Vestergaard: 6/10
Used his height and physicality to nullify the aerial threat of Moore and formed part of an extremely effective Danish defensive unit.
Jens Stryger Larsen: 5/10
Put in a solid shift at right wing-back in place of the injured Daniel Wass, covering a considerable distance up and down the flank before a touch of cramp forced him off late in the second half.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 6/10
Hojbjerg went about his business in typically bruising, no-nonsense fashion, breaking up the play to send his side on the offensive on a number of occasions.
Thomas Delaney: 6/10
A solid outing for the Borussia Dortmund man, whose industry in midfield was instrumental in Denmark maintaining their pressure on the Welsh goal.
Delaney’s exertions seemed to get the better of him eventually as he went off in the second half seemingly nursing an injury.
Joakim Maehle: 7/10
Provided excellent support to his attackers from left wing-back and caused the Welsh defense several issues with his considerable pace and clever runs in behind.
Having moved to the right flank late in the game, Maehle bagged his second goal of the tournament with a well-taken finish.
Mikkel Damsgaard: 7/10
Gave the Welsh defense no end of trouble with his pace and trickery, constantly finding space in behind and creating opportunities for his fellow attackers to exploit.
Claimed the assist for Dolberg’s opener before going off midway through the second half.
Kasper Dolberg: 8/10
Replacing the injured Yussuf Poulsen in attack, Dolberg repaid his manager’s faith in him with a goal in each half to power the Danes into the quarterfinal.
Not only did Dolberg have his shooting boots on, but his all-round play was also excellent, as he enjoyed a happy return to the ground where he had a lot of success as an Ajax player.
Martin Braithwaite: 7/10
Caused Davies a lot of problems with his fast and direct running, and combined with the equally quick Damsgaard on the other side to stretch the Welsh defense.
Rewarded for his tireless efforts with a goal late on.
Substitutes:
Christian Norgaard: 5/10
A tidy display in midfield after coming on just after the hour mark helped keep Denmark on the front foot.
Mathias Jensen: 5/10
Looked dangerous on the ball and always looked to create opportunities after replacing Delaney for the final half-hour of the game.
Jensen’s efforts were rewarded as he claimed the assist for Maehle’s goal.
Andreas Cornelius: 6/10
Made a real impact off the bench after replacing Dolberg late on, showcasing great pace and power to really stretch a tired Welsh defense.
Set up Braithwaite for the fourth goal with a deft pass.
Nicolai Boilesen: N.A.
Came on late in the game to replace the injured Stryger Larsen and help his side see out the game.
Joachim Andersen: N.A.
Replaced Kjaer late on and helped his side maintain their clean sheet.
