Republic of Ireland 1-1 Denmark
So the delirious Danes will be at next summer’s European soccer spectacle.
Their draw in Dublin sealed second spot in Group D and it is they who will join group winners Switzerland at Euro 2020.
It was always a big ask for the Republic of Ireland, spirited but lacking in the quality of some of their predecessors in 2019.
While Mick McCarthy’s men now turn their attention to the play-offs in a bid to reach a third successive European Championships, Denmark are already there thanks to a goal from the most un-Danish-sounding name I’ve ever heard.
Step forward Martin Braithwaite – Euro 2020 qualifying mission accomplished!
Highlights of the game
While Ireland have produced their own Euro 2020 highlights in qualifying over the past year, the fact which has cost them automatic qualification is simple: they have failed to score six times in their last 14 matches and that has proven costly.
Make no mistake, the effort from the hosts could not be faulted.
It’s just a lack of overall quality meant Denmark, who were there for the taking, could not be breached a second time, despite a frantic finish where shots were blocked and corners conceded in a sequence of desperate defending.
In a first half more notable for injuries than goalscoring opportunities, the visitors lost Thomas Delaney early on after he went down awkwardly.
Andreas Cornelius then left the fray just after the half-hour. He already had a bandaged head from an earlier knock before walking off the pitch holding the back of his leg.
He was replaced by Kasper Dolberg, although with four goals in his last four games for Denmark, his introduction was unlikely to diminish the Danes’ scoring ability.
Chances-wise, there was little to talk about other than Shane Duffy blocking a Christian Eriksen shot early on. Conor Hourihane also seized on a loose ball and drove into the area, but he was unable to bend his shot around Kasper Schmeichel.
It was the hosts’ turn to lose a player next as Ireland were forced into a change at the break. Ciaran Clark failed to reappear for the second period and was replaced by the in-form John Egan.
Buoyed by a stadium erupting in deafening chants of “Ireland! Ireland!”, the home side could not have been better backed.
Yet that lack of creativity and cutting edge in the final third was telling – before kick-off, Ireland had failed to score in back-to-back competitive matches under McCarthy for the very first time. They had never done so during his first reign as manager between 1996 and 2002.
Sure enough, it proved costly when Denmark broke the deadlock with just their second effort on target.
Henrik Dalsgaard cut inside and whipped over a superb cross which Braithwaite pounced on. With an outstretched boot, he got the crucial touch that diverted the ball beyond Darren Randolph.
At that point, the home side should have been deflated, but they kept their spirits up and were rewarded five minutes from time.
Matt Doherty timed his run to perfection and met Enda Stevens’ cross with a textbook downward header for his fourth goal of the campaign.
Almost immediately, Stevens had to block Eriksen’s drive from the edge of the area but the pressure was all on the visitors as the game reached a tense conclusion.
Despite waves of pressure, the Danes held on and deservedly so. See you next summer – let’s hope Ireland can join them.
Key statistics
Ireland have only won one of their last six games against Denmark in all competitions (drawn three, lost two). That win came in a 3-0 friendly in March 2002 under McCarthy when goals from Ian Harte, Robbie Keane and Clinton Morrison secured victory.
Twenty-three of Denmark’s last 30 goals have been scored in the second half.
The Republic of Ireland end qualification with only seven goals from eight games – seven of their last 12 goals have been scored in the final seven minutes of matches.
Denmark remain the only undefeated side in Group D and haven’t lost any of their last 17 European/World Cup qualifying matches (won 10, draw seven).
Doherty’s equaliser was the first goal Denmark conceded in 600 minutes of action, ending Schmeichel’s run of five consecutive clean sheets for his country.
What’s next?
SBOBET Euro 2020 betting odds suggested Demark would qualify and that means Ireland now face the play-offs.
The draw will take place in Bucharest on November 30 after which they will have another chance to qualify with a potential semi-final away to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wales, Slovakia or Northern Ireland depending on the result of Wales’s match against Hungary on Tuesday.
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