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Denmark v Ireland

Denmark v Ireland

Martin O'Neill's side are playing only for pride in Aarhus after a dismal campaign

Eamon Donoghue Mon, Nov 19
 
LIVE: Denmark v Ireland

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  • 19:03
    Hello and Welcome . . . Ireland's interest in the Nations League may already be over ahead of tonight's final match in Denmark, but Martin O'Neill's team will be eager to end a run of five games without a win. The Republic of Ireland go into tonight's fixture against the already confirmed group winners with just one win in 10 matches, relegation to League C is confirmed and they've not managed a goal in their last three fixtures.

    Things can only get better, right?
  • 19:03
  • 19:07
    Nations League (League B: Group 4): Denmark  v Republic of Ireland  Aarhus, Monday, 7.45pm
  • 19:07
  • 19:15
    The Republic of Ireland team will be wearing black armbands tonight following the death of a fan who traveled to Denmark for the match. The FAI has also made a request to UEFA to hold a minute’s silence before the start of the game. Read more about that here . . .  
  • 19:23

    Team news

    Ireland XI (5-3-2): Randolph; Coleman, Keogh, Duffy, Long; Stevens; Christie, Hendrick, Brady; O'Dowda, O'Brien.

    Denmark (4-3-3):  Ronnow; Ankersen, Jorgensen, Bjelland, Knudsen; Schone, Erikesen, Hojbjerg; Poulsen, Jorgensen, Braithwaite.

  • 19:27

    So Ireland have made five changes from the team that struggled to a 0-0 draw against Northern Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday night.

    Richard Keogh and Kevin Long come into the defence in place of Darragh Lenihan and John Egan. Enda Stevens is in for the suspended James McClean on the left flank.

    Cyrus Christie is one six Irish defenders starting the match, and he's named in midfield with Glenn Whelan making way after his send off last week in Dublin. Callum Robinson starts on the bench and so Aiden O'Brien leads the line.

  • 19:30
  • 19:34

    "Martin O’Neill, who is missing the suspended James McClean, must be relieved that Age Hareide is without key players. Kasper Schmeichel and Thomas Delaney are both suspended while the Danish captain, Simon Kjaer, is injured but the Irish manager has plenty of other issues to deal with, not least how his side might generate that greater attacking threat without the players leaving themselves open to another Christian Eriksen spectacular."


    Emmet Malone is reporting on the match in Aarhus. Read his preview in full here . . .

  • 19:35
  • 19:40
    Despite the fact that Ireland are already relegated, we may still be able to secure a Euro 2020 playoff spot off the back off this Nations League campaign. Emmet Malone explains here . . .
  • 19:40
  • 19:42
    National anthem time in Denmark. We are five minutes from kick-off. Over 1,000 travelling Irish fans in Aarhus on a bitterly cold night. Hoping the boys in green have gained some inspiration from the rugby team's heroics at the weekend!
  • 19:49
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (2') GAME ON! The Danes get us underway and their first attack sees Yussuf Poulsen stray offside. Ireland's first move sees Enda Stevens surge down the left flank but he's tackled just before he whips a cross in.
  • 19:52
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (4') Peter Ankerson goes down very easily after a bit of a nudge from Stevens in the Irish box. No penalty. The Sheffield United left back then gets down the flank again and puts in a decent cross but the Denmark goalkeeper comes out and gathers it.  
  • 19:53
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (6') Cyrus Christie is robbed of the ball in the middle of the park. It falls to the one man you wouldn't want it to - Christian Eriksen - but his effort is blocked. Poulsen fires over from the rebound.
  • 19:59
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (10') The hosts with 65 per cent possession in the opening 10 minutes. No real chances from either side yet however.
  • 20:02
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (12') Coleman makes a lung-busting run down the right wing onto a long ball, he wins the race and gets it back to Callum O'Dowda. He flicks it to Robbie Brady and his blocked shot very nearly falls back to Coleman who'd have had a tap in if the bounce had been in his favour.
  • 20:04
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (15') Nicolai Jørgensen finds himself in a pocket of space on the edge of the box but his shot across the goal is blocked. Ireland defending deep which is allowing the Danes shooting opportunities from distance
  • 20:04
    Adam Sitting poolside in Phuket, enjoying the blog. Keep up the good work, Eamon.
  • 20:10
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (20') Denmark keeping the ball with little to no Irish pressure, but the entire Irish team is behind the ball and making life very hard for the Denmark attackers to create anything. A spell of about three minutes of possession ends with a frustrated Lasse Schöne shot to nothing
  • 20:13
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (23') A nice run by O'Dowda to cut in from the right wing and flick it back out to Christie, but the Fulham defender's cross is too high and too long. A rare Irish attacking chance wasted.  
  • 20:13
    Jim Having a steak & glass of wine in Puerto Rico Gran Canaria- come on ROI.
  • 20:14
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (26') Shane Duffy's clattering tackle gives the Danes a free kick in a dangerous enough position. It's swung in and headed clear by Kevin Long.  
  • 20:19
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (30') Christie is robbed of the ball again, another Denmark cross is cleared. They try a long throw-in which is again well dealt with by the Irish defence. Eriksen picks up the loose ball, it's dinked back in and Mathias Jørgensen heads into Darren Randolph's hands. Best chance of the match so far. Which says it all really.
  • 20:21
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (33') A heavy, late tackle by Schöne on Hendrick gives Robbie Brady a free kick on the right wing. He goes for goal on the 'keeper's near side. Cheeky effort but it only hits the side netting.
  • 20:24
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (36') Ireland make seven or eight consecutive passes but the long ball at the end of it all is overhit. Christie then tests the home team with a long throw, and they answer the question rather easily.
  • 20:24
  • 20:24
  • 20:29
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (40') Eriksen lays up Ankerson for a shot - overlapping from the right back position - Randolph gets a hand to it and Coleman blocks Nicolai Jørgensen from tapping into an empty net on the follow-up.  
  • 20:30
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (42') Kevin Long's foul allows Eriksen to have a go from a free-kick. His dipping effort doesn't dip in time to test the Irish goalkeeper though.
  • 20:35
    HT Denmark 0 Ireland 0 No additional time at the end of the first half and the teams go in all square. Any hopes of Ireland having a go and trying to take chances in possession in this dead rubber of a match, have been put to bed. Martin O'Neill's team sitting deeper and deeper as the half wore on. Denmark looking more and more frustrated but they did have the only two chances of the half. Taking neither.
  • 20:35
    Still no first half goals for Ireland in 2018. And they remain on course for a fourth game without a goal.
  • 20:35
  • 20:50
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (46') The second half is underway and the hosts should be ahead. Poulsen fires over from an early chance. It's crossed into him from the right hand side and he takes it first time, and really should've done better from point blank range. A big let-off for Ireland!
  • 20:51
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (49') Christian Eriksen is replaced by Jens Stryger Larsen at half time. Which should be a good switch for Ireland, albeit the hosts have started very strongly here!
  • 20:57
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (53')  A strong run by Christie, his second of the half (on both occasions he's found himself in his natural position on the right hand side), but his cross is a poor one. On the counter Keogh and Coleman combine to close down and block Braithwaite. Another let-off.
  • 20:59
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (56') Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has scored some crackers for his club side this year. He has a go from distance here and it's a sweat connection, but it flies over the bar!
  • 21:04
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (60')  Braithwaite is pulled back by Keogh when through on goal, but it's brought back for an offside call on the Danish forward. On the hour mark this looks like being another 30 minutes of Ireland camping in two lines of five in front of their penalty box, hoping to hold out the Danes.
  • 21:08
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (64') Ronan Curtis comes on for O'Brien who has had a thankless task, left up front on his own to chase the odd ball into the corner. While Callum Robinson replaces Robbie Brady, who continues his journey back to full fitness. An important hour in the legs for him.
  • 21:12

    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (68')  Denmark hit the post!


    Keogh picked it up on the right of the box with little or no pressure on. However, he dallied and then fell over as Joergensen closed him down, allowing the Dane the chance to streak through on goal but his attempted pass into the bottom left corner cannoned off the post. Keogh and Ireland get away with it.

  • 21:15
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (72') Randolph comes out to gather a cross. Ireland win the second ball off his long clearance. Coleman makes a lovely run but again his options are limited and the final pass is a very poor one
  • 21:18
  • 21:19
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (75') Another long spell of Denmark possession as Ireland sit back around their box approaching the final 15 minutes. Michael Obafemi looks to be coming on shortly for his debut
  • 21:22
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (79') And on comes the 18 year-old Obafemi. The Dublin born striker was also eligible for Nigeria and England but as of now he is tied to Ireland. O'Dowda makes way.
  • 21:25
  • 21:27
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (83') Denmark sub' Andreas Cornelius plays a one-two and forces a sharp save from Randolph. But it's brought back for an Irish free-kick after he was adjudged to have swung back his elbow in the build up
  • 21:28
  • 21:32
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (88') Denmark still dominating the ball but their build up play has become very lateral and slow. Jeff Hendrick is the FAI man of the match. Bit of a strange one.
  • 21:34
    Denmark 0 Ireland 0 (90') Two Danish subs combine - Lerager and Gytkjær - and the latter is wide from close range. He's offside anyway. Two minutes added on
  • 21:37
    FT Denmark 0 Ireland 0 Positives: Obafemi comes on for his debut. Solid defensive display. Negatives: Six and a half hours without a goal. 2018 ends with a sixth match without a win. One win in our last 11 matches. No chances created.
  • 21:37
  • 21:41

    So that's that . . . A bore draw to end a disappointing season for Irish soccer. Meanwhile the Netherlands come from two goals down against Germany to draw and book their place in the Nations League semi-finals.

    Match report and reaction to follow from Emmet Malone in Denmark. Thanks for joining us.

    Denmark 0 Ireland 0

  • 21:46