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Denmark prove too strong for Malta in Women’s Euro opener

Published: 29-08-2019 19:25
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WOMEN’S EURO 2021 QUALIFIERS – GROUP B29/08/2019 – Viborg Arena, Viborg, Denmark DENMARK 8MALTA       0 As expected, the Malta women’s team found the going very tough in their opening UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 against Denmark, ranked 15th in the world. The strong Danes, runners-up at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017, cruised to an 8-0 victory at the Viborg Arena to start their qualifying campaign on a high. Malta captain Dorianne Theuma made her 92nd appearance as she closes in on becoming the first Maltese female player to reach 100 caps. Denmark made their intentions clear from the initial stages as captain Pernille Harder fired a shot in Janice Xuereb’s direction but the Malta goalkeeper was alert to avert the danger. The hosts opened the scoring on minute five when the unmarked Sanne Troelsgaard headed home past Xuereb. Nicoline Sorensen then missed some chances but Denmark made it 2-0 through captain Harder who had the simplest of tasks netting the ball home following a corner situation. Rikke Sevecke extended Denmark’s lead when she connected with a Sorensen cross from the left as Denmark made heir superiority count. The Maltese girls tried to make their way up the pitch through Brenda Borg, Rachel Cuschieri and Maria Farrugia but could not force their way past Denmark’s backline. It was the Euro 2017 finalists who scored again just before half-time when Troelsgaard got on the end of a Harder lob to head the ball past Xuereb. Denmark started the second 45 minutes very strongly but were denied by Xuereb who blocked efforts from Nadia Nadim and Sorensen. Nevertheless, the hosts still managed to net a fifth through Sanna Larsen before Stephania Farrugia produced a last-ditch tackle on the goal-line to avoid a sixth. The hosts scored three more goals in the closing stages. First, Mille Gejl lobbed the ball over the oncoming Xuereb before Sorensen capitalised on a cross from the left. Larsen grabbed the eighth goal as she headed the ball past the Malta custodian. Next up for Malta is another away qualifier, against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Sarajevo this coming Tuesday. MALTAJanice Xuereb, Jasmine Turner (56 Alishia Sultana), Stephania Farrugia, Ann-Marie Said, Jade Flask, Nicole Sciberras, Shona Zammit, Dorianne Theuma, Brenda Borg, Rachel Cuschieri, Maria Farrugia (56 Emma Xuereb).Coach: Mark Gatt. DENMARKKatrine Abel; Emma Snerle (60 Nanna Christiansen), Rikke Sevecke, Sanne Troelsgaard, Nadia Nadim, Pernille Harder (46 Sanna Larsen), Katrine Veje, Nicoline Sorensen, Sara Thrige Andersen, Stine Pedersen, Sofie Svarva (67 Mille Gejl).Coach: Lars Sondergaard. Referee: Angelika Soeder (Germany).