Under-19: Denmark pull away after the break

Making the most of the second half, Denmark defeated San Marino 6-0 in the opening Group 10 match of the UEFA Under-19 European Championship qualifiers, played on Wednesday in Baden, Switzerland. The young Biancoazzurri made a bright start, winning a corner inside the first 60 seconds. Denmark, however, were unfazed, forcing Marani into a crucial goal-saving intervention in the six-yard box after Johannesen’s lob had fatally looped over Cenci. The Scandinavian side grew into the game, attacking mainly down the left flank, where Hyseni and Ambæk combined to good effect, delivering tempting crosses that their team-mates failed to capitalise on. On 11 minutes, the woodwork came to Cenci’s rescue as Johannesen – one of the liveliest players on the pitch – let fly from the edge of the area. San Marino tried to shake off the Danish pressure through the Tamagnini–Grandoni axis: the latter reached the byline and cut the ball back invitingly for Valentini, who was unable to get his shot away in time due also to Søndergaard’s tight marking. San Marino threatened again midway through the half, with Pasolini unleashing a powerful strike from a good position, forcing a difficult save from Breum-Harild. The tempo then dipped slightly, only to pick up again in the closing minutes of the first half. At that stage of the match, Denmark found the breakthrough through Hyseni, who beat Cenci with a shot from the edge of the area.

Conceding at the end of the half had an impact on the young Titani, as the second period began with an immediate Danish second. A neat one-two between Ambæk and Læerke sent the former clean through on Cenci, and he made no mistake, slotting a precise low finish into the corner. The 2-0 scoreline did not satisfy Kristensen’s side, who continued to pile on the pressure. The Scandinavians created several chances to make it 3-0 but lacked composure at the decisive moment. At the other end, San Marino tried to respond, relying above all on the accelerations of the ever-lively Valentini. The new stalemate was broken just before the hour mark thanks to Johannesen, who crowned an excellent individual performance in the best possible way. The Titani were unable to regroup immediately and Denmark took advantage to add a fourth. This time Gustafsen took centre stage, unleashing a stunning effort from the edge of the box that flew into the top corner, giving his country a more than comfortable lead. Comfortable, yes, but not enough to fully satisfy Kristensen’s boys, who continued to press and to develop their patterns of play, eventually adding two more goals. On 71 minutes, Emefile reached the byline on the left and cut the ball back low for Johannesen, who made no mistake to complete his brace. Then, after two more saves from Cenci – the second particularly delicate in a one-on-one with Emefile – Denmark rounded off the scoring through Møller, who was picked out in a perfect shooting position by Rasmussen after a superb solo run down the flank. In the closing stages, Cenci had to produce further interventions to prevent the scoreline from becoming even heavier. The Biancoazzurrini will be back in action tomorrow at 12:30 for their second Group 10 match, again in Baden. They will face hosts Switzerland, who opened with a win against Sweden. The match will be broadcast live on the SFVPlay platform.

Under-19 European Qualifiers, Round 1, MD1 | Denmark – San Marino 6-0

DENMARK (4-3-3)

Breum-Harild; Gustafsen, Søndergaard, Schjøtt, Andersen; Johannesen (79’ Møller), Heyde (62’ Øxenmberg-Mogensen), Martin; Læerke (70’ Rasmussen), Ambæk (62’ Emefile), Hyseni (62’ Gøthler)

Substitutes: Eskildsen, Stüker, Larsen, Vest

Head coach: Mads Kristensen

SAN MARINO (3-5-2)

Cenci; Stefani (69’ Guidi), Marani, Montali (63’ Colombini); Tamagnini, Pasolini, Giordani (46’ Pennacchini), Molinari (46’ Bucchi), Bindi; Grandoni (63’ Raschi), Valentini

Substitutes: Della Balda, Forcellini, Mularoni

Head coach: Roberto Di Maio

Referee: Helgi Mikael Jónasson (ISL)

Assistant referees: Egill Gudlaugsson (ISL), Noël Loetscher (SUI)

Fourth official: Marijan Drmic (SUI)

Booked: Montali, Giordani, Grandoni, Pasolini, Marani, Tamagnini

Scorers: 44' Hyseni, 46' Ambæk, 58' and 71' Johannesen, 61' Gustafsen, 83’ Møller