- Denmark has not beaten Norway in seven attempts over the past year.
- National team coach Jesper Jensen believes it is indeed not decisive to beat Norway in the first match of the main round.
- Jensen is pleased that Nora Mørk and Stine Oftedal Dahmke are not on the Norwegian team.
- Norway has had a clear advantage in this match: A day more rest and a simpler travel route to Vienna.
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The Danish national team coach claims that it is not decisive to beat norway in the first match of the main round. Only two of six nations will reach the EM semifinals next week. Any misstep can be costly.
– It’s because it’s Norway. I expect that Norway will come to the semifinals nonetheless. Even if we were to beat Norway, I believe they will beat the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, Jensen tells Norwegian and Danish journalists.
– Many things can happen.Everyone says that now it’s Denmark-Norway and it’s decisive. But it is not decisive.It
Norway’s seven meetings with Denmark in the past year:
- Henny Reistad sank the Danes with her 15th goal in the last second of extra time in last year’s World Cup semifinal. A bitter pill for Jensen & co. to swallow at home in Herning.
- Norway continued with two clear victories in the Olympic readiness matches at home and away last summer.
- It continued the same way in the Olympics. Denmark was beaten twice on the way to gold. Last time by four goals in the semifinals.
- This autumn, Denmark was defeated again in Larvik. Just before the EM, Norway led by six goals in Randers. But squandered the victory. The match on November 21 ended 27–27.
– Norway was clearly the best in the Olympics. We have been better in the practise matches. This Norwegian team suits us better than the previous one.Stine and Nora were arduous to handle for us. Norway plays differently. I hope and believe that the teams have moved closer to each other, he says.
– It will be much about physicality and intensity. Play-wise, we are not far apart. But Norway’s international experience is a bit gone now, says Jensen.
– It is in these matches that you really get to see. Denmark has a young strong team and gets better every year. But we certainly know what we are capable of,and we should be able to beat them if we are at our best,replies the experienced Kari Brattset Dale.
Danish national team player
With Mørk, Oftedal, and Veronica Kristiansen, Norway has lost experience from 648 international matches. The trio has frustrated denmark with 204 goals and even more assists.
– When we don’t have them, we are a weakened team, says Henny Reistad.
Norway in the Main Round
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Now a lot is about neutralizing exactly Reistad with 72 goals in 15 matches against Denmark.
– Of course, we will stop Henny, says defense chief anne Mette Hansen.
Henny Reistad is prepared for Denmark to play tactically against her. It could be an offensive defensive variant and, if necessary, an old-fashioned “stamping” .
– It’s something we are looking to solve, she says, expecting that Denmark “will go hard in the duels and play very physically”.
Norway has had a clear advantage in this match: A day’s more rest and an easier travel route to Basel. Denmark arrived in Vienna only on Wednesday after a flight from Basel in Switzerland. There, the Faroe Islands were comfortably defeated on Tuesday.
– It is indeed of course worth its weight in gold, said Anniken Obaidli after scoring six goals when Norway defeated Slovakia 38–15 on Monday night.
– We are currently more tired than Norway is, but we have a day to recover. it is a premise.We are not annoyed about it, says Jesper Jensen.
– Personally, I have not wasted any energy on that. That’s just the way it is, says anne Mette Hansen.
How do recent roster changes for Norway impact their chances against Denmark in the upcoming match?
Denmark’s national team faces a challenging history against Norway, having not secured a victory in their last seven encounters over the past year. Coach Jesper Jensen acknowledges the important competition but downplays the importance of their first match in the main round against Norway. He highlights that the tournament format, where only two out of six teams can progress to the semifinals, means every game is crucial. Nonetheless, he believes that even if Denmark where to defeat Norway, the latter would still likely advance past other top teams like the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland.
Jensen reflects on past encounters, including Norway’s dramatic last-second victory in the World Cup semifinal and their wins in Olympic preparation matches. Though Denmark has had some draws and competitive matches, such as a recent 27-27 tie, Norway’s historical performance and experience in critical matches pose a challenge.
he also emphasizes the differences in the current teams, noting that Norway’s recent roster changes may make them less challenging than in previous encounters, especially with the absence of key players like Stine Oftedal Dahmke and Nora Mørk. Jensen maintains an optimistic outlook, asserting that while physicality and intensity will be decisive in the match, the gap between the two teams has narrowed.