Wales’ first night back among Europe’s elite ended without a shot on target. Denmark beat Craig Bellamy’s side 2-0 at Parken Stadium on Sunday, a Ben Davies own goal on 53 minutes and Gustav Isaksen’s deflected finish 13 minutes later leaving Wales bottom of Nations League A Group 4 with no points and no goals from two matches.
“I’m really hurting,” Bellamy said afterwards. “When you see an athletic team run over you a little bit… but then, will we improve? I think we will. The best team won overall. As disappointed as I am with that, the result I probably think was fair.”
Damsgaard’s set-pieces do the damage
Both Danish goals came from the boot of Mikkel Damsgaard, and both from dead balls — the area Wales have made a point of pride under Bellamy. The Brentford midfielder’s first delivery flicked off Davies and past Wales’ goalkeeper; his second was turned in by Isaksen, the Leipzig winger who tormented the Welsh right side all evening and won both of the free-kicks that led to the goals. He was named player of the match.
Denmark should have had more. Isaksen had a volley ruled out for a marginal offside against Rasmus Hojlund on 24 minutes, Damsgaard struck the post from distance three minutes later, and Brian Riemer’s side dominated possession after the interval. Wales’ clearest moment arrived on 43 minutes, when Filip Jorgensen saved from Connor Roberts, recalled as one of six changes from Thursday’s 1-0 defeat in Portugal. Manchester United’s Patrick Dorgu was an early loss for the hosts, going off injured on the half-hour.
Davies, the man unfortunate enough to deflect the opener past his own keeper, was clear-eyed about the cause. “It was really frustrating to concede from two set-pieces,” the Tottenham defender told BBC Match of the Day Wales. “If you’re not at 100% then you are going to get punished at this level.”
Ethan Ampadu echoed him. “Disappointing night for us. We could have been tidier on the ball. Frustrating to concede [both goals from set pieces]. We pride ourselves on being difficult to beat on set pieces and work so hard on it.”
A hard landing in the top tier
The context matters. Wales earned this campaign the hard way, topping their League B group unbeaten under Bellamy to win promotion, and this is only their second stint in League A — the first, in 2022-23, ended in relegation. The opening double-header handed them Portugal away and Denmark away inside four days, and the group’s shape after two rounds shows exactly how thin the margins are:
- Portugal — 2 played, 6 points (beat Wales 1-0, Norway 2-1)
- Norway — 2 played, 3 points (beat Denmark 3-2)
- Denmark — 2 played, 3 points
- Wales — 2 played, 0 points, 0 goals scored
League A’s format offers a narrow escape route: the two worst last-placed teams drop straight to League B, while the two best last-placed sides and the two worst third-placed teams go into play-offs against League B runners-up. Finishing bottom of a group containing Portugal, Norway and Denmark would put Wales squarely in the danger zone.
Sunday also extended a broader drift. Wales have not won in 2026 — six matches now — and the emotional low point of that run came in March, when a World Cup play-off semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Cardiff slipped away. Daniel James’ strike had them four minutes from a home final against Italy before Edin Dzeko headed in a corner for his 73rd international goal; Brennan Johnson and Neco Williams missed in the shootout and Bosnia won it 4-2. Before that, Bellamy’s only competitive defeats in 14 games had been the two against Belgium, 4-3 and 4-2.
Cardiff becomes the reckoning
The fixture list gives Wales no time to brood and no excuse about travel. Norway, with Erling Haaland, visit Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, followed three days later by the return against Denmark. Two home games against sides on three points each: win one and the group reopens, lose both and relegation becomes the story of the November window.
Bellamy’s messaging has not shifted. “This team will get better, these players will keep improving,” he said. “How the players put their bodies on the line was brilliant.” He also revealed he had warned his squad in advance: “I said to the players before the game, ‘this is going to be tougher than Portugal’.” He was right, and now the argument moves to Cardiff, where his claim that Wales belong at this level has to start producing points rather than lessons.
“For me now it’s just focus,” he said. “Two more games to go.”
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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