DENMARK 5
Larsen 1, 40 pen.
Nelsson 4
Odgaard 15; Olsen 67

MALTA           1
Pulis 44

The Malta U-21 national team were made to pay for some shambolic defending early in the match as they slumped to a heavy defeat to Denmark in a UEFA Championship qualifier at the Aalborg Stadium yesterday.

It was always going to be a tough assignment for Silvio Vella’s charge as they were up against a Danish side who have been the dominant team in Group 8 so far with four wins from as many matches.

However, the Maltese players certainly didn’t help their cause as lapses in concentration in defence in the first 15 minutes of the match saw them hand the Danish side commanding three-goal lead to all but settle the match and preserve their 100 per cent record.

The Maltese did try to avoid a humiliating defeat and managed to pull a goal back through a spectacular strike from Nicholas Pulis, but the home side proved too superior on the day as Malta remained bottom of the group with just one point to show.

Malta coach Silvio Vella restored Kurt Shaw and Matthew Guillaumier to the starting formation while Nevin Portelli was handed a debut.

The Danes took just 30 seconds to forge ahead. Bruun Larsen sped clear on the left and his low cross was cleared back into the path of the Borussia Dortmund forward who tapped the ball past Malta goalkeeper Andreas Vella.

The Maltese playes had little time to settle down before finding themselves two goals down. Four minutes passed when the Danes were awarded a corner.

Malta goalkeeper Vella misjudged Nikolai Laursen’s delivery with the ball falling into the path of skipper Victor Nelsson who had the easiest of task to fire the ball into an empty net.

The home side kept pushing forward and on 15 minutes, Jens Odgaard turned past three Maltese defenders and beat Vella with a low drive.

After that early flurry, the Danes somewhat slowed their tempo with the Maltese managing to control better their opponents even though they rarely ventured towards the home team’s goal.

Instead it was Denmark who struck again five minutes from the break when Guillaumier was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area from the resultant penalty Larsen sent Vella the wrong way.

Still there was still time for Malta to pull a goal back, and what a strike it was. Guillaumier laid the ball to Pulis who from 30 metres out hit a firm drive that flew into the top corner.

After the break, the Danes were in total control and they managed to add a fifth goal on 67 minutes when Andreas Olsen beat Vella with a low drive.

Substitute Mads Madsen almost added a sixth goal six minutes from time he headed wide with only Vella to beat.

Two minutes from time, Zachary Brincat came close after a solo run but his effort was blocked by Denmark goalkeeper Oliver Christensen

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