Denmark will be looking to start a fresh chapter when they host Malta in their opening Women’s Euro 2021 qualification, this evening.

The Danes have gone through heartbreaking experiences in the last four years as after losing the European crown to the Netherlands in 2017, two years later they suffered another damaging loss to the Oranje in the play-offs for last summer’s World Cup.

Video: Gianluca Lia

Such disappointments will surely provide the Danes, ranked 15th in the world, with added motivation to go on and reach the European Championship finals in two years’ time and try and go one step better than in 2017, particularly given they boast one of their best sides for many years.

Captain and star player Pernille Harder is confident that her side can open their qualifying campaign on a high with a convincing win over Malta. 

“We are very looking forward to face Malta because it has been a long time since we played in a game that counts in front of our home crowd,” Harder told the Times of Malta.

In fact, Denmark’s last competitive home game was back in October, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands that denied them the chance to participate in their fifth World Cup and their first since 2007.

“Winning this game is very important for us even though we have to see how the game develops before we start to jump on any conclusions when it comes to predictions,” Harder added.

The Danish players completing a drill during training on Wednesday. Video: Gianluca Lia

Despite not being among the 24 participants of the recent World Cup, women’s football is becoming more and more a respectable movement in Denmark and Harder believes that their national team performances are key in this aspect.

“Women’s football is growing a lot here,” the Denmark captain said.

“Although we were not involved, other Nordic countries were in France and that created more hype here.

“A lot is happening across Denmark but also Europe in general and that is very essential because it helps to improve our image.”

Asked about her opinion on the Maltese national team, Harder said that they have been analysing Malta from several videos and added that it will be interesting to face them in their first qualifier.

At club level, Harder is one of the most successful players in Danish football. In 2018, she was named UEFA Player of the Year and has already scored 32 goals at Wolfsburg and 53 for her national team, proving that she is a game-changer for club and country.

As from the 2019-20, she is also one of the three captains at Wolfsburg together with Alexandra Popp and Almuth Schult after the departure of a key figure like Nilla Fischer.

Just last season, she won the Bundesliga, German Cup, and was top scorer in the Women’s Champions League and the German Cup, scoring six goals in the games against Atletico Madrid and Olympique Lyon.

Lyon are turning out to be Wolfsburg’s dark horses in their bid to complete their trophy jigsaw by winning the Champions League.

The 26-year-old Danish player was part of the Wolfsburg side that lost the 2018 Champions League final to Lyon, while last season the French side again knocked out the Germans in the knock-out stages.

“At Wolfsburg, we always start with the objective to win every competition that we play in,” Harder explained.

The Danish players during a training session on Wednesday. Video: Gianluca Lia

“Undoubtedly, European success is important for us and we have been bringing players in that hopefully will crucial in bringing back the Champions League to Wolfsburg for the first time since 2014.”

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