Denmark vs. Tunisia 0-0Tunisia started their World Cup campaign in Group C with a point against Denmark, who reached the semifinals of Euro 2020 and might have had all three with a little more luck.
In general, the Danes, who were touted by many as dark horses in Qatar, underachieved.
Tunisia was backed by a louder crowd inside the stadium and got out to a faster start than Denmark, which seemed to take them off guard. Mohamed Drager’s shot deflected off Andreas Christensen and nearly missed the goal after being deflected by Andreas Christensen.
20 minutes into the match, Denmark seemed to regain their composure and get a footing in the match. Joachim Andersen had a nice opportunity from a corner kick, and Christian Eriksen also sent a dangerous ball into the penalty box.
Not long after, Issam Jebali raced onto a long through ball and finished past Kasper Schmeichel to put the ball in the back of the goal for Tunisia. However, the flag was raised as Jebali turned to celebrate, and replays revealed that he had begun his run about a yard beyond the final defender.
Jebali had the finest opportunity of the first half after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Aissa Laidouni exchanged shots. Jebali tried a dinked finish, but Schmeichel channeled the spirit of his father to extend his body as much as possible and palm the ball behind for a corner kick.
In the early stages of the second half, Denmark had a goal disallowed due to an offside flag. Mikkel Damsgaard’s presence outside the last line of defense throughout the buildup rendered irrelevant Andreas Skov Olsen’s second attempt to score.
Aymen Dahmen made a spectacular stop to deny Christian Eriksen during a short period of luck for the Tunisia goal in the second half. From the next corner, Mathias Jensen’s back-post sailed agonizingly over the goal, with fellow substitute Andreas Cornelius miraculously directing it into the post from almost the goal line.
The last quarter’s flow was interrupted by substitutions and yellow cards, but the game remained well-contested with few clear scoring opportunities.
Dahmen, who had been outstanding throughout the game, survived a tense moment in stoppage time when he did just enough to block a spinning cross-shot, and Tunisian hearts were also in their mouths when the referee was summoned to the pitchside monitor to evaluate a possible penalty. Yassine Meriah caught the ball when it landed in his arms. However, the official concluded that there wasn’t enough in it.
Denmark vs Tunisia: Player ratings
Denmark (3-5-2)
Kasper Schmeichel, the goalkeeper, earned a score of seven out of ten for making one of the finest saves in World Cup history late in the first half.
CB: Joachim Andersen – 5/10 – Possessed an opportunity to score in the first half and could have performed better with the ball.
CB: Simon Kjaer (C) – 6/10 – He had a difficult time facing Jebali, but he managed to hold his own. Sacrificed for strategic purposes.
CB: Andreas Christensen – 6/10 – Frequently observed the ball and seldom misplaced it. He was relieved to see his deflection just miss the objective.
RWB: Rasmus Kristensen – 5/10 – It’s disappointing that he didn’t generate more opportunities or really take the game to Tunisia.
CM: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 6/10 – From a distance, barely gave the ball away and prompted Dahmen to make a save.
CM: Thomas Delaney – 5/10 – Left the game due to injury at the conclusion of the first half.
CM: Christian Eriksen – 6/10 – Played many dangerous balls into the penalty area.
LWB: Joakim Maehle – 5/10 – After the first twenty minutes of the game, became more involved. The crossing wasn’t quite accurate.
ST: Andreas Skov Olsen – 6/10 – Frequently seemed to take up advantageous positions and even had the ball in the goal before an offside flag prevented him from scoring.
ST: Kasper Dolberg – 5/10 – He had a limited view of the ball and missed the target with both of his attempts.
SUB: Mikkel Damsgaard (45+1′ for Delaney) – 6/10
Mathias Jensen replaces Kjaer at 65′ – 6/10
5/10 for the substitution of Andreas Cornelius for Dolberg in the 65th minute.
SUB: Jesper Lindstrom (65′ for Olsen) – 5/10
Manager: Kasper Hjulmand – 5/10 – Early in the second half, a large number of substitutes were made in an effort to rectify the slow start and lack of incisiveness.
Tunisia (3-4-2-1)
Aymen Dahmen, GK, received an 8/10 for his efforts to maintain a clean sheet. Made four saves overall.
CB: Dylan Bronn – 7/10 – Passed the ball forward well in an effort to put Tunisia on the offensive.
CB: Yassine Meriah – 7/10- He repelled anything that approached him. Survived a handball incident in stoppage time that was flagged by VAR.
CB: Montassar Talbi – 7/10 – A narrative similar to Meriah’s. Made himself tough to play against physically.
RWB: Mohamed Drager – 8/10 – Very effectively supported the assault while advancing and posed an evident danger. Also defended admirably.
CM: Ellyes Skhiri – 7/10 – He never lost the ball cheaply in situations where Denmark could capitalise, which was crucial.
CM: Aissa Laidouni – 8/10 – Enjoyed a game in which he seemed to be everywhere. With more calmness, a goal may have been scored.
Ali Abdi – 7/10 – Covered a great deal of distance on the flanks.
Anis Slimane struggled to get involved in open play in the morning. He took Tunisia’s corners while on the field.
AM: Youssef Msakni (c) – 6/10 – The shooting radar was somewhat inaccurate.
ST: Issam Jebali – 8/10 – Pressed the Danish back three for 80 minutes. The player had the ball in the goal but was ruled offside, forcing Schmeichel to make a world-class save.
SUB: Naim Sliti (67′ for Slimane) – /10 –
SUB: Hannibal Mejbri (80′ for Jebali) – 6/10
SUB: Taha Tassine Khenissi (80′ for Msakni)
SUB: Wajdi Kechrida (88′ for Drager) – N/A
SUB: Ferjani Sassi (88′ for Laidouni) – N/A
Manager: Jalal Kadri – 8/10 – Took a far more deliberate strategy than his opponent and relied on his starters for a longer period of time. The game plan was executed flawlessly.
Player of the match – Aissa Laidouni (Tunisia)
