First match and first defeat for Brian Riemer at the head of Denmark. The Danish coach discusses the reasons for his team’s defeat against a solid Spain.
Brian Riemer has officially made his debut as Denmark’s new coach. For his first match at the head of the team, the former Anderlecht coach faced a major opponent: Spain. A big challenge for a start, which ended in a defeat for the Danes with a score of 1-2.
“We faced a high-class opponent, capable of coming out of pressure with incredible skill. […] We made a lot of mistakes, especially on the first goal, which we can’t afford against an opponent like Spain. We lacked the courage to play forward,” explained the 46-year-old man at a press conference quoted by the Sports World.
Before Gustav Isaksen reduced the score in the 84th minute, Denmark was trailing 0-2: “The 0-2 killed us, but after the 1-2, hope returned and we tried to equalize .”
A tactical change
Riemer explained that the change from 5-2-3 to 4-3-3 allowed Denmark to intensify their pressing and win the ball higher. This forced Spain to play long balls at times to escape pressure.
Next Monday, Denmark will play its qualification for the quarter-finals of the Nations League by facing Serbia. In the event of at least a draw, Riemer’s men will qualify for the next round.
