Wales have finally won. They beat Norway 2-1 in Cardiff on 1 October, their first victory of 2026, ending a long wait for Craig Bellamy’s side. Denmark, who lost 4-2 to Portugal on the same night, visit Cardiff on Sunday 4 October 2026 (kick-off 19:45 BST) to find out whether that win was a turning point or a one-night escape.
Form & stake
Wales had lost both of their opening games. Portugal beat them 1-0 on 24 September, with João Félix scoring in the 22nd minute, and Denmark won 2-0 three days later through a Ben Davies own goal and a Gustav Isaksen strike. Then came Norway. Oscar Bobb put the visitors ahead after 11 minutes, Dan James levelled in the 38th, and Norway defender Torbjørn Heggem was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring chance as the second half began. Neco Williams curled in a free-kick seconds after the restart, and Wales held on.
Context matters. The match was 1-1 when the red card came, so Wales played the rest of it against ten men, and the win says less about their ceiling than the scoreline suggests. It still counts. Wales now have three points and a goal difference of -2.
Denmark also have three points, with a goal difference of -1, after losing 3-2 to Norway on 24 September, beating Wales, then losing 4-2 at home to Portugal. Damsgaard (23rd minute) and Højlund (53rd) equalised twice at Parken, and both times Portugal went straight back in front, through Ramos and then Vitinha, before Félix made it four in the 87th. Four conceded at home is the kind of number that keeps a manager awake.
The table is tight. Portugal lead Group A4 with nine points, and Denmark, Norway and Wales are level on three behind them, separated only by goal difference, while the bottom side faces a two-legged play-out against a League B club in March, which makes Sunday a straight fight to avoid last place.
Team news & injuries
Wales are playing four games in 11 days with an injury-hit squad, and no full injury list has been published. James and Williams scored against Norway, and Sorba Thomas supplied the cross for James, according to match reports.
Denmark lost Patrick Dorgu to a hamstring injury in the defeat to Wales on 27 September, and he has returned to Manchester United. That leaves a gap at left-back, with Mohamed Daramy the likely cover, while Højlund and Damsgaard both scored against Portugal and should start in attack.
36Vegas Review: What UK Players Need to Know Review
ACCA Insurance up to £136
Zoltan Tamas Bonus info
Editorial Score
Screenshots
Predicted line-ups
No confirmed XI was available at the time of writing.
Wales: Bellamy will be tempted to keep the side that won, and fresh legs are scarce anyway. The unanswered question is how that XI performs for 90 minutes at 11 against 11, because it never had to do so against Norway.
Denmark: The attack is fine, with Isaksen wide, Damsgaard behind Højlund and goals coming from both. The defence is the worry, and the left side is thinnest without Dorgu.
The key battle
Wales’s wide players against Denmark’s left side. James scored from Thomas’s cross against Norway, and Williams’s set-piece quality is a threat in itself. Denmark have no Dorgu to defend that flank, so whoever plays there will face Cardiff’s loudest moments, and if Wales get service into the box early, they can hurt a defence that has conceded seven goals in three games.
Wales vs Denmark Predictions & tips
Wales have momentum and a crowd that has waited a long time for something to shout about, while Denmark have the better squad and an attack that scored twice against Portugal even in defeat. Both defences are leaking. Expect goals at both ends, with Denmark’s quality deciding it late and Wales still searching for a clean sheet.
Tip: Both teams to score. Predicted score: Wales 1-2 Denmark.
18+. Please gamble responsibly. Odds change quickly, so check prices before betting. BeGambleAware.org / GamCare.
