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Deadly Danish women thrash Finland in Nations League playoff-clash

Pernille Harder and teammates Emma Snerle, Stine Sandbech and Mille Gejl celebrating after Harder s 0-3 goa
Pernille Harder and teammates Emma Snerle, Stine Sandbech and Mille Gejl celebrating after Harder s 0-3 goaČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Antti Aimo-Koivisto

The Danish women's national team took a big step towards preserving their place among the best nations in the Nations League when they recorded a 6-1 win away against Finland in the first leg of their playoff-clash.

Although the new national coach, Jakob Michelsen, was not present in Finland due to the death of his father on Thursday, it was a new-look Danish team that faced the Finns. 

Five of the players in the starting line-up were not present at this summer's disappointing European Championships, and in total, there were seven changes compared to the last international match.

The changes seemed beneficial for the Danes, who began in full control, and already took the lead after ten minutes when Emma Snerle capitalized on a huge Finnish error to give the visitors a deserved lead with a long-distance effort. 

Denmark then doubled the lead after 39 minutes when Amalie Vangsgaard allowed a cross from Janni Thomsen to pass through for the on-rushing Sofie Svava to put the visitors in solid control. 

Bayern Munich striker Pernille Harder then tripled the Danish lead shortly before the interval when she searched past two Finnish defenders before finishing off with a cool finish.

The hosts enjoyed the majority of possession in the second half, but the Danes never allowed the Finns back into the game and instead extended the lead when Harder scored her second of the night after a defensive blunder from the hosts. 

Harder then turned provider for Sara Holmgaard to make it 5-0 three minutes from the end before the Finns cut the deficit through Lotta Lotta Lindstrom. But Holmgaard put the icing on the cake for the Danes with her second goal in injury time to complete the Danish rout.