Women's Nations League round-up: Pernille Harder hits hat-trick as Denmark beat Wales 5-1; Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland both win
Former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder scores a hat-trick as Denmark inflict a second straight Women's Nations League defeat on Wales; Arsenal's Katie McCabe scores as the Republic of Ireland ease past Hungary; Lauren Wade's strike earns Northern Ireland's first win
Tuesday 26 September 2023 22:02, UK
Wales suffered a heavy 5-1 Women's Nations League defeat by Denmark as Pernille Harder struck a Cardiff hat-trick.
Bayern Munich striker Harder, once the world's most expensive female player after moving from Wolfsburg to Chelsea in 2020, left Wales with a mountain to climb after scoring twice inside the opening 11 minutes.
Although Jess Fishlock gave Wales hope with a stunning second-half strike, Frederikke Thogersen and Sanne Troelsgaard settled Denmark nerves and Harder completed her treble to inflict the heaviest defeat of Gemma Grainger's reign as Wales manager.
Wales were seeking to recover from an opening-day Nations League loss in Iceland, while Denmark — who reached the last16 of the Women's World Cup last month — had travelled with confidence after upsetting Group A3 top seeds Germany on Friday.
The two sides had previously met in April 2021, a 1-1 friendly draw at the Cardiff City Stadium in what was Grainger's second game in charge.
Grainger named seven of the team that started against Denmark that night, with Rachel Rowe replacing Kayleigh Green in the only change from the defeat in Reykjavik.
Rowe's introduction was designed to ignite a Wales attack that had stuttered over the last 12 months or so: Grainger's side scoring more than one goal in a game just once in 13 outings — April's 4-1 friendly win over Northern Ireland.
Jansen's late winner gives Netherlands win over England
Women's Nations League results
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