Age Hareide: 'We needed five goals to beat them'

Dylan O'Connell reports from Telia Parken, Copenhagen. 

Denmark manager Åge Hareide admitted he was frustrated following his sides 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland at Telia Parken on Friday evening.

Despite dominating for vast swathes of the game, Hareide’s side could not secure all three points thanks to Shane Duffy’s 85^th minute equaliser.

“We created a lot of chances,” Hareide noted.

“This is important in football. But we couldn’t put them away and Ireland are dangerous at set pieces.”

With fifteen minutes remaining, Pierre Emile Højbjerg’s header seemed to secure the win for the Danish, but Duffy’s header and a succession of late chances saw the Irish not only draw but finish on top in a highly contested game between the sides.

“They fought it back and made it difficult for us,” Hareide reflected on the closing moments.

“We played well and created chances, but we are disappointed.”

After two years, and five encounters between the teams; Hareide was keen to note the improvement from the Republic of Ireland in contrast from their previous games.

“You see the same faces but a different blueprint. They are a good team.  Some play at a high level and others have just received promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

“Full credit to Ireland. They pushed us away high up the pitch."

Concluding, Hareide jokingly recalled back to the last time his side did overcome the Boys in Green, saying; “We needed five goals to beat them,” in reference to the Dane’s 5-1 win in the Aviva Stadium in 2017.