Birmingham City striker Nicklas Bendtner scored a goal less than 10 minutes from time as Denmark
poached a 1-0 win over Germany in Wednesday night's friendly in Duisburg. Bendtner swept home a cross in the 81st minute as German coach Joachim Loew suffered his first defeat in nine games since
succeeding Jurgen Klinsmann as Germany coach after last year's World Cup.
Loew's brave decision to blood six new caps - including Hanover"s goalkeeper Robert Enke, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes and VfB Stuttgart's Roberto Hilbert in the starting eleven -
backfired. And with only three survivors from the 2-1 Euro 2008 qualifying win over the Czech Republic on Saturday, the experienced Denmark side finished stronger than their opponents and deserved the win.
With Thomas Hitzlsperger and Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi
the only experienced campaigners in the side, Germany lacked the
tactical control and sharp finishing that had seen them win in
Prague. Having scored both goals in Prague, Kuranyi had several half
chances to add to his 17 international strikes but his finishing
was wide of the mark.
Denmark threatened when Jesper Groenkjaer clipped the bar with a bullet header after 70 minutes, just as Bayer Leverkusen defender Gonzalo Castro came on for his first cap. The winning goal came in the 81st minute when Birmingham City striker Nicklas Bendtner swept Groenkjaer"s short pass from the
right past Enke.
Cologne striker Patrick Helmes, who came on for his first cap to
replace Schaludraff after 78 minutes, was denied two late chances
to score, but it was not enough to stop the Danes.
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Birmingham City striker Nicklas Bendtner scored a goal less than 10 minutes from time as Denmark
poached a 1-0 win over Germany in Wednesday night's friendly in Duisburg. Bendtner swept home a cross in the 81st minute as German coach Joachim Loew suffered his first defeat in nine games since
succeeding Jurgen Klinsmann as Germany coach after last year's World Cup.
Loew's brave decision to blood six new caps - including Hanover"s goalkeeper Robert Enke, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes and VfB Stuttgart's Roberto Hilbert in the starting eleven -
backfired. And with only three survivors from the 2-1 Euro 2008 qualifying win over the Czech Republic on Saturday, the experienced Denmark side finished stronger than their opponents and deserved the win.
With Thomas Hitzlsperger and Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi
the only experienced campaigners in the side, Germany lacked the
tactical control and sharp finishing that had seen them win in
Prague. Having scored both goals in Prague, Kuranyi had several half
chances to add to his 17 international strikes but his finishing
was wide of the mark.
Denmark threatened when Jesper Groenkjaer clipped the bar with a bullet header after 70 minutes, just as Bayer Leverkusen defender Gonzalo Castro came on for his first cap. The winning goal came in the 81st minute when Birmingham City striker Nicklas Bendtner swept Groenkjaer"s short pass from the
right past Enke.
Cologne striker Patrick Helmes, who came on for his first cap to
replace Schaludraff after 78 minutes, was denied two late chances
to score, but it was not enough to stop the Danes.
