Giggs wary of Eriksen threat as Wales target Nations League promotion
Posted Friday, November 16, 2018 by PA
Ryan Giggs admits stopping Christian Eriksen is easier said than done as the Denmark dangerman attempts to sink Wales for the second time in as many months.
Eriksen ran the show and scored twice when Denmark beat Wales 2-0 in Aarhus in September.
The Tottenham playmaker missed Denmark’s dour goalless draw with the Republic of Ireland last month through injury, but he is back to take on Wales again in Cardiff with promotion to the top tier of the Nations League at stake.
Victory for either side would see them join the elite of European football, while a draw would leave Denmark needing to beat the Republic in their final game at home to take top spot.
The winner would also move to within two games of qualifying for Euro 2020 through the Nations League play-offs.
“He’s a fantastic player and was the difference in Aarhus,” Giggs said of Eriksen at his pre-match press conference.
“We have to be aware of his qualities and we are.
“But it’s one thing setting out a plan to stop him, it’s another actually doing it.
“He’s up there as one of the top Premier League performers, and he’s done it for a consistent amount in both scoring and making goals.
“He can be the difference, but it’s the same for them trying to stop our quality players hurting them.”
Wales’ own talisman Gareth Bale has been declared fit after picking up an ankle injury playing for Real Madrid on Sunday.
Bale has followed a different training routine this week to the one he is used to before games.
But the 29-year-old joined the rest of the squad for a Cardiff City Stadium training session on Thursday morning.
The squad were in relaxed mood and played ‘tag’ – where one player chases others in an attempt to touch them – at the start of the session.
“He’s good,” Giggs said. “He arrived a little bit later than the rest of the group after playing on Sunday evening.
“But he’s fine, he’s looked good this week and he’s ready.
“He had a little bit of a different programme earlier in the week, but the last couple of days he’s been good.”
Denmark manager Age Hareide refused to name his captain ahead of the game, saying “there is no need to do it now”.
But Hareide was willing to discuss what joining the elite of European football would mean to his country.
“It’s very important to develop the side,” Hareide said. “To do that we need as good as opposition as possible.
“It’s difficult to play against the best teams because they would rather play each other, so to be among them would be a great possibility for us.
“This is a final. But Wales are a good side who want to play football, and if you let them play they are good.
“We have to be compact defensively as we were when we played them in September and find the space to attack them.”
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