Denmark deliver at last in the Czech Republic
Friday, March 22, 2013
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Czech Republic 0-3 Denmark
Andreas Cornelius, Simon Kjær and Niki Zimling scored after the break as the Danes belatedly secured their first Group B victory.
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Denmark belatedly secured their first FIFA World Cup qualifying Group D victory, Andreas Cornelius, Simon Kjær and Niki Zimling scoring as the Czech Republic came unstuck in Olomouc.
FC København forward Cornelius tidied up to score the first of the night on 57 minutes, and Kjær's header and a breakaway effort from Zimling completed a miserable night for the home side, who started with playmaker Tomáš Rosický on the bench following his recovery from a bruised thigh.
Michal Bílek's side found Denmark tough to break down, though long-range efforts from Vladimír Darida and David Lafata drew good saves from Denmark goalkeeper Stephan Andersen. The Danes were not content just to sit back and defend, Petr Čech tipping an ambitious effort from Christian Eriksen away in the minutes leading up to the break.
The Chelsea FC goalkeeper could not do much about Cornelius's opener, though, the Danish league's 16-goal top scorer pouncing after Zimling's effort had been blocked. Bílek responded by bringing on Rosický but his side soon went further behind, Kjær nodding in at the near post from Eriksen's 67th-minute corner.
With eight minutes to go Zimling anticipated a pass from Theo Gebre Selassie, outpaced Darida and sent a splendid shot inside Čech's left post to make it 3-0, completing the Czechs' heaviest home defeat since break-up of the former Czechoslovakia in 1993.