Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill says Saturday’s friendly against Denmark is about exposing his young squad to a higher level of opposition before the start of the World Cup qualifiers in September.
Northern Ireland face the Danes in Copenhagen at 18:00 BST and then host Iceland at Windsor Park on Tuesday with a 19:45 kick-off.
O’Neill’s side have lost just three of their past 13 internationals in recent years and gained promotion to League B in the Nations League but the NI boss knows the prospect of facing Denmark represents a step up in class.
Northern Ireland will face Germany, Slovakia and Luxembourg in their World Cup qualifying group in the autumn.
“Denmark are a tough team, a Pot One team,” highlighted O’Neill after guiding his squad through a training camp in Marbella ahead of the double-header.
“We open in September away to Luxembourg and then we’re away to Germany, so it’s about exposure for the players, exposure to the levels of international football, and stepping up that exposure from what we faced in the Nations League, to what we’re going to face coming into the World Cup.”
O’Neill’s charges lost 1-0 to Denmark in Euro 2024 qualifying in June 2023 but exacted revenge with a 2-0 win over the Danes in Belfast five months later.
Denmark head coach Brian Riemer took up the reins of the team in October last year and the team have won only one of their past six matches.
“We’re away from home, the onus will be on them. They have a new coach who is only four games in. That’ll be something they will be adapting to, a slightly different style of play – quite aggressive with how they want to press the game, so we have to deal with that,” said O’Neill.
“When we beat them at home we scored two great goals on the counter-attack and we’ll have to play again on that basis.
“It’s a test. This is a very young squad. We have 50% of the squad that are 21 and under and some of the players who are a little older than that are just starting out on their international journey as well.”
