Despite the supposedly clear gap between the sides, Ireland emerged from Copenhagen with a well deserved point last night.
It was a good performance from Ireland, displaying many of the characteristics that had been lacking during Martin O'Neill's final year in charge. They kept the ball well, played with purpose, and all while remaining well organised and tough to penetrate.
The buildup to the game was dominated by previous comments made by the Denmark camp about Ireland's lack of quality, but those notions were put to bed with this performance.
Speaking on Virgin Media Sport this evening, Kevin Kilbane said that while it was not a perfect performance from Ireland, it proved that the gap between the sides was nothing like what the Danes claimed it was.
"It wasn't a great performance, but it was a great point.
"I don't think the Danish side are as good as they think they are.
"We could take points off them in Dublin."@kdkilbane77 on last night's 1-1 draw in Copenhagen.#COYBIG #Euro2020 #VMSport pic.twitter.com/PR7YQ3x4Eo— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) June 8, 2019
Listening to James McClean and the interview he did, you can see they were riled by what Thomas Delaney and the Danes had said about them, the derogatory comments about the style of play and how difficult they were to play against.
I'm with him in that I don't think the Danish side is as good as maybe they think they are. Yes they beat us 5-1 in Dublin, but I think we can take points off them in Dublin.
Kilbane was joined in the studio by Niall Quinn, with both men familiar with the managerial methods of current Irish boss Mick McCarthy.
Quinn says McCarthy would have used Denmark's comments to add fuel to the Irish fire ahead of this game, and he has the tendency to do so at the perfect moment.
"We know what Mick would've been like. He would've placed that in at the perfect time when things were heating up."
Niall Quinn & @kdkilbane77 know all about a Mick McCarthy dressing room.
Here's how he would've reacted to the comments of the Danes. 💪🇮🇪#COYBIG #VMSport pic.twitter.com/iNBrCe0kVZ— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) June 8, 2019
We know what Mick would have been like, he would have placed that in at the perfect time just as things were heating up as they went onto the pitch, just to remind them what this lot had thought about them and what they had said publicly.
I thought it was good, the response Mick got from his players, and what he is bringing in general to the team. There is a bit of electricity there, you can feel it.
There's a long way for them to go to be perfect... but that will come.
Ireland are currently sitting pretty at the top of their qualifying group, and will have the chance to solidify that position when they host Gibraltar on Monday night.
