Denmark vs Peru Player Ratings

Peru made a bright start, bursting forward from the first whistle, rattling Denmark for the first 15 minutes.

When VAR awarded Peru a penalty on the stroke of half-time, it looked like they were set to take the lead but Christian Cueva sent the ball well over the bar.

Denmark went one up when Christian Eriksen took full advantage of a rare bit of space to set Poulsen up in front of goal.

Peru responded immediately forcing Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel into a spectacular left-handed save.

They kept up this pressure for the rest of the second half and were extremely unlucky to not equalise.  

Denmark

Kasper Schmeichel- 8

Despite facing a penalty Schmeichel wasn’t truly tested in the first half. This changed immediately after Denmark took the lead as Peru unleashed an offensive frenzy. An amazing left-handed save and clearance off the line were instrumental in keeping Denmark ahead. His six saves are the most of the World Cup so far.

Simon Kjaer- 6

Top class players don’t necessarily need to stand out to be effective for their team. The Danish captain was always where he needed to be in defence and saw his men through sustained periods of pressure.

Andreas Christensen- 5

Christensen had his hands full with the likes of Carillo but managed to get a vital touch on the ball when it was most needed.

William Kvist- 5

It is always hard to see a player stretchered off the field and Kvist was showing promise before he had to be replaced due to a suspected rib injury.

Henrik Dalsgaard- 6.5

Didn’t shine individually but was solid and disciplined in defence.  

Christian Eriksen- 6

Peru did extremely well to keep Eriksen on the periphery for most of the game. However, like most world class players it only took one moment for him to have an impact, laying the ball off for Poulsen’s goal.

Pione Sisto- 6

Worked well in and around the defence to create space and was key for Denmark’s counter attacks but was let down by his final touch and lofted through balls that failed to find their targets. 

Nicolai Jorgensen – 6.5

Very committed up front, applying pressure until the very end but was outpaced by a Peruvian defence.

Yussuf Poulsen - 8

A standout for Denmark. Poulsen may have conceded a penalty but made up for it by pushing forwards with constant breaks down the right-hand side. He was rewarded for his efforts with the only goal of the match.  

Thomas Delaney - 8

Was everywhere he needed to be in the centre of the park, sending Eriksen forward and cutting off Peru’s attempts to progress through the centre.

Jens Stryger Larsen- 6.5

Used his pace to great effect and remained calm under sustained pressure.

Subs

Lasse Schone - 6

Kvist’s replacement, played a deeper midfield role and showed some promising skill on the ball.   

Martin Braithwaite - 6

Added some energy to the field, showcasing some good aerial defence.

Mathias Jorgensen- 5

Came on for 10 minutes at the end to provide a fresh set of legs to a tiring defence.

Peru

Pedro Gallese (GK)- 6

Didn’t have much involvement in the game and was left exposed by his defenders in the lead up to Denmark’s goal.

Luis Advíncula- 6

Started by challenging the Denmark defence with attacking runs but ended up settling to play further back.

Christian Ramos- 7.5

Made his presence felt in both attack and defence, showing up when and where his team needed him to.  

Alberto Rodríguez- 7

Led from the back orchestrating multiple offside traps and did well to cut off Eriksen as an attacking option.

Miguel Trauco- 8

Assisted Rodríguez in dealing with Eriksen but also took opportunities to move the ball forward to provide extra manpower upfront.

Renato Tapi- 6.5

Was constantly pressing forward and working hard off the ball to move into space and draw out Denmark’s defenders.  

Yoshimar Yotún- 5.5

Flew under the radar, did his job in midfield but failed to have a significant impact.

Christian Cueva- 6

Nerves got the better of Cueva as he sent his penalty well over the crossbar. Desperate to make up for his miss, he appeared to be everywhere at once during the second half but couldn't’t convert this into an equaliser.   

André Carrillo- 9

Was the best player on the field for Peru. He constantly had the ball up front, testing the defence time and time again. He provided a much-needed spark for a team increasingly frustrated by their failure to find the back of the net.  

Edison Flores- 7

Provided an immediate response to Denmark’s goal forcing Schmeichel to pull off a difficult save.

Jefferson Farfán- 8

Dangerous upfront and was key to Peru’s fast transitions. He wasn't’t afraid to take defenders in directly and was only denied by Schmeichel, who got his foot to the ball on the line.

Subs

Paolo Guerrero- 7.5

Almost had a spectacular back heel goal. Made his presence felt by hassling defenders in the box.  

Raúl Ruidíaz- 5

Only had five minutes of game time at the death.

Pedro Aquino- 5

Came on at the end. Aquino had no time to make his presence felt.