Mikkel Damsgaard was on target for Denmark, while Nathan Collins and Caoimhin Kelleher endured shootout heartbreak with the Republic of Ireland on a dramatic night for Brentford’s internationals.
Brentford had several players involved in important international fixtures on 26 March, with the club represented across World Cup play-off matches in Europe. Denmark supplied the clearest positive from a Brentford perspective, while the Republic of Ireland and Ukraine both endured difficult nights despite strong Bees involvement. As a first snapshot of the international break, it was a mixed evening overall, but one that still underlined Brentford’s growing presence on the senior international stage.
Denmark
Denmark delivered Brentford’s strongest story of the night. Brentford’s official international guide listed both Mikkel Damsgaard and Mathias Jensen in the squad for the World Cup play-off against North Macedonia, and Denmark went on to win 4-0 in Copenhagen to book their place in the play-off final. Damsgaard opened the scoring early in the second half, giving Brentford a direct attacking contribution in one of the biggest matches of the evening.
It was another encouraging moment for the midfielder, who has been one of Brentford’s more creative and reliable performers this season. Denmark’s convincing win means Brentford will now have players involved in another high-pressure fixture later in the break.
Republic of Ireland
Nathan Collins and Caoimhin Kelleher were both part of the Republic of Ireland side that suffered a painful exit against Czechia. Both players started in the squad with Collins captaining the side for the World Cup play-off semi-final, and Ireland looked in a strong position after moving 2-0 ahead before being pegged back. The match finished 2-2 and Czechia eventually progressed on penalties
Ukraine
Yehor Yarmoliuk also featured in a high-stakes play-off, but his evening ended in disappointment as Ukraine were beaten 3-1 by Sweden. Yarmoliuk appeared for 85 minutes but was unable to make a signficant impact, with Sweden eventually progressing thanks to a hat-trick from Viktor Gyokeres.
Brazil
Igor Thiago rounded off Brentford’s involvement by featuring for Brazil in their friendly against France. The Brentford forward, included in the senior squad for the first time, made his international debut in the 71st minute when he replaced Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha. Brazil went on to lose 2-1, but the appearance still marked an important milestone for Thiago as he took his first step onto the senior international stage. It was another significant moment for a player whose season has already included strong goalscoring form at club level.
England
Jordan Henderson captained England in the 1-1 draw with Uruguay, giving Brentford a senior player at the centre of Thomas Tuchel’s side on a night that ended in frustration at Wembley. The midfielder started and wore the armband throughout, but England were denied victory by a late Uruguay equaliser after Ben White had put them ahead.
Norway
Kristoffer Ajer completed the full 90 minutes in Norway’s 2-1 friendly defeat to the Netherlands. It was a busy night defensively for Ajer, even if Norway were unable to avoid defeat.
Overall, Denmark gave Brentford the clearest reason for encouragement from the fixtures, with Damsgaard getting on the scoresheet in a comfortable win. Elsewhere, there were disappointing results for Collins, Kelleher and Yarmoliuk, but also valuable minutes and experience in serious international matches.