WE’RE OUT TO MAKE A POINT
Brondby happy to settle for a draw at Ibrox
BRONDBY travel to Glasgow somewhat out of sorts. Crowned champions on the final day of last season for the first time in 16 years, their defence of the Danish title has started abysmally. Going into this afternoon’s visit of Vejle, they have claimed just two wins from 11 league matches. If that reads poorly, their European form has scarcely been better.
Beaten in both legs of their Champions League play-off against RB Salzburg, the Danes have picked up just a point from their opening two Europa League matches.
The big consolation is that the draw claimed on the opening night against Sparta Prague has proved enough to place them ahead of Rangers going into the pivotal mid-section double-header against their Scottish counterparts.
Set against that backdrop it’s not hard to understand captain Andreas Maxsø’s assertion that his team’s first priority will be to avoid defeat at Ibrox on Thursday night.
Should the Danes pick up a point, Maxsø believes it will put them in an ideal position to finish above Steven Gerrard’s men in Group A.
And with Sparta Prague taking on a daunting double-header against overwhelming group favourites Lyon, he contends that second place is firmly up for grabs.
‘We go to Glasgow to win of course but if we are not able to do that then we will take the draw,’ said the defender, speaking to Sportsmail via telephone. ‘If we can get one point in Scotland, it will be a nice result for us and then everything can happen back here in Denmark. We are comfortable when we play at Brondby Stadium.
‘It’s two cup finals and I think it will be two exciting games with a lot of intensity. First we need a point as a minimum to have a role in the group but we believe in ourselves and if we play a smart game then everything is possible.
‘If I was to highlight one player from our team I would say our goalkeeper actually, Mads Hermansen, a young guy who is playing really well.
‘Then we have Mikael Uhre up top, who is a fast guy and our top scorer. And in midfield we have Anis Slimane, a national team player from Tunisia. He has some X-factor about him.’
Brondby boss Niels Frederiksen has prioritised today’s league match but Maxsø has been doing his own preparatory work ahead of the Rangers game.
‘Rangers have a good team, especially the captain James
Tavernier who is a very good player. Also the offensive players, especially Ianis Hagi, who looks like a young, talented guy. It’s going to be a difficult match for us but we look forward to it.
‘The noise in Glasgow will not bother us. We have played in front of big crowds before and when they come to Denmark, Rangers will find that we have a good atmosphere too.
‘We have a young team and every bit of experience is useful. We will also have a lot of fans from Denmark there. I expect Lyon to win the group for sure, they are a quality team.
‘We actually played well for one hour in France. We were defending good but once they scored the first goal we had no chance because of their quality.
‘They are favourites to win the group but its too early to say who will be No 2. Sparta have the advantage as they have four points now but they play Lyon twice, so it will be exciting. No one can be written off just yet.’
Maxsø has some added personal motivation for wanting to do well against Rangers. Thus far, the centre-back has found it impossible to force his way into the Danish national team. Capped 24 times at Under-21 level, he has a solitary full cap and was last called up as back-up for last month’s World Cup qualifier against Israel.
With Simon Kjaer, Andreas Christensen and Jannik Vestergaard all ahead of him in the queue, Maxsø has his work cut out if he is to force himself into the squad for next year’s World Cup finals.
But with the Danes already qualified and facing two essentially dead rubbers next month against the Faroe Islands and Scotland, he senses an opportunity.
‘Of course I will do anything I can to be involved but I am up against quality players,’ he says. ‘We have world-class players in the national team, especially at centre-back but every game I try to show my best.’
At 27, Maxsø is established as one of the best defenders in Danish football but there have been elements of frustration around his career. That stack of Under-21 caps speaks to the potential and leadership qualities he showed as a kid breaking through at Nordsjaelland and his strength of character was in evidence as he knocked back a move to FC Copenhagen.
Instead he waited for an opportunity abroad and transferred to Turkish side Osmanlispor in 2017, moving on to Switzerland and FC Zurich a year later.
From there things took a curious twist as he was moved on to German lower league side Uerdingen, apparently on the understanding that he would be subsequently transferred to Bournemouth.
When that failed to transpire, he cancelled his contract and returned to his homeland where Brondby gladly took him on. He is big enough to admit he feels he has unfinished business abroad, saying: ‘I don’t have so much to say about what happened with Bournemouth but my ambition will always be to develop.
‘At some point I will want to go away from the Danish Superlig. Where I am going to go, I don’t know yet but my ambition is to go to a better league.’
For now, he is proud to be Brondby’s leader and takes his responsibilities seriously. On Thursday, he will take his place at the heart of his team’s back three and will waste no opportunity to talk his team-mates through the game.
‘I am in the centre of the defence and I have a good view over the pitch so it’s natural for me to help and guide the other players,’ he adds. ‘When you are in the middle you are a little bit more protected and you have the time and view to help the other guys. It’s my job to help.’