Denmark maintain pole position to qualify for World Cup after goalless draw with Italy

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/W0rDArJ8/"]Denmark[/a]'s women's football team delivered a solid performance but lacked attacking quality [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/denmark-W0rDArJ8/italy-fiD8utDF/?mid=Q1Gy6YG6"]in a goalless draw[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/fiD8utDF/"]Italy[/a] in the World Cup qualifiers on Saturday.[/p][p]It all took place in the Parken stadium in Copenhagen, where 12,013 spectators had turned up for the team's third match ever in the national arena.[/p][p]The Danish star and captain, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harder-pernille/EeZjNTdN/"]Pernille Harder[/a], managed to reach full fitness after sustaining a head injury since the surprising 2-1 win in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/hGWL8MmL/"]Sweden[/a] on Tuesday, but neither she nor her teammates had the necessary quality to threaten the Italian rearguard.[/p][p]After the goalless draw, Denmark is still in fine form in the qualifying group, where the winner will claim a ticket to the final round in Brazil next summer, while the other three teams will enter playoffs in the autumn.[/p][p]Denmark tops the group with eight points and can secure first place with a total of four points in the matches against Sweden in Odense and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/serbia/nysgULwS/"]Serbia[/a] away at the beginning of June.[/p][p]The Danes won almost all duels and had a strong hold on the game in the first half, but the final quality and the right decisions around the Italian box were missing, so the Danes never managed to make the most of their dominance. [/p][p]Italy knew that a draw would not be enough to maintain a great bid for first place in the group, and the second half was therefore much more varied and open.[/p][p]Italy won a series of corners after the break and also wasted a free-kick in a very promising position, but Danish goalkeeper Freja Thisgaard was not seriously threatened as the home side claimed another vital point in their efforts to qualify for Brazil. [/p]