Next month’s Norway clash ‘massive’ for Wales, says Jordan James

Jordan James believes Wales’ visit to Norway next month will be “massive” in deciding their Nations League fate.

Wales lost for the third time in four Group A4 games on Sunday as Denmark claimed a double over the Dragons with a 1-0 win in Cardiff.

However, Wales actually moved off the bottom of the group as Norway replaced them after losing 2-1 in Portugal, with their head-to-head result coming into effect.

Wales beat Norway in Cardiff on Thursday and, with both sides on three points, their meeting in Oslo on November 14 has taken on extra significance.

Norway finish their campaign away to Denmark three days later when Wales close out at home to group leaders Portugal, who have won all four matches during this extended September and October international window.

“We’re still in the group and there’s a lot to play for,” said on-loan Wolves midfielder James.

“We’ve got two big games and they’re going to be tough. The Norway game is massive, that’s obviously the big game.

“It’s away so it will be tough, but if we play with the same intensity as last time (in Cardiff) then we’ve got a real chance.”

Rasmus Hojlund’s 75th-minute penalty delivered a blow to Welsh ambitions of being a top seed in Euro 2028 qualifying through a top-three finish in their Nations League group.

Hojlund converted from the spot after goalkeeper Danny Ward gifted the ball to Gustav Isaksen and brought down the Denmark forward in trying to remedy his error.

James said: “We’re a team and mistakes happen. Players on the pitch make mistakes, but when you’re a goalkeeper you’re going to get punished for it.

“We make tens of thousands of mistakes in our career and we just have to look past it.”

Welsh resources were stretched by the four-game window, which manager Craig Bellamy said favoured large nations with greater player pools and disadvantaged smaller countries like Wales.

Probable starters Dylan Lawlor, Harry Wilson, Joe Rodon and Karl Darlow did not feature in any of the four games.

Nathan Broadhead was another absentee and David Brooks played just an hour of the first game in Portugal before withdrawing from the squad.

Daniel James, so influential in the win over Norway, was unable to feature in the final game against Denmark.

Boss Bellamy said: “We knew what the challenges were going to be and I knew it especially a week before we were coming into camp.

“Joe Rodon’s not there. Harry Wilson’s not there. We lost Brooksy, we lost Dan.

“I was always wary about players who are not playing week in, week out and then you expose them to game after game.

“Look at Ben (Davies), who we had to bring off (on Sunday). We shouldn’t have played Ben over the last couple of games, we really should have missed him out.

“I’m just hoping he’s not injured now because he had just been on red for about two or three games, but he’s a warrior. It was trying to juggle what we could use.”