Malta national coach Pietro Ghedin said today that he is expected a tough match against Denmark in a World Cup qualifier tomorrow (8 p.m.) at Ta Qali.

Denmark, he said, were a strong team, and they were determined to avoid a humiliation after losing 4-0 at home to Armenia in their last qualifier.

"They will be determined to get a good result, more so after losing their last two matches," he said. Denmark lost 3-2 to Poland in a friendly last week.

Malta, he said, needed to produce a robust performance. It was important to continue to show progress.

Malta gained their first three points in Group B after beating Armenia away, the country's first competitive win away from home in 20 years.

That victory, Ghedin said, might have led his team players to relax somewhat, but he was confident that they would regain their focus and be back at their best against Denmark. Malta lost 3-0 to Azerbaijan in a friendly last month.

Ghedin's defensive options for tomorrow's game are limited, as Luke Dimech and Alex Muscat are suspended, while Jonathan Caruana is not fully fit. 

Defender Clayton Faila said tomorrow's result would have an impact on Malta's preparations for the game against Bulgaria on Tuesday. A positive result, he said, would raise their optimism. Malta, he said, had a score to settle against Bulgaria, having been defeated 6-0 when they clashed in Sofia in March.