The two teams with the most impressive passage through the second round collide in Nantes this evening. Neither have firmly established their credentials before the viewing public, but both have played enough exciting football to give the game considerable drawing power.

Denmark were dire for most of the first round, limping home against Saudi Arabia, slightly better against South Africa and disappointingly content to extract the draw they needed in their final match against the French. They lost anyway, but still progressed.

Against Nigeria in the second round, they opened up with a confident performance which the Danish media was quick to herald as the best ever from a Danish team.

It sets the stall out for what should be an intriguing game. The Brazilians have been quick to concede their disappointment that the Danes rather than the Nigerians slipped through from the second round.

"The Danes are a little too much like us," says Cesar Sampaio, "they don't man-mark tightly, but they organise themselves very well and where ever you play the ball they defend that zone."

There's that and the fact that the Danes have two of the best wide players in the tournament. Michael Laudrup's talents need no further introduction, but when he retires at the end of the World Cup his place on the left wing will be taken by Martin Jorgensen, the youngster who has played down the right for the past four games. At 22 the Danes already rate his potential more highly than the sublime Laudrup ("Better all round game," says coach Bo Johansson) and he has been one of the surprises of the tournament, blossoming despite being forced to play on the right.

Having made the transition from Aarhus to Udinese in Serie A last season, Jorgensen struggled badly, and was unable to make the substitutes' bench for long periods before a plague of injuries put him in the spotlight. Guided through the experience by his team-mate today, Thomas Helveg, he played with such aplomb late in the season that he forced his way into the Danish World Cup side.

"I expected to play about five minutes or so as substitute in France, but I've now started in four games in a row," he says. This evening presents the most rigorous examination yet of his abilities, however. He faces Roberto Carlos on Brazil's left flank, and will be asked to curtail the Brazilian's attacking tendencies which flowered once more against Chile. That and Michael Laudrup's tussle with Cafu will be the keys to Danish hopes of success.

In midfield the Danes will allow the Brazilians to play a bit, but their defence casts itself like a drift net and against Nigeria it was almost tragic to watch the ease with which they read the intentions of the Africans. Up front in that game Moller faded after a start which brought him a goal on three minutes. Sand, who played the last half hour and scored a fine goal, may be included today.

If the Danes have metamorphosed into worthy challengers, then the Brazilians can claim to be growing into their history. They made light work of an exciting Chilean team, even if the scoreline flattered them somewhat. The worries today will surround a defence with only one clean sheet in four games and a goalkeeper, Taffarel, who looks comprehensively ordinary.

An early goal for Denmark would set us up for a classic, but regardless one suspects that the bigger football franchises are going to dominate the closing stages of this World Cup. The Danes to depart with credit.

Probable Teams

Brazil: Taffarel; Cafu*, Aldair, Baiano, Carlos, Sampaio, Dunga (capt), Rivaldo, Leonardo*, Ronaldo, Bebeto.

Denmark: Schmeichel; Rieper*, Hogh, Heintze, Colding, Jorgensen, Helveg, Nielsen, M Laudrup (capt), Laudrup, Moller.

* = on yellow card.