The spotlight is firmly on the upcoming face-off between Denmark and China in the FIFA Women's World Cup Group D starting on Saturday.

The Danish national football team, rejuvenated under coach Lars Sondergaard, is keenly focused on the challenges the Chinese team will bring to the field on their first game.

Sondergaard, having observed a seismic shift in his team's professionalism thanks to their international stints, is optimistic but cautious about the China match.

"The players are more professional now," the Danish news agency Ritzau quoted Sondergaard as saying on Friday.

"The more players who play abroad, the more the quality will also increase, and thus the chances of playing internationally will also improve," he believed.

The coach also admitted that it is difficult to compete against diverse football cultures, such as China in the same group.

"The players have been training more and in the right way. But we understand the strength and complexity of playing against diverse football cultures like China," the coach told Xinhua earlier.

Simone Boye Sorensen, a pivotal player in the Danish defense, expressed both respect and determination for the forthcoming clash.

"I think it's a tough group," she said in the same interview with Xinhua.

"But we see that we have a chance, especially if we can take points from China, who we believe will be our main competition for the second place in the group."

Nicoline Sorensen, a forward with experience from playing for clubs like Everton, offered insight into their preparation.

"We've played against China a couple of times, and they are a really good team. We need to be at our best to face them, but we're up for the challenge and looking forward to it."

As Denmark continues its preparations for the World Cup showdown, it's clear that the match against China will be a defining moment in their campaign.

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, kicked off on July 20 and will run until August 20.

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