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Spain trails in fifth place in Group F with three points from three games and its chances of qualifying for the competition in Austria and Switzerland will dwindle if it fails to overcome the second-place Danes at Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Coach Luis Aragones has stressed the role the team's supporters can play both against Denmark and on Wednesday against Iceland in Majorca.

"People need to realize that we're going through a difficult situation and we have to get two wins. It's an important challenge for all of us," Aragones said.

Denmark has gained seven points from three qualifiers, and has yet to concede a goal.

However, Saturday's match represents its first real test as it has only played Iceland, Northern Ireland and Liechtenstein so far. "Spain is favorite for the match in my opinion but anything can happen in soccer. We're ready to play a good match, employing all our strengths. There'll be a great atmosphere and that will motivate us," coach Morten Olsen said.

Denmark striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, who is on loan with Spain's Villarreal until June, envisages a tough game.

"Spain is playing in a great stadium, the Bernabeu. It will be full and there'll be a lot of pressure," Tomasson told sports daily As.

Tomasson sees the biggest threat as Spain's Andres Iniesta, describing him as "one of the best midfielders in the world." "He has amazed me this year in Spain. It's as if he has a thousand eyes, he sees everything which is happening on the field. He's a danger for us," Tomasson said.

Iniesta, the scorer of the winner in a friendly at England last month, said Spain has still has time to improve its situation. "We have to continue in these two games from where we left off in England. Everyone, together with the supporters are fighting for the same thing," Iniesta said.

Aragones has kept faith with most of the squad which beat England 1-0 at Old Trafford.

However, Deportivo La Coruna striker Javier Arizmendi and injured central defender Pablo Ibanez of Atletico Madrid have been replaced by two central defenders, Valencia's Carlos Marchena and Real Betis' Juanito Gutierrez.

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos and FC Barcelona captain Carles Puyol will miss Saturday's game through suspension. "They're two important players who have been present in all our games and who have performed really well but in England another two came in (Celta Vigo's Angel Lopez and Sevilla's Javi Navarro) who replaced them perfectly well," Aragones said.

Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez, the national team's all-time leading scorer with 44 goals from 102 appearances, has again been omitted.

Denmark will lack four injured players _ Schalke's Soren Larsen and Peter Lovenkrands, Aston Villa's Martin Laursen and Odense's Thomas Helveg, and has called up defender Leon Andreasen, forward Simon Busk Poulsen.

History favors Spain, which has won nine of its previous 14 meetings with Denmark.