The question is, did God demand the sacrifice of the Cross, not whether it was given.
Remember the Arc of the Covenent. Wouldn't the form of the Mercy Seat with a Cherub representing His Perfect Righteousness facing the other Cherub representing His Perfect Justice, always demand the propitiation offering in His Perfect Holiness? Whenever faced with Injustice, His Perfect Justice demands Perfect Righteousness and whenever faced with unrighteousness, His Perect Righteousness demanded Perfect Justice. Hence in the Garden at Adam's fall, the separation of man's perfect spirit from fellowship with Him demanded a perfect spirit be returned to Him.
When our Lord and Savior delivered His spirit to the Father, Jesus Christ suffered a spiritual death. He then sacrificed His soul by remaining faithful to the Father, while just hours before, all sin of mankind was imputed upon him.
An interesting aspect might be to resolve which Person of the Godhead removed the soul of Christ Jesus from His body.
But awhile back, you didn't even think God wanted a sacrifice, let alone demanded one when you said "No, God definitely does not want a sacrifice."
Not only did God want a sacrifice, His "perfect righteousness demanded perfect justice," as Cvengr just wrote, and thus God ordained the cross and all its gracious aftermath.
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." -- Hebrews 12:2