Two flashes of Belgium prevent the victory of a worthy Denmark. Kevin de Bruyne paid tribute to himself and overshadowed the great game played by the Danes, who tried to the end. He started on the bench, returning from an injury suffered in the Champions League final, and his team noticed his absence during the first half. But his entry after the break turned the game around, assisting in the draw and making the comeback.
Poulsen put the Nordics ahead in the first minute of play and they were able to widen the gap, but Courtois avoided it. At the resumption, Thorgan Hazard tied, after a great action by the City player, who made the comeback pass from the other Hazard, guiding Roberto MartÃnez’s men to the round of 16 of Euro 2020 .
Emotional match that was played in Copenhagen. After the scare last Saturday, football returned to normal in Denmark. The stands were regaining their breath and color to push their team to victory with a very special dedication. Christian Eriksen was, six days after suffering a cardiac arrest, the main protagonist. In the run-up to the match, there was a Belgium shirt with the Danish number 10 signed by all the members of the team led by Roberto MartÃnez.
A great detail that would add to the ovation that the entire Parken Stadium gave him in the 10th minute. Bjorn Kuipers stopped the game for 60 seconds and the two teams joined in the exciting tribute to the Inter Milan player. By then, Denmark was already winning. There was no better tribute to the midfielder than a victory for it, the Nordics came from the first minute.
The Belgians left without their most decisive footballer, Kevin de Bruyne , and without the one who was, Eden Hazard . The one from City was not one hundred percent, while the madridista has lost his place to Carrasco’s benefit. The fact is that the two started on the bench. Despite this, Roberto MartÃnez’s team was scary, with a giant under the sticks like Courtois, the youngest of the Hazards, Mertens, the aforementioned Atlético player and top scorer Lukaku. For Denmark they played known as the goal of Leicester, Schmeichel, the former Sevillista Kjaer, the Valencian player Wass and the nine of Barça, Martin Braithwaite.
The motivation of the Danes despite not having their star was reflected when a minute and a half had been played. It was how long it took Hojbjerg to intercept a bad pass from Denayer to Tielemans and hit the ball to Poulsen, who beat Courtois. The intensity with which the Danes started caught the Belgians, in which only the Madrid goalkeeper reacted to avoid another two goals. The first, after an action by Maehle, who took advantage of the passivity of the defense to enter the small area and, later, to get a header from Daniel Wass.
Even the thunderous applause to Eriksen failed to wake the Belgians. Denmark prevailed in all the balls and in any part of the field. Starting from Kjaer’s superiority to Lukaku, following Delaney in distribution and ending with superiority on both sides. Wass and Braithwaite hit from the right and, above all, Maehle and Damsgaard hit from the left. The latter had a clear, by taking advantage of a rebound on the front, plotting a slalom with which he dodged two centrals and placed it flat to the opposite post, but he left almost.
The Danish team was looking for and deserved the second before the break, but it did not arrive. After passing through the changing rooms, the Belgian coach moved. Bob Martinez put De Bruyne for Mertens, who barely appeared in the first. They tried to take control from the beginning the red devils – today in white – but the first warning was launched again by Denmark. Delaney, with space ahead, sought the goal, sending it out.
Belgium was playing, which he found his compass in De Bruyne, but the Danes kept beating them in intensity. They were so past revolutions that Vestergaard anticipated a ball from the City player for Lukaku and the draw came. The attacker met meters and took off, leaving it behind again to De Bruyne. After faking twice, he gave it to Schmeichel for the arrival of the youngest of the Hazards, who made it 1-1.
With the score even, Witsel and Eden entered. Already with everything on the grass, they launched themselves for victory, but they continued to suffer behind. Damsgaard kept insisting and there was no one to stop him, but the Belgians needed very little to generate danger and goals. Lukaku caught a ball, touched the face for Tielemans and, after a quick combination between the Hazard brothers, the ball was heeled on the edge for the arrival of De Bruyne , who sent it inside.
The Danes did not lower their arms, they continued looking for Courtois, who left a scare at the last minute, when he complained of a severe shock to the knee. Braithwaite had it twice. First, when he narrowly missed a Cornelius cross that paced parallel to the goal line and, later, sending a header to the wood.
The victory leaves Belgium classified for the round of 16, given that in the worst case they would be second, with six points. They will be measured on the last day to Finland. Denmark will play third place in their match against Russia, which they must win to qualify for the four places reserved for third parties.
