BAKU, July 3: Denmark’s journey at the European Championship is headed to London.
The Danes, who have developed into a surprise contender after their tournament began with midfielder Christian Eriksen suffering cardiac arrest on the field, advanced to the Euro 2020 semifinals on Saturday by beating the Czech Republic 2-1.
They didn’t need long to take control against the Czechs on a hot and humid night in Azerbaijan.
Jens Stryger sent an outswinging corner in the fifth minute to Thomas Delaney, standing in space by the penalty spot.
Delaney’s bouncing header went in past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík.
Denmark doubled the lead just before halftime. Joakim Maehle hit a cross from the left using the outside of his right foot.
The ball eluded Martin Braithwaite’s attempt at a header but Kasper Dolberg got past his marker and beat Vaclík in the 42nd.
Czech Republic forward Patrik Schick scored his fifth goal at the beginning of the second half, putting him even with Cristiano Ronaldo as the tournament’s leading scorers. Schick was given plenty of space by defender Jannik Vestergaard to hit a first-touch shot off Vladimir Coufal’s curled pass.
The Czechs pushed hard to level the score in a physical game which finished with Tomas Soucek and Jan Boril both with their heads wrapped in bandages after collisions with Danish players.
Denmark lost its first two games at Euro 2020 and was on the verge of elimination before beating Russia, Wales and the Czechs in succession. This is farthest Denmark has gotten at a major tournament since winning the European title in 1992.
It is nearly three decades since Denmark shocked the continent with their victory at Euro ‘92, taking advantage of a late call-up to the finals to produce their country’s greatest sporting moment.
They are currently in the process of writing yet another fairytale in the competition.
Their campaign was only 41 minutes old when Eriksen collapsed before receiving CPR on the pitch as his visibly-distressed team-mates surrounded him and fans around the world watched in shock.
Now those players are just 90 minutes from the final after another brilliant team display that stands as a testament not only to their ability and tactical intelligence but the renewed bond between them, forged in adversity.
They were brilliant in the first half, compact and composed at the back and ruthless and rapid on the counter-attack. They fully deserved their two-goal lead and could have had more, with Delaney wasting the best of their other chances by fluffing an effort wide with his knee.
A much-improved Czech side knocked them out of their comfort zone after the break, but in goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and defensive trio Andreas Christensen, Simon Kjaer and Jannick Versergaard, Denmark found the stubbornness and leadership they needed to see the game out.
It is the Danes’ first victory over the Czechs at a Euros finals and gives them some revenge for the quarter-final loss in 2004. (Agencies)
