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1: 2 against Belgium: Denmark are defeated in the Eriksen game

AEven a lot of heart and passion did not save Denmark in the first European Championship game after the dramatic collapse of top star Christian Eriksen from the second defeat at the European Football Championship. Supported by 25,000 loud spectators in Copenhagen, the co-host lost 1: 2 (1: 0) on Thursday despite an early lead and a passionate performance against third place in the World Cup (1: 0) and is facing the premature end of the European Championship. The 1992 European champion with no points is now even bottom of the group behind Belgium (6), Russia (3) and Finland (3).

Decisive for the course of the game was the comeback of the Belgian top star Kevin de Bruyne from Manchester City, who was substituted on just two and a half weeks after his eye socket and nose bone fracture in the Champions League final at the beginning of the second half. The 29-year-old prepared the equalizer by Dortmund’s Thorgan Hazard (55th minute) and then scored the winning goal himself (71st). Yussuf Poulsen (2nd) from German runner-up RB Leipzig gave the hosts an early lead and even increased the goose bumps atmosphere in the Parken Stadium.

For the Danes it was the expected emotional evening when they returned to the place of their drama. In the stadium where the 29-year-old Eriksen collapsed and was revived on the pitch in the opening game against Finland (0-1) last Saturday, his teammates were cheered as they warmed up this time. Everyone contributed to this overall experience in Eriksen’s honor. Numerous fans came to the stadium with his name and shirt number 10 on their jerseys.

On the stands were posters like “Hele Danmerk er med dig, Christian” (All of Denmark is with you, Christian). Before the national anthems, the stadium control played the football anthem “You’ll never walk alone”, which is usually played as a symbol of solidarity at Liverpool FC. After ten minutes of play, referee Björn Kuipers from the Netherlands even interrupted the game so that all spectators and players could applaud again loudly for Eriksen. Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand had warned the day before that this huge wave of support could overwhelm his players.


All are Christian!
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Image: dpa

But what actually happened was what captain Simon Kjaer had anticipated in his greeting to the fans in the afternoon: “We will enter the place with Christian in our hearts,” wrote the AC Milan defense chief. The fact that Eriksen is doing better is “the greatest motivation for all of us”. This released so much energy in the Danes that they literally attacked the Belgians with sporting means and passionately threw themselves into every ball and every duel.

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