EURO 2020: A look back at Denmark’s journey to the semi-finals

The true spirit of the beautiful game we all love, football -rising from the bottom to reaching the top. The notion has been greatly on show at the EURO 2020, with Denmark having come through the ranks and against all odds have reached the semi-finals of the European Championships ahead of the big hotshots of Europe.

The Scandinavian nation has performed beyond expectations especially after what the whole side had to experience in their first match of the tournament. From having saved the life of team-mate Christian Eriksen, the Danes have fought valiantly- with more energy and vigour to provide a win for their nation and team-mate.

Denmark’s Progress from the Group Stages-

Denmark were placed in Group B of EURO 2020 alongside the likes of Belgium, Russia and Finland. The Danes experienced a shock in their first match of the tournament when they saw their teammate Eriksen suffer a cardiac arrest on the pitch. The match was halted for almost an hour as Eriksen received life-saving CPR on the pitch from his teammates and was later sent to the local hospital.

In a rather poor move from UEFA, the match was restarted from the second but the Danes never really recovered from what they had seen in front of their eyes in the first half. They ultimately fell to a 1-0 defeat against Finland. In their second assignment, they faced the mighty Belgians and lost yet again this time with a 2-1 margin.

An early exit was on the cards for the Danes, and no one would have complained if it had turned out that way, but they displayed immense grit and determination and came back to win the must-win tie against Russia by a thumping 4-1 margin to qualify for the Round of 16 stages of the tournament. They fixed a date with Group-A second-place finishers Wales.

Denmark vs Wales – Round of 16

After an exceptional display of football against Russia, the spirits had returned back to the Danish dressing room and they followed it up with another brilliant display against Wales. They clobbered Gareth Bale’s side to a 4-0 defeat as Kasper Dolberg scored a brace. Braithwaite and Maehle also scored a goal each towards the end of the match to add sheen to the score-line.

The Danes fixed up a clash with the Czech Republic at the Olympic Stadium in Baku after the Czechs shocked the Netherlands in the Round of 16 stages by winning the match convincingly with a margin of 2-0.

Denmark vs Czech Republic – Quarter Finals

The Danes, looking to emulate the batch of 1992 came into the quarter-final match with high spirits. However, they were faced with tough opposition in the Czech Republic who had already knocked out heavyweights Netherlands from the tournament. Denmark found the perfect start to the match as Thomas Delaney scored inside 5 minutes to give them an early lead. The lead was doubled before half-time when Kasper Dolberg, their highest goal-scorer scores his third goal of EURO 2020 just on half-time.

The Czechs returned a goal back after the break but Denmark defended with all of their life to keep the Czechs out for the remainder of the second half to seal a spot into the Top-4 teams of the European Championships.

Denmark will look to replicate their recent successes against England in the semi-finals at Wembley on the 8th of July to continue this fairytale ride. An underdog story is always heralded by one and all, and we hope to see one being created on the 11th of July on the date of the finals.

Denmark’s Journey to the Semi-Finals of EURO 2020

Also Read: EURO 2020: A look back at England’s Journey to the semi-finals

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW