Denmark holds drab England to draw as Southgate faces critics
England and Denmark played out to a 1-1 draw on Thursday in perhaps the most anticipated matchup in Group C of Euro 2024. The Three Lions entered the competition as one of the favorites to lift the trophy next month. They could have booked an early place in the knockout rounds with a victory on the day. Nevertheless, Gareth Southgate’s team may now have to find a positive result in their last group fixture to advance on.
England entered the matchup seemingly in control of their group. The Three Lions were the only team of the quartet to win a match at Euros going into their fixture with Denmark. Slovenia drew both of their first two games of the competition and found themselves a point behind England before kickoff.
Hjulmand screamer cancels out early Harry Kane goal
The Three Lions took a lead in the 18th minute of the match after enjoying a fair share of the possession in the early stages. Star striker Harry Kane found the back of the net after solid work on the flank by Kyle Walker. The defender raced down the right side of the pitch and sent a dangerous low cross into the middle of the box. The ball ricocheted off of several players, including Bukayo Saka, and found its way to the striker.
Kane then hit a shot into the bottom corner of the net just a few yards away from goal. It was the Bayern Munich forward’s first goal of the tournament, but 64th total strike for his country. The goal, however, seemed to galvanize Denmark. England, despite holding the lead, appeared out of sorts for the remaining portion of the half.
As Denmark continued to look dangerous, the underdogs finally found the back of the net in the 34th minute. While Kane netted a score for his team, he then also helped create a goal for the Danes. The striker initially played a stray pass straight to his opponents. The ball fell right to Victor Kristiansen, who then picked out an open Morten Hjulmand inside England’s half.
Although the midfielder looked more likely to pass to another teammate, he instead took a shot from distance. The decision paid off as the shot arrowed off of the post and into the goal to level the scoreline. English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford seemingly had plenty of time to react to the shot. However, his view was obstructed by several players inside the box. The impressive strike will go down as one of the top goals of the entire Euro 2024 group stage.
Danes had better scoring chances in the second half
The halftime break appeared the settle the Three Lions a little bit. Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Saka both took chances at goal early in the second half. Manchester City star Phil Foden then struck the post in the 56th minute with a dangerous shot from distance.
Denmark, however, also had a few solid chances in the first portion of the second half as well. Perhaps their best scoring opportunity during this timeframe came from substitute Mikkel Damsgaard. The playmaker sent a shot on the half-volley towards Pickford in the 68th minute. The keeper was able to get his hands on the ball to make the stop though.
While Denmark looked more likely to score a late winner, the match ended all square. England’s failure to win the game will not go down well inside the nation. The tournament co-favorites alongside France have looked disjointed for much of their first two matches. Manager Gareth Southgate could also receive heat for replacing his entire front three with 20 minutes left in Thursday’s match.
England is next set to face Slovenia in their final Group C matchup. Denmark, on the other hand, will round out their group stage by playing Serbia. The two matches are scheduled to be played at the same time on Tuesday, June 25.
PHOTOS: IMAGO