Substitute Kevin de Bruyne set up a goal and made himself the winner to give Belgium a 2-1 win over Denmark in a European Championship game marked by an emotional tribute to Christian Eriksen in the first half. De Bruyne came in after the break to play for the first time after he suffered a face injury in the Champions League final and squared the ball for Thorgan Hazard in the 55th minute. He then scored at 71 with a low shot from outside the box.
It was Denmark’s first game since the fall of footballer Eriksen, and the hosts started at a furious pace at the poor Parken Stadium. Yussuf Poulsen hit a 30m free-kick home in 27 minutes in the match.
Players from both teams called off the game after 10 minutes, while 25,000 fans cheered for a minute in tribute to Eriksen, who wears the shirt number 10 for the Denmark national team. The players joined into applause, as did referee Björn Kuipers. Eriksen is in a nearby hospital after suffering a heart attack in the team’s first match against Finland.
With this win, Belgium has got a place in the 16th round. If Belgium beat Finland, Denmark could go ahead with a win over Russia on Monday. Brought in by the biggest crowds in Denmark since the government eased pandemic restrictions, the hosts continued to push the wave after the initial target.
After paying tribute to Eriksen, the game resumed at a more normal pace, but Denmark still had better chances in the first half. Things changed completely when De Bruyne arrived after the break.
Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmund said the team’s strategy to keep Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku calm was to make sure he didn’t get the ball in the first place. And Denmark was largely successful until 55 minutes when Lukaku advanced on the right bank before turning into De Bruyne. The Manchester City midfielder sidelined a defender inside the field before throwing Hazard, who shot him at Kasper Schmeichel.
Thorgan’s brother, Eden Hazard, then came and set up De Bruyne for the second goal. De Bruyne ran to the Belgian fans but did not celebrate the goal, pushing his hands down in a quiet move in honor of Eriksen. Martin Braithwaite had Denmark’s best chance to equalize, but his shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois in 75, and his header threw the crossbar in 87.
