Football EM 2021: Belgium beats Denmark and is in the round of 16

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Kevin De Bruyne turned the game around

Photo: Wolfgang Rattay / POOL / EPA

Belgium qualified ahead of schedule for the round of 16 of the European Football Championship.

Kevin de Bruyne's team won 2-1 (0-1) against Denmark in Copenhagen.

Yussuf Poulsen gave the Danes the lead (2nd minute), Thorgan Hazard (55th) and de Bruyne (71th) turned the game around in the second half.

With the victory, Belgium has six points and is therefore safely in the round of the best 16 teams.

On the last day of the match Finland, Russia (3 points) and the pointless Danes still have a chance to advance.

Around the game, players and fans showed several actions for Denmark's playmaker Christian Eriksen, who collapsed in the opening game and was resuscitated due to cardiac arrest.

Captain Simon Kjær had said: "We will play for Christian and, as always, for the whole of Denmark." For example, a large Denmark shirt with Eriksen's shirt number 10 was spread out on the lawn and the fans in the stadium sang "You'll never walk alone" .

Eriksen is in the hospital and watched the game from there.

The Danes immediately took up the euphoria from the stands and put the Belgian build-up game under pressure.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg took the ball, passed Yussuf Poulsen and it hit the Belgian goal after just 99 seconds (2nd).

After ten minutes - based on Eriksen's shirt number - both teams stopped the game briefly and applauded Eriksen together with the numerous fans in the stands.

De Bruyne comes after the break

The interruption did not disturb the flow in the Danish game - on the contrary.

The hosts played like crazy and came to several promising deals.

The favored Belgians had nothing to oppose this, they rarely combined themselves into the Danish penalty area.

That changed after the break with the substitution of playmaker Kevin de Bruyne.

After a quick attack, Lukaku and de Bruyne combined the ball into the center and Hazard pushed in to equalize (55th).

After that Belgium was on the up, now Denmark withdrew more and more often.

And de Bryune attracted the game: With a low shot from 16 meters, the Manchester City director scored 2-1.

After the goal, de Bruyne wanted to cheer briefly, but then stopped.

Belgium dominated the second half, but Denmark pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages.

Martin Braithwaite hit the crossbar with a header (87th).

ptz