Incredible Danish team!
Beaten in her first two matches, devastated by the dramatic heart disease suffered by Christian Eriksen, her best player, she nevertheless managed to qualify for the round of 16 of the Euro by sweeping Russia (4-1) Monday in Copenhagen.
The 25,000 Danish supporters present at the Parken Stadium did not rejoice four times, but six times! On each of the goals of their team, with admirable courage, but also on those of Belgium, whose victory against Finland in Saint Petersburg (2-0), cleared the road to the 8th final for the Danes. They will face Wales there on Saturday in Amsterdam and the mad adventure could therefore continue a little longer, until a quarter-final which would have seemed totally fanciful ten days ago, when Eriksen collapsed on the same lawn of the Parken against Finland.
On Monday, Denmark was still slow to find the madness that took Russia, swept and finally 4th and eliminated.
From the kickoff, the Danes however settled high.
But to this positioning, they added no rhythm and were therefore harmless for a long time, far from their thunderous first period against Belgium.
Then qualified, the Russians quietly controlled the situation and even allowed themselves some initiatives, like the Monegasque Golovin who opened the opposing defense with superb ball handling but shot Schmeichel (18th).
Two minutes later, Dziouba struck in a pivot, then Golovin tried his luck again (34th) and the premises were then in a bad position.
Christensen missile
The case seemed all the more complicated for the Danes as their captain Kjaer was really pulling his leg and looked like he was about to ask out. But there is a bit of talent in the Danish team, not just in Eriksen's feet, and young Mikkel Damsgaard (20) has entered the scene. The Sampdoria Genoa winger received a ball 25m from Russian goals, opened a shooting window from a right-oriented control and sent a floating strike in the top corner of Safonov, motionless and beaten (1- 0, 38e).
Magnificent, this goal completely reshuffled the cards in the very undecided Group B. In the 60th minute, Poulsen then took advantage of a horrible back pass from Zobnine, a real assist to the opponent, to double the bet and the game has gone mad.
A Belgian first goal gave the Danes and their fans the illusion of a qualification.
But the illusion only, because it was canceled for offside!
In the process, Russia reduced the mark on a penalty from Dziouba (2-1, 70th) and the Parken again held their breath.
A qualification for Eriksen
He then exploded, totally released by two new superb goals from his team, a missile from Christensen (3-1, 79th) and a nice shot from Maehle (82nd). In St. Petersburg, Belgium did their part to beat Finland 2-0 and the impossible was done. Denmark's Euro completely changed in the 40th minute of the first game, when Eriksen fell. But nine days later it's still not over and the incredible Danes are still racing.
