EURO 2020

EURO 2020 Half-time: England 1-1 Denmark

It’s perfectly poised. England started vibrantly but Denmark withstood that and then began to show their strength and savviness, and England suddenly began to look a little flimsy. Damsgaard opened the scoring with a fine freekick, for which Pickford looked sluggish.

The Danes then bungled a counter-attack from which they should have made it 2-0. And then England re-asserted themselves; Schmeichel thwarted Sterling before Kane, Saka and Sterling combined to force Kjaer to slide the ball into his own goal.

The answer to that important question that was posed a moment ago – how would England react to falling behind for the first time in the tournament? – has been quite encouraging for Southgate’s team. After shaking for a bit – and nearly conceding a second -, they’ve got a whirr to their play again.

The goal came from a mini-storm from England. Denmark had just survived a major scare thanks to Schmeichel’s save, but then Kane picked up the ball about 30 yards out and slipped a canny pass through to Saka, who fizzed the ball across the face of goal. Sterling and Kjaer both tried to get a decisive touch … Kjaer actually got to it first but not in the way he would have wanted, diverting it into his own goal from three yards under pressure from the Englander.

Kane’s cross from the left is cut out … and suddenly Denmark are hurtling forward on the counter. They outnumber England! But Stryger overhits a clip to the back post, reprieving the hosts, who are looking alarmingly ragged.

Kane’s cross from the left is cut out … and suddenly Denmark are hurtling forward on the counter. They outnumber England! But Stryger overhits a clip to the back post, reprieving the hosts, who are looking alarmingly ragged.

An interesting first 45 minutes, now waiting for the thrilling second half.