Denmark through to the next round after Russia thrashing

36 years ago, Denmark won a legendary international match over the Soviet Union 4-2 in Copenhagen, and for the showdown to the Euro 2020, there was potential for another memorable match. It was this showdown too…

Russia started up very defensively and the Danish players were fooled into making piles of smaller free kicks on the time-consuming Eastern Europeans. Many in the crowd felt the referee was being too lenient when he only showed Mikkel Damgaard from Matvey Safonov a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 38 minutes into the game. Unique goal and unique achievement by the mere 20-year-old kid who looks like a boy in his prime age of confirmation.

Thus, Denmark went to the break ahead with 1-0, while in the second pool match was goalless after the first 45 minutes. Kasper Hjulmand's troops hoped that Belgium could beat Finland. Had Hjulmand hoped for a little help, it first came from the Russian defense, who totally played Yussuf Poulsen almost comically free - and he could easily score to 2-0.

The help was not over, but it came to the Russian team. For the French referee Clement Turpin chose something surprising to give a penalty kick to Russia, which Artem Dzyuba scored on. BUT luckily it did not matter, because first Belgium scored and then Andreas "AC" Christensen made a hard long-range goal to 3-1. And it also became 4-1 when Østervrå boy Joakim Mæhle scored to 4-1 after a counterattack.

Then Lukaku scored to make it 2-0 for Belgium, so the Danish European Championship adventure continues and it sends thoughts back to July 5, 1985, where it ended 4-2… and not 4-1.