Borussia Dortmund internationals: Thomas Delaney and Denmark beaten by Finland

Denmark suffered a 1-0 defeat to Finland in their Euro 2020 opener in a game that was overshadowed by Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch.

It was one of those games where the result on the pitch did not really matter. The game had to be suspended shortly before half-time after Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch. The Inter Milan midfielder received CPR on the pitch and was then carried off on a stretcher as both sets of supporters chanted his name. It has now been confirmed that Eriksen is stable and conscious, and is undergoing further examinations at Rigshospitalet.

The players returned to the pitch for the resumption of the game just two hours later after being informed that Eriksen was awake in hospital.

The second half was largely a trivial affair as the Denmark players were visibly distracted by the events of the first half. Still, they carried on and fought for their teammate and their country. They dominated possession and created a number of openings, but weren’t able to beat Lukáš Hrádecký in goal.

Finland, who were making their first ever appearance in a major tournament, showed great resilience as they managed to keep Denmark at bay. They showed little desire to venture forward. And one shot is all they needed to claim the historic win. It was Joel Pohjanpalo who scored the winner, heading home Jere Urenon’s cross from the left wing.

Denmark had a golden chance to equalise when they were awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute. But Hrádecký kept out Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s spot-kick to help his side earn the win.

Denmark will be back in action on Thursday as they go up against Group B leaders Belgium, who enjoyed a 3-0 win over Russia on Saturday.