Game scene: In the fifth minute, Thomas Delaney enjoyed extraordinary freedom. Left alone, the Danish midfielder climbed to a header after a corner kick in the European Championship quarter-finals and easily put the ball into the left corner from eight metres. A double inconvenience for the Czechs: According to TV images, the angle may not have been, and the protests had no consequences, because the video referee is not allowed to interfere with the corner’s decisions.
The result: Denmark qualified for the semi-finals of a European Championship for the third time after 1984 and 1992 with a score of 2-1 (2-0) against the Czech Republic. Click here for the match report.
first half: After Delaney’s early goals squandered defensively strong Czechs, a lively game developed with scoring opportunities from both sides. Tomas Holech missed the best chance to equalize (22nd minute), as the Danish Mikel Damsgaard failed twice (13 and 38) before Kasper Dolberg managed to make a sharp cross from a few meters above the line (42). 2-0 to the Danes at the break.
the other half: 0:2 in the first half, maybe only 45 minutes of EM in front of your chest – you can easily attack. No more has been said than deed, from a Czech perspective. First, the substitute Michael Kremencik failed against the Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (46), then Patrik Shaik scored the next goal (49). The Czech Republic is now on the trigger, Denmark wiggles. However, there was not much parity of opportunity, in the final stage the Danes gave up a possible 3:1, with Yosef Poulsen (78) and Joachim Mahle (82) failing to Tomas Vaklic.
Someone should get out: The three Danish defenders faced attack after attack at the start of the second half. Coach Kasper Hjolmand put sand in the opponent’s offensive gear with a procedure he had already tried in the tournament. He pushed one of the three from the last row repeatedly to sixth in order to break the attack effort forward by 20-30 metres.
Some have to give something: After discussions about the colors of the rainbow at the European Football Championship, UEFA confirmed that flags are not prohibited in stadiums. At the quarter-finals in Baku, photos from the stands now make a different impression. In several photos, you can see how there was a heated discussion between two files with Danish fans. They brought the rainbow color with them to the Olympic Stadium and showed it, after discussions it could no longer be seen. Read the letter here.
Almost done, now the semi-finals: Two games and two losses. After the failures against Finland and Belgium, including the drama about their star Christian Eriksen, the tournament looked close to being over for Denmark. But they made their way to the round of 16 successfully, something no European team has achieved in the finals of the European Championship. Two more wins later are now in the semi-finals.
Against the series: The Danes have played against Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic 25 times in their history. There were only two victories, followed by the third in Baku. The memory of the last Danish European Championship quarter-final was drenched in a somewhat more friendly light: in 2004 they lost 3-0 to the Czech Republic in the final quarter-finals.
Very chic: With his fifth goal in the tournament, Schick from Leverkusen not only equaled former leader Cristiano Ronaldo, but also Milan Baros’ record in the European Championship. To date, he was the only Czech to reach the top scorers list five times. The sixth hit hit the Danes’ thighs and Cheeks: the 25-year-old left the field in the 79th minute.
So it continues: Denmark is the third team to reach the semi-finals of the European Championship after Italy and Spain. Next Wednesday, the winning team will face the England-Ukraine match. The semi-finals kick off at Wembley at 9pm (Live Tape: SPIEGEL.de).