Post-Match facts (credit – full match page at www.uefa.com, link opens in a new tab)
England fall short of their EURO 2020 semi-final win over Denmark with a one-all draw at the Frankfurt Arena.
Back in 2021, when the ‘2020’ Euro was actually played, England needed extra time to clinch that semi-final having finished full-time at 1-1 too. As the group stage allows a draw there was no extra 30 minutes today for Harry Kane to knock a winner in like he did back then. That’s something Harry must have known which is why he opened the scoring today after 18 minutes to give England a 1-0 lead and supporters a warm feeling the next 16 minutes until Denmark equalised in the 34th.
Previous meetings
Matches 22
Denmark wins 4
England wins 13
Draws 5
Denmark goals 21
England goals 38
England triumphed 2-1 after extra time in the EURO 2020 semi-final at Wembley on 7 July 2021, Harry Kane scoring the decisive goal in the 104th minute on the rebound after his penalty had been saved by Kasper Schmeichel. Mikkel Damsgaard’s 30th-minute free-kick had given Kasper Hjulmand’s side the lead but an own goal from Denmark captain Simon Kjær nine minutes later levelled for Gareth Southgate’s England.
Denmark have won only four of their 22 official games against England compared to 13 English victories – although the Danes were victorious in the fixture before that 2021 semi-final. Christian Eriksen’s 35th-minute penalty earned a 1-0 success at Wembley in the UEFA Nations League on 14 October 2020, a game in which England’s Harry Maguire was sent off just prior to the goal and Reece James after the final whistle. Eriksen and Kjær both won their 100th caps for Denmark in the match.
The reverse fixture, at Parken in Copenhagen on 8 September 2020, had finished scoreless. That was Hjulmand’s second game as Denmark coach, in which Christian Nørgaard made his international debut for the home side and Jack Grealish won his first cap for England.
That October victory was Denmark’s third away to England and their second at Wembley, Allan Simonsen’s penalty having secured a 1-0 win there in September 1983, a result that proved instrumental in the Danes reaching the 1984 UEFA European Championship at England’s expense.
Denmark were also 3-2 winners in an Old Trafford friendly in November 2003.
The sides were also paired together in the 1980 European Championship qualifying competition, England winning 4-3 in Copenhagen and 1-0 at Wembley on their way to the final tournament in Italy.
The sides’ only other EURO finals meeting came in 1992, a goalless draw in Malmö on Matchday 1. While England bowed out after failing to win a game (D2 L1), Denmark finished second in Group 1 behind hosts Sweden, then beat holders the Netherlands 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the semi-final before defeating world champions Germany 2-0 in the final to claim what remains their only major honour.
England triumphed in the only game between the sides at a FIFA World Cup, first-half goals from Rio Ferdinand (5), Michael Owen (22) and Emile Heskey (44) sealing a 3-0 victory in the 2002 round of 16 in Niigata. Current head coach Southgate was an unused substitute.
EURO facts
Denmark
Denmark are making their tenth EURO appearance, and a second in succession. They have missed only two of the last 11 tournaments, a run stretching back to 1984.
Hjulmand’s experienced squad reached the last four at EURO 2020, their best showing at any finals since they famously won the competition in 1992.
Denmark progressed from Group B at EURO 2020 despite losing their first two fixtures, against Finland (0-1) and Belgium (1-2). A 4-1 win against Russia on Matchday 3 took them through as section runners-up behind the Belgians and they went on to beat Wales 4-0 and Czechia 2-1 before losing 2-1 after extra time to England in the semi-finals.
The Danes reached EURO 2024 as Group H winners, finishing level with runners-up Slovenia on 22 points (W7 D1 L2). Surprisingly beaten 3-2 in Kazakhstan early on, they won six of their next seven qualifiers, booking their place with a 2-1 home win against Slovenia in their penultimate fixture.
This is Denmark’s first game at the Frankfurt Arena.
England
The Three Lions are making their 11th appearance at the final tournament and a ninth in the last ten editions of the competition, missing out only in 2008.
EURO 2020 proved to be England’s most successful EURO campaign as they finished first in Group D ahead of Croatia, Czechia and Scotland before knockout wins against Germany (2-0), Ukraine (4-0) and Denmark (2-1 aet) took them into the final for the first time.
Luke Shaw’s second-minute goal gave them the lead against Italy at Wembley, but after the Azzurri levelled Southgate’s side ultimately lost 3-2 on penalties.
In charge since 2016, Southgate oversaw an unbeaten qualifying campaign for EURO 2024, his side winning six of their eight games, scoring 22 goals and conceding only four, to finish six points clear at the top of Group C. England reached a fourth successive EURO with two matches to spare thanks to a 3-1 home win against Italy on 17 October.
England have twice played at the Frankfurt Arena, both in tournaments in Germany. They were beaten 3-1 by the Soviet Union on Matchday 3 of the 1988 European Championship to bow out of the competition, but beat Paraguay 1-0 there in the 2006 World Cup group stage.