5 memorable matches between England and Denmark ahead of their Euro 2024 clash
Gareth Southgate’s side beat Denmark to reach the final at the last European Championship.
![Harry Kane celebrates after England’s Euro 2020 win over Denmark (Nick Potts/PA)](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/06/19/09/0d47f335cf7933f223a5b11df6330be1Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzE4Nzk1NzEy-2.60807939.jpg)
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Louise Thomas
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England face Denmark on Thursday in their second Group C game at Euro 2024.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the most memorable contests between the two sides.
England 5 Denmark 2 (World Cup qualifier, December 1956)
Tommy Taylor set the ball rolling in just the second minute of what proved a high-scoring game, before netting his second in the 22nd minute.
Ove Bech Nielsen got the Danes back into the game with a goal in the 27th minute but Taylor completed his hat-trick early in the second half to give England more breathing space.
Nielsen replied by scoring his second goal of the game before Duncan Edwards restored England’s two-goal advantage almost instantly and then scored again to take the game out of Denmark’s reach.
Denmark 3 England 4 (Euro 1980 qualifier, September 1978)
England and Denmark delivered a seven-goal thriller in the Euro 1980 qualifying campaign. Kevin Keegan scored twice inside 21 minutes but Denmark were soon level courtesy of an Allan Simonsen penalty and a goal from Frank Arnesen.
England regained their two-goal lead in the second half thanks to Bob Latchford and Phil Neal but just 13 seconds after England’s fourth goal, Per Rontved got one back for Denmark. Despite this, England managed to hold on for the victory.
Denmark 0 England 3 (World Cup 2002 round of 16, June 2002)
England reached the quarter-finals of World Cup 2002 after ultimately beating Denmark in the first half with three goals without reply.
Rio Ferdinand got England up and running after netting inside the first five minutes, then a 22-year-old Michael Owen doubled the lead in the 22nd minute.
Just before half-time, Emile Heskey joined the party with a goal to give Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side a healthy lead going into the second half, which produced no further goals.
Denmark 4 England 1 (friendly, August 2005)
A friendly in the summer of 2005 saw Denmark comfortably beat England in Copenhagen. Denmark scored three goals in eight second-half minutes through Dennis Rommedahl, Jon Dahl Tomasson and Michael Gravgaard.
England managed to get one back in the 87th minute thanks to Wayne Rooney, however this was merely a consolation as in the second minute of added time Soren Larsen scored Denmark’s fourth.
England 2 Denmark 1 (Euro 2020 semi-final, July 2021)
Gareth Southgate’s side kept their Euro 2020 hopes alive by making their way into the final after overcoming a resilient Denmark side.
It was not simple for England as in the 30th minute Mikkel Damsgaard stuck a powerful free-kick into the top-left corner, leaving a flailing Jordan Pickford with no chance and putting the Danes 1-0 up.
Soon after, England were back level after an own goal from a low Bukayo Saka cross was bundled in by an unlucky Simon Kjaer.
England kept pushing but they could not beat Kasper Schmeichel until the 104th minute when Harry Kane followed in his saved penalty and made sure not to miss the rebound, sending England to the final.
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