Denmark 1-1 England: Hjulmand stunner cancels out Kane strike

Denmark and England played out a tight 1-1 draw in their Group C encounter in Frankfurt, Harry Kane breaking the deadlock before Morten Hjulmand equalised from long range.

Match in brief: Victory eludes both teams

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's shot on target within the very first minute seemed to promise an end-to-end contest, but what soon transpired was an England team controlling possession and scant opportunities for either side. The Three Lions eventually upped the tempo, however, and after a good chance for Phil Foden, Harry Kane buried a diverted cross from close range.

Harry Kane beats Kasper Schmeichel to put England in frontGetty Images

After that, Denmark began cranking up the pressure – and they reaped the benefits. Morten Hjulmand chose the perfect moment to score his first international goal, equalising with an exquisite long-range strike into the bottom corner.

Denmark created the first chance of the second half too, with Jonas Wind's shot being blocked. The Danes enjoyed spells of fluid possession after the restart, dictating the pace of the game, but it was England who went closest to adding to the scoreline, with a Foden shot coming back off a post.

Both coaches made changes in an attempt to eke out victory, and substitute Ollie Watkins – on for Kane – had a chance to find the net swiftly after coming on, only for Kasper Schmeichel to deny him. Andreas Christensen then fired over at the other end, ensuring an absorbing game ended all square.

Vivo Player of the Match: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Denmark)

"He led the way in stats both defensively and offensively. He was also a big influence on his team as a leader, controlling the tempo of the game and reading situations well."
UEFA Technical Observer panel

Sture Sandø, Denmark reporter

Despite falling behind, Denmark fought their way back into the game. Coach Kasper Hjulmand kept up the energy levels with his substitutions, and that made it an even contest until the very end. A 1-1 draw seems like a fair result, and Denmark now face a crucial meeting with Serbia in their last group game to secure a spot in the round of 16.

Joe Terry, England reporter

A much better second half, certainly, but still the same issue for England from the Serbia match, with their positive start undermined by a passive approach that allows opponents back into the game. Nevertheless, Southgate will be pleased that Foden exerted a much greater influence on proceedings, and how his attacking substitutions in the second half brought more verve to the performance.

Reaction

England coach Gareth Southgate shares a word with Harry Kane Getty Images

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Denmark midfielder: "The fans are great. With our fans, it felt like playing at home. England have a lot of good players; they brought in fresh energy in the second half to change the game. We managed to limit the England stars as a team, we prepared well and were organised, and everyone who came on had the right energy. That's the spirit of the team."

Andreas Skov Olsen, Denmark forward: "We played a very good game. We had great energy. I think we were on top of them for most of the game. Generally, we came up with an energy they couldn't match. We won our duels and had the chances to win the game. Everybody did amazing today. It was a little bit needed for us, and we have been looking for this performance for quite a long time. Today, it came with perfect timing."

Gareth Southgate, England coach: "Clearly, that was not as good as we'd have hoped. At the moment, we're not using the ball well enough and there's another level that we need to find. We've got to put pressure on teams better than we have in these two matches. At the moment, we're just not flowing as we'd like."

Harry Kane, England captain: "We can be better with and without the ball; I think the sign of a good team is not being at your best and still getting a result. We're all but qualified and that's the No1 objective. I'm sure there'll be loads of noise and disappointment back home, but it's time to stay calm."

Morten Hjulmand enjoys his stunning strikeGetty Images

Key stats

• England are unbeaten in their last 13 EURO group stage matches (W8 D5), since a 2-1 defeat against France in their opening fixture at EURO 2004.
• England have never started a EURO final tournament with two successive wins.
• England have lost only four of their 23 matches against Denmark (W13 D6 L4).
• Denmark failed to score the opening goal for the first time in their last seven EURO games.
• Denmark have lost only one of their last 14 international matches (W9 D4).
• Hjulmand scored his first goal for Denmark on his ninth international appearance.

Starting line-ups

Denmark: Schmeichel; Andersen, Christensen, Vestergaard; Kristiansen (Bah 57), Hjulmand (Nørgaard 82), Højbjerg, Mæhle; Eriksen (Skov Olsen 82); Højlund (Poulsen 67), Wind (Damsgaard 57)

England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guéhi, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold (Gallagher 54), Rice; Saka (Eze 70), Bellingham, Foden (Bowen 69); Kane (Watkins 69)