Chronicle Editor
Denmark beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in a nervy European Championship quarter-final yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since they won the title in 1992.
Denmark opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Thomas Delaney scored with a downward header from a corner kick and the Danes doubled the lead just before half-time when Kasper Dolberg fired home from an inch-perfect cross from Joakim Maehle.
Czech striker Patrik Schick struck four minutes after the restart, guiding a Vladimir Coufal cross into the bottom corner for his fifth goal of the tournament to go level with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the scoring charts.
The Czechs were in the ascendancy in the second half but Denmark held on for the win and a semi-final date at Wembley where Kasper Hjulmand’s side will play either Ukraine or England — who play later yesterday in the last-quarter-final in Rome. Denmark will feature in the semi-final of a major competition (World Cup/EUROs) for a fourth time, with each occasion coming at the European Championships (also 1964, 1984, 1992). Indeed, their 29-year gap between European Championship semi-finals (1992 to 2021) is the longest ever by a single nation in the competition, surpassing England’s 28-year wait from 1968 to 1996. — Supersport.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter