Denmark and England played 1:1 in the Group C derby, a clash of teams drawn from the first two hats.
There are no unsatisfied people, and to everyone's surprise, even to the astonishment of neutral fans, even English fans, Albion is not dissatisfied either.
Gareth Southgate's players were "stealing" time at the end of the duel in Frankfurt, holding the ball, waiting for the minutes to expire. They settled for a draw, while the Danes looked to get the ball as quickly as possible in their rush to the English goal.
- We are at the top of the group, let's take positive things from this match. I can't say this was a fantastic performance, we know we can do better. We have one more game - said Kyle Walker, English defender.
His team has four points, is at the top of the group, if they beat Slovenia in the last round they will win first place. Denmark has two points after the second draw, maybe the third (against Serbia) would take them to the round of 16, and victory is a guarantee.
However, the result is not so much a problem for Albion as the game, the attitude, the approach, which irresistibly reminded of the opening match with Serbia after an early goal.
Southgate's team did not convince anyone that it is the first favorite to win the European Championship, as estimated by computers, statistical companies and bookmakers before the start of the tournament.
- We hear, we read, and even without that we know that people are disappointed with our performances. At the moment we are not putting pressure on the opponent with the intensity we need, and that means we have to sit down, analyze these two matches more deeply and see where and how we can improve - said Southgate.
Unlike the first match with Serbia, which, somewhat unexpectedly, satisfied even the critical media and analysts, many in England took off their masks after the issue with the Danes.
- I will be as mild as I can: This England has to do much better - said the legendary Albion striker Alan Shearer.
England took the lead in the 18th minute, when Walker broke through on the right, and Harry Kane scored.
The leading goal seemed to be a command for the English footballers to pull back and start keeping time, with a large number of passes going towards the back. The Danes immediately applied pressure, and equalized in the 34th minute - Morten Hjulmand made a fantastic shot off the post from almost 30 meters.
- Maybe I'm not even aware of everything yet - scoring a goal for England, in a big competition, is like a dream come true for me. Thanks to the fans, they were great, dominant in the stands - said Hjulmand, midfielder of Sporting from Lisbon.
Denmark was more dangerous until the end of the first half, the English revived a little only at the beginning of the second half (footpost by Foden), and then again - "pulled the trigger". The Danes believed in victory until the end.
Pierre-Emil Hejbjerg, Tottenham's midfielder, almost checked Pickford in the finish, and he was awarded the man of the match award.
- I would trade it (the prize) for victory. We played well, we played smart. We have to keep going like this. Next time we will win - Hejbjerg pointed out.
All four teams from Group D can make it to the round of 16. The English have practically already passed, not mathematically, they will do it with at least a point against Slovenia, and Serbia at the back is the only one that has to win to pass.
How to get Denmark like this?
Bonus video:
