Match ends, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 2.
Denmark's impressive and emotional Euro 2020 campaign continued as they marched on to the semi-finals courtesy of a victory over the Czech Republic in Baku.
The Danes have gone from strength to strength in the tournament since the trauma of their opening game, in which midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest.
Having hammered Wales in the last 16, they impressively dealt with a dangerous and physical Czech side in a competitive last-eight tie played in a red-hot temperature in Azerbaijan.
They led from the fifth minute, when Thomas Delaney evaded his marker to head in from a corner.
A continual threat on the break, they made it 2-0 just before half-time, with Kasper Dolberg volleying in a superb cross from Joakim Maehle to add to the two goals he scored against Wales.
Their momentum was checked early in the second half as Patrik Schick coolly volleyed in his fifth goal of the tournament, taking him level with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the Golden Boot.
But Denmark were able to recompose themselves and dig in to ensure the victory and a semi-final at Wembley on Wednesday.
Their opponent will be England after they thrashed Ukraine later in the evening.
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Denmark plot another fairytale
It is nearly three decades since Denmark shocked the continent with their victory at Euro '92, taking advantage of a late call-up to the finals to produce their country's greatest sporting moment.
They are currently in the process of writing yet another fairytale in the competition.
Their campaign was only 41 minutes old when Eriksen collapsed before receiving CPR on the pitch as his visibly-distressed team-mates surrounded him and fans around the world watched in shock.
Now those players are just 90 minutes from the final after another brilliant team display that stands as a testament not only to their ability and tactical intelligence but the renewed bond between them, forged in adversity.
They were brilliant in the first half, compact and composed at the back and ruthless and rapid on the counter-attack. They fully deserved their two-goal lead and could have had more, with Delaney wasting the best of their other chances by fluffing an effort wide with his knee.
A much-improved Czech side knocked them out of their comfort zone after the break, but in goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and defensive trio Andreas Christensen, Simon Kjaer and Jannick Versergaard, Denmark found the stubbornness and leadership they needed to see the game out.
It is the Danes' first victory over the Czechs at a Euros finals and gives them some revenge for the quarter-final loss in 2004, when Milan Baros' two goals helped his country to a comfortable 3-0 win.
Baros ended that tournament with five goals, a tally now matched by Schick, who departs having done his own career no end of good with his displays for his country this summer.
The Danes, though, continue their remarkable journey, with London the next destination.
Credit also to the 1,000 or so Danish fans who travelled the 2,000 miles to Baku, knowing that Covid quarantine rules mean they now cannot attend either the semi-final or final, should their country get there.
'Christian should have been here'
After the game, Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said he felt his squad will have Eriksen in their thoughts as they strive to continue their run at Euro 2020.
"I definitely feel it," he said.
"The whole world of football understood that second, and the days after, the fundamental things in life and in football, the fundamental values of football came through right at that moment.
"There are so many other agendas in football, but we all remembered why we started to play football, what values football is based on and we had a reminder of this.
"I am still thinking of Christian every single day. He should have been here.
"We are happy that he survived. We carry him all the way to this match and all the way to Wembley. I think about him all of the time.
"We all understood maybe that the values of football came through - and maybe we are a symbol of it. I could not be more happy than that.
"The team showed it without being told, 'this is the way you should act'.
"It was just unbelievable to see this team how the reaction was, how much compassion and love they gave each other, but also the Danish population.
"We are just happy and proud we can maybe just remind ourselves why we love football and what football can do in the world."
Player of the match
DolbergKasper Dolberg
Czech Republic
Avg
- Squad number10Player nameSchickAverage rating
7.15
- Squad number5Player nameCoufalAverage rating
6.91
- Squad number15Player nameSoucekAverage rating
6.64
- Squad number6Player nameKalasAverage rating
6.23
- Squad number1Player nameVaclikAverage rating
5.99
- Squad number14Player nameJanktoAverage rating
5.97
- Squad number18Player nameBorilAverage rating
5.92
- Squad number3Player nameCelustkaAverage rating
5.90
- Squad number9Player nameHolesAverage rating
5.89
- Squad number12Player nameMasopustAverage rating
5.88
- Squad number7Player nameBarakAverage rating
5.84
- Squad number13Player nameSevcikAverage rating
5.84
- Squad number11Player nameKrmencikAverage rating
5.72
- Squad number4Player nameBrabecAverage rating
5.62
- Squad number20Player nameVydraAverage rating
5.31
- Squad number8Player nameDaridaAverage rating
5.21
Denmark
Avg
- Squad number12Player nameDolbergAverage rating
7.81
- Squad number1Player nameSchmeichelAverage rating
7.59
- Squad number5Player nameMaehleAverage rating
7.52
- Squad number6Player nameChristensenAverage rating
7.44
- Squad number8Player nameDelaneyAverage rating
7.35
- Squad number4Player nameKjaerAverage rating
7.18
- Squad number23Player nameHøjbjergAverage rating
6.99
- Squad number3Player nameVestergaardAverage rating
6.92
- Squad number20Player namePoulsenAverage rating
6.84
- Squad number17Player nameStryger LarsenAverage rating
6.79
- Squad number14Player nameDamsgaardAverage rating
6.61
- Squad number15Player nameNørgaardAverage rating
6.48
- Squad number9Player nameBraithwaiteAverage rating
6.46
- Squad number18Player nameWassAverage rating
6.36
- Squad number2Player nameAndersenAverage rating
6.18
- Squad number24Player nameJensenAverage rating
5.97
Line-ups
Czech Rep
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Vaclik
- 5Coufal
- 3CelustkaSubstituted forBrabecat 65'minutes
- 6KalasBooked at 86mins
- 18Boril
- 9HolesSubstituted forJanktoat 45'minutes
- 15Soucek
- 12MasopustSubstituted forKrmencikat 45'minutesBooked at 84mins
- 7Barak
- 13SevcikSubstituted forDaridaat 79'minutes
- 10SchickSubstituted forVydraat 79'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Kaderábek
- 4Brabec
- 8Darida
- 11Krmencik
- 14Jankto
- 16Mandous
- 17Zima
- 20Vydra
- 21Kral
- 23Koubek
- 24Pekhart
- 25Pesek
Denmark
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Schmeichel
- 6ChristensenSubstituted forAndersenat 81'minutes
- 4Kjaer
- 3Vestergaard
- 17Stryger LarsenSubstituted forWassat 70'minutes
- 23Højbjerg
- 8DelaneySubstituted forJensenat 81'minutes
- 5Maehle
- 14DamsgaardSubstituted forNørgaardat 60'minutes
- 9Braithwaite
- 12DolbergSubstituted forPoulsenat 59'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Andersen
- 7Skov
- 11Skov Olsen
- 13M Jorgensen
- 15Nørgaard
- 16Lössl
- 18Wass
- 19Wind
- 20Poulsen
- 21Cornelius
- 22Rönnow
- 24Jensen
- Referee:
- Björn Kuipers
- Attendance:
- 16,306
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home55%
- Away45%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away7
- Corners
- Home9
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 2.
Post update
Attempt missed. Antonin Barak (Czech Republic) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Post update
Attempt missed. Michael Krmencik (Czech Republic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jan Boril with a headed pass.
Booking
Tomas Kalas (Czech Republic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Tomas Kalas (Czech Republic).
Post update
Christian Nørgaard (Denmark) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Tomas Soucek (Czech Republic).
Post update
Joakim Maehle (Denmark) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Michael Krmencik (Czech Republic) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Michael Krmencik (Czech Republic).
Post update
(Denmark) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Denmark. Conceded by Tomás Vaclik.
Post update
Attempt saved. Joakim Maehle (Denmark) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Yussuf Poulsen.
Substitution
Substitution, Denmark. Mathias Jensen replaces Thomas Delaney.
Substitution
Substitution, Denmark. Joachim Andersen replaces Andreas Christensen.
Post update
Foul by Jan Boril (Czech Republic).
Post update
Martin Braithwaite (Denmark) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Tomas Soucek (Czech Republic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jakub Jankto.
Substitution
Substitution, Czech Republic. Vladimír Darida replaces Petr Sevcik.
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Comments
Join the conversation
England will need to play just as well as they did last night to get past them.
Hope UEFA have the integrity to clamp down on it!
Got a £1 everytime Clive Tyldesley mentioned Christian Eriksen during commentary
No one, but no one, has hoped to face the Danes.