Danes have task against Belgium UKRAINE AND N. MACEDONIA NEED POINTS

Copenhagen,

Denmark can take heart that Christian Eriksen is recovering and will be cheering them on along with the rest of the country as they try to salvage their Euro campaign against fancied Belgium in Copenhagen on Thursday.

Kasper Hjulmand’s talented side know that their qualification from Group ‘B’ will be in jeopardy if they get the same treatment that leaders Belgium dished out to Russia on Saturday, and they need to bounce back from their traumatic 0-1 defeat by Finland.

On Tuesday, coach Hjulmand said Eriksen was in daily contact with the rest of the team and was trying to gee up his friends before they face the world’s top-ranked team.

They will need all the support they can get against Eriksen’s Inter Milan teammate Romelu Lukaku, whose ominous double in Belgium’s 3-0 win over the Russians showed why at the age of just 28 he is by some distance Belgium’s all-time record scorer with 62 goals.

Belgium top Group ‘B’ on goal difference ahead of Finland and can seal their passage to the knockout stage with a game to spare at the Parken. They were hugely impressive in their opening match. —

Bucharest, June 16: Both Ukraine and North Macedonia conceded late goals in their opening matches at the European Championship, and both lost because of them.

The teams will next play each other on Thursday, knowing another loss just might end their chances of advancement.

The top two teams in each of the six groups advance to the Round of 16, along with the four best third-place teams.

Ukraine managed to recover from two goals down against the Netherlands on Sunday, but Denzel Dumfries headed in an 85th-minute winner for the Dutch.

North Macedonia captain Goran Pandev, who scored his 38th international goal against Austria in the previous match, said even a loss at a major tournament can help his team grow.

Neither Ukraine nor North Macedonia would have been considered favourites in their opening games, but both were in good form ahead of the tournament. —