Denmark ready to ‘show who we are’ vs. Belgium

• Netherlands to stick with winning system against Austria • Ukraine, North Macedonia need points after losses

For Denmark, it's time to somehow focus on soccer again at the European Championship.

Five days after Christian Eriksen's collapse against Finland, the Danes will return to Parken Stadium on Thursday to face topranked Belgium in their second Group B game.

It promises to be an emotional return for a team that is still processing Saturday's incident and has spent the last few days just figuring out how to feel OK about playing a game again.

But with Eriksen recovering well, and telling his teammates they should re-focus on the Euro 2020 tournament, Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said the players are able to move forward "with a clean conscience."

They are also ready for a very special atmosphere at Parken Stadium. About 25,000 fans will be allowed in amid loosened pandemic restrictions — up from 15,000 for the Finland game — and they are sure to show their appreciation for a team that has been widely hailed as heroes by the entire country in the wake of Eriksen's collapse.

The players formed a ring around the Inter Milan midfielder to shield him from public view as a team of medics performed emergency CPR. Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest but was resuscitated with a defibrillator.

Fans are planning a tribute to Eriksen by giving him a standing ovation in the 10th minute of the game — in honor of his No. 10 shirt — and will likely be chanting his name throughout.

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku said the players will kick the ball out of play so that both teams can join in the applause.

Hjulmand also pointed out that the hospital treating Eriksen is so close to the stadium that the midfielder will be able to "hear everything" during the game.

The problem for Denmark is that, after losing to Finland 1-0, it now faces one of the top teams in the tournament. Going into Euro 2020, Denmark only had two losses in its last 23 games, and those both came against the Belgians last year in the Nations League. Belgium beat Russia in 3-0 in its first game and could see the return of playmaker Kevin De Bruyne after he was back in full training this week following a facial fracture.

Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel could also make a return, six months after tearing his Achilles tendon.

It will likely be a strange experience for Lukaku as well. Lukaku is teammates with Eriksen at Inter and said he "cried a lot" before the Russia game after hearing about the collapse. Lukaku scored twice in that game and ran to a TV camera after the first goal to shout "Chris, Chris, Strength boy, I love you" in a mixture of Dutch and English.

The striker warned, though, that he won't take it easy on Denmark when play starts.

For Hjulmand, Eriksen's absence also presents a purely practical problem: How to replace the team's best player?

Netherlands to stick with winning system against Austria

The criticism of the Netherlands' 3-5-2 formation has suddenly fallen silent.

The attacking play in the team's 3-2 victory over Ukraine on Sunday at the European Championship appears to have ended the debate — at least for now — about which system coach Frank de Boer should play.

On Thursday, expect the same lineup of three defenders, five midfielders — including wingbacks on each flank — and two attackers against Austria in the team's second Group C match at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Some Dutch fans want the team to play what they consider to be the more attacking system of 43-3 — four defenders, three midfielders and three attackers. One even rented a plane to push home the message before the match against Ukraine.

Both the Dutch and the Austrians won their opening matches at Euro 2020, so both can advance with another victory. The top two teams in each of the six groups advance to the knockout stage, along with the four best third-place teams.

Austria leads Group C after beating North Macedonia 3-1 in their opener. It was the country's first win at a major soccer tournament in 31 years and its first ever at the European Championship.

But the celebrations were cut short. On Wednesday, UEFA banned Marko Arnautović for the match in Amsterdam for insulting an opponent.

Austria coach Franco Foda said the team had already moved on and shifted focus to the match in Amsterdam.

The North Macedonian soccer federation had asked for Arnautović to be punished for a nationalist outburst after he scored in the match in Bucharest. The federation said the tirade was directed at Ezgjan Alioski, who is of Albanian origin. Arnautović's father is Serbian and his mother is Austrian.

Back on the field, Austria defender Martin Hinteregger said the Netherlands match will be very different from the team's opener.

Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt, who missed the first match with a groin injury, has recovered.

The coach did not say who would have to make way for the Juventus player. Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, who will celebrate his 20th birthday on Thursday, appears the most likely to remain on the bench.

De Ligt looked relaxed Wednesday as he cycled to training next to former Ajax teammate Frenkie De Jong.

The Dutch have won their last six matches against Austria. The Austrians' last victory over the Netherlands dates back to a friendly in Vienna in 1990 — before many of the current crop of players from both sides were even born.

A notable exception is goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, at 38 the oldest player ever to play for the Netherlands at a major tournament.

Stekelenburg was a backup at Ajax last season until being called into the first team when Andre Onana was banned for a year by UEFA in a doping case. The Court of Arbitration for Sport last week cut the ban to nine months.

Stekelenburg made his international debut nearly 17 years ago and had his career highlight playing in the Dutch team that reached the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa, where it lost to Spain 1-0. He made his return to the national team for the first time since 2016 in a pre-tournament friendly.

Ukraine, North Macedonia need points after losses

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 at Euro 2020 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 in Amsterdam on Sunday, but Denzel Dumfries headed in an 85th-minute winner for the Dutch.

North Macedonia, one of the two tournament newcomers at Euro 2020 along with Finland, had been holding Austria to a 11 scoreline before substitutes Michael Gregoritsch and Marko Arnautović scored a goal each in the waning minutes at the National Arena in Bucharest on Sunday. That gave Austria its first ever victory at the continental championship.

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

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