Finns win it with their only chance

FINLAND crowned their European Championship debut with a victory over Denmark in a match delayed and overshadowed by the terrible sight of Christian Eriksen being given life-saving CPR.

Joel Pohjanpalo headed the only goal of the game in Copenhagen and Finland keeper Lukas Hradecky saved a penalty from Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Goal celebrations were muted, however, with the match played out in the shadow of the shocking injury to Eriksen which halted the game for almost two hours and left many players and fans in tears.

The Inter Milan and former Tottenham star was resuscitated and taken to hospital, and only after several of his team-mates had spoken to him did they agree with the idea of completing the Group B contest.

There was a surreal atmosphere when both teams did return to the pitch to play the remaining 49 minutes of the match which, when it resumed, did not follow the script.

Denmark, ranked tenth in the world, 44 places higher than their neighbours, had 22 shots compared to Finland’s one, nine corners — the Finns had none — and boasted 70 per cent possession.

But Finland took their one and only opportunity, and it was a moment that Kasper Schmeichel will want to forget.

Schmeichel, last month’s hero at Wembley with his astonishing save to deny Mason Mount in Leicester’s incredible FA Cup final defeat of Chelsea, should have dealt with Pohjanpalo’s 59th-minute header but instead saw it slip through his fingers.

Before the terrible injury to Eriksen the Danes clocked up chance after chance, but the best of the lot arrived from the penalty spot with 16 minutes remaining when Paulus Arajurru caught Yussuf Poulsen in the box.

In the absence of first-choice penalty taker Eriksen, Hojbjerg grabbed the ball but his tame shot was easily saved by Hradecky.

Denmark continued to huff and puff but were understandably subdued. Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard brought yet another good save out of Hradecky late on.

Finland celebrated with their fans on the final whistle while everyone who had witnessed the upsetting scenes with Eriksen celebrated the fact that he was simply alive. DENMARK (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Wass (S Larsen 75min), Kjaer (Vestergaard 63), Christensen, Maehle; Eriksen (Jensen 43), Hojbjerg, Delaney (Cornelius 76); Poulsen, Wind (S Olsen 63), Braithwaite. Subs (not used): Andersen, Dolberg, Damsgaard, Norgaard, Lossl, Cornelius, Ronnow, Boilesen. FINLAND (5-3-2): Hradecky; Raitala (Vaisanen 90), Toivio, Arajuuri, O’Shaughnessy, Uronen; Lod, Sparv (Schuller 76), Kamara; Pohjanpalo (Forss 84), Pukki (Kauko 76). Booked: Lod, Sparv. Subs (not used): Taylor, Jensen, Joronen, Soiri, Hamalainen, Kauko, Lappalainen, Jaakkolo, Ivanov. Referee: A Taylor (Cheshire).