90min

X reacts as underwhelming England disappoint in Denmark draw

  • England could only manage a 1-1 draw with Denmark in Group C on Thursday
  • Denmark equalised spectacularly in the first half after Harry Kane's opener
  • Gareth Southgate will come under fire for a disappointing display

By Ewan Ross-Murray

Harry Kane was hooked with 20 minutes to play
Harry Kane was hooked with 20 minutes to play / Franco Arland/GettyImages
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It proved a frustrating afternoon for England in their second Euro 2024 group stage match as they stumbled to a 1-1 draw with Denmark.

It was a testing first half for England despite the fact they took the lead. Harry Kane opened the scoring with a calm close-range finish, but their negative approach allowed Denmark back into the game and Morten Hjulmand's rocket from distance levelled the score.

The second half wasn't any more fruitful for the Three Lions, despite Gareth Southgate making a flurry of changes as the game drew to a close. In the end, they were slightly fortunate to come away with a point following a subpar display.

Here is how X users reacted to the events that unfolded in Frankfurt.

Similarly to England's opener with Serbia, Southgate's side didn't make a particularly fast start against Denmark. However, yet again, they found themselves ahead before the 20-minute mark as Kane opened his Euro 2024 account.

Kyle Walker darted down the right flank and took advantage of some slack defending from Victor Kristiansen, firing a cross towards the penalty spot. After a few deflections, the ball fell to England's skipper, who slotted his side in front.

However, England's joy was short-lived. Having dropped into a familiarly deep shape, Southgate's side invited enormous pressure on Jordan Pickford's goal and Denmark took full advantage.

It was a special strike that levelled proceedings, with midfielder Hjulmand arrowing a venomous strike in off the inside of the post from 25 yards out. England could have no complaints.

Having named an unchanged side from the 1-0 win over Serbia, Trent Alexander-Arnold once again came under scrutiny for his performance in midfield. He was not the only England starter off the pace, but Southgate's decision to substitute him in the 55th minute spoke volumes.

A minute on from Alexander-Arnold's withdrawal, England created their best moment since Kane's opener. Phil Foden, who also received his share of criticism, leathered a low drive against the base of the post after drifting into his favoured number ten position.

Even captain Kane wasn't immune to criticism and he was also hooked by Southgate with 20 minutes to play. Despite scoring, the Bayern Munich man hadn't done an awful lot and was rightly replaced by Ollie Watkins.

The Aston Villa striker made an immediate impact, racing in behind Denmark's defence and testing Kasper Schmeichel with a strong effort.

Several of England's substitutes made a positive impact after replacing their more experienced teammates, but it still wasn't enough to earn the Three Lions victory.

In the end, a draw will have to do, with England not in any danger of missing out on the last 16. However, performances must improve heading into the latter stages of the competition.

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