Slovenia 1 Denmark 1 Eriksens Hollywood moment and why was Sesko frustrated?

It was the kind of moment worthy of a Hollywood feel-good movie.

Three years after nearly dying during a European Championship match in his home country, Christian Eriksen scored Denmark's first goal at Euro 2024.

It wasn't enough to secure victory, but it remained one of the most heartwarming subplots of this tournament so far. Here, we break down that and the other main talking points.

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How did Eriksen write his fairy tale?

Sunday marked 1,100 days since Christian Eriksen collapsed at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium during a Euro 2020 match against Finland after suffering cardiac arrest.

For 13 agonizing minutes, Eriksen lay on the grass, tended to by his teammates. Danish captain Simon Kjaer cleared his airway while his teammates put him in the recovery position, then medics. Team doctor Morten Boesen later explained: “We got him back after a defibrillator. It's pretty fast. How far away were we? I don't know.

Eriksens' physical recovery is nothing short of a miracle, and the fact that he has managed to resume his football career at the highest level is a marvel.

He had already played in a World Cup since that traumatic afternoon in the Danish capital but he did not score in Qatar. Today, against Slovenia, his moment has arrived.

In the 17th minute, Manchester United teammate Rasmus Hojlund was awarded a throw-in. A cross from the right found its way into the penalty area. A back heel flick from Jonas Wind saw the ball meet an onrushing Eriksen, who controlled it with his chest and finished smartly into the bottom corner.

It was the 42nd goal Eriksen had scored for his country (he is now tied for fourth in the all-time goalscoring record) and surely the most emotional. It certainly sparked ecstatic celebrations among the red corner of the Stuttgart Arena and millions of spectators around the world.

In truth, Eriksen was at the center of much of Denmark's best attacking play. He came out of midfield to make late entries into the box behind Wind and Hojlund.

Eriksen would continue to give Slovenia a headache for the rest of the match, tormenting them with his passes. He still has an eye for a through ball that few of his compatriots can match and probably should have had a second before halftime to sweep away. a shot over the bar.

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Why couldn't Sesko enter the game?

You are a 21-year-old striker attracting attention from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

You have just signed a lucrative new contract with your current club (RB Leipzig). You are the most promising player on your national team. You are making your debut at the European Championship. and unfortunately, we see almost nothing of the ball.

Benjamin Sesko has definitely had more pleasant days in recent months than the one against Denmark. By the 65th minute, he had only touched the ball 18 times and had not done so at all within significant range of the penalty area.

His two best moments were entirely of his own making. Midway through the first half, he fired a shot from 25 yards just off target. Then, in the 76th minute, a similar shot from the same type of distance hit the right post.

Denmark averaged nearly 70 percent possession throughout the match and often had 10 outfielders camped in the Slovenian half. Matjaz Kek sets up his team in a compact 4-4-2 and asks his players to prevent opposing teams from passing between the lines. However, due to a lack of pressure, Denmark, especially in the first half, found it easy to get the ball out and attempt crosses and back passes into the Slovenian penalty area.

In the end, Erik Janza's deflected shot earned Slovenia the point. But even if the Keks remain compact and their counter-attacking plan has merit, they will need to find a way to force opposing teams into making more mistakes and involve their best striker more if they want to progress.

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Should England be worried about these set pieces?

Denmark's goal came from a touch. Slovenians on a corner.

It may not have been a European Championship classic, but it underlined how these two teams, who face England next week and a bit, will put particular attacking pressure on kicking arrested.

Premier League viewers will be accustomed to the sometimes erratic corner receiving Eriksen's deliveries, but Denmark rely on his simple deliveries into the penalty area to create scoring chances. Slovenia also used some routines, often sending the ball into the corridor of uncertainty, trying to destabilize goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

There are many ways to score a goal, but there are few more simple and effective than putting it in the blender for the bigger players to latch on to.

It's a situation in which England manager Gareth Southgate will surely miss the aerial ability of Harry Maguire, whose absence has left the defense looking noticeably shorter.

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What did Matjaz Kek say?

We were a little intimidated in the first half but we improved after the break, said the Slovenian coach. What has become clear is the room for improvement that exists.

I have to say that on the first goal, we were too naive. This is something we will learn from and improve upon.

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What did Kasper Hjulmand say?

It's a big disappointment not to get the victory, said the Danish coach. They created things on their set pieces (in the second half), I don't think we produced enough, and we can't close the game making it 2-0, and then there's a some nervousness in the match. We have become too passive, in my opinion.

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What future for Slovenia?

Thursday June 20: Serbia, Group C (Munich), 2 p.m. BST, 9 a.m. ET

What future for Denmark?

Thursday June 20: England, Group C (Frankfurt), 5 p.m. BST, noon ET

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(Top photo: Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images)