UEFA Euro 2024 scores, results, highlights, standings: England held by Denmark in sloppy 1-1 draw

England remain top of Group C at Euro 2024, but that may be all the good that can be said of the 1-1 draw with Denmark, where an opening goal from Harry Kane was wasted because of another sloppy display from one of the pre-tournament favorites. Morten Hjulmand’s fine low shot earned the Danes a point, but they could have got more from an opponent who seemed insistent on giving them possession with the sloppiest play this team has played in several tournaments.

Earlier in the day, Luka Jovic’s late header earned Serbia an invaluable point in the same group, with a 1-1 draw with Slovenia keeping their hopes alive ahead of the final matchday. In a tournament of late drama, there were few moments as significant as the 96th-minute goal that lifted the Serbs from the brink of elimination – they could have been eliminated even before the final group game – and knowing that a victory against Denmark in the final round of games, would almost certainly be enough to reach the knockout stage.

Today’s headline could be the most exciting of the group stage, as champions Italy face a Spanish side who hit great form in their opening win over Croatia.

Euro 2024 results for Thursday

All Eastern times

• Slovenia 1, Serbia 1
• England 1, Denmark 1
• Spain x Italy, 3pm

England 1, Denmark 1: Draw keeps the Three Lions top

If you haven’t seen this game don’t worry, if you watched much of England at a major tournament during Gareth Southgate’s tenure you have seen it. A brilliant start, a well-constructed opening goal and an insistence that what they have is valid. This time the Three Lions’ clean record has been tarnished, a point that keeps them top of Group C, probably doing little to quell complaints about how this galaxy of stars has been organised.

As with Serbia, nothing worked for as long as England would have liked. In the only case where some players were on the same page, they scored. Kyle Walker showed explosiveness belying his 34 years to beat Viktor Kristiansen with a behind pass, his low cross deflected twice to fall into the path of Kane for a neat finish.

The Frankfurt pitch was not conducive to free-flowing football, but the game was there for England to control. Instead, they did exactly what they had done against Serbia, dropping back to defend their own box for the next 72 minutes. They do it as well as any international team, but it’s not a particularly shrewd tactic when you’re one shot away from trouble. It happened when possession was sloppily awarded from a throw-in, with Denmark passing the ball to Hjulmand, whose low shot hit Jordan Pickford’s near post and went in.

England never recovered from this setback. In fact, its trajectory from then on was largely downward. Southgate changed what he could, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kane, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka sacrificed to bring greater depth to the process. Apart from a brief flurry of activity from Ollie Watksin and Conor Gallagher, England went from strength to strength, with sloppy errors at the back handing the Danes late openings. Group C may still be theirs to win, but there is work to do for England to convince a skeptical public at home that they are on a course to win the tournament.

Slovenia 1, Serbia 1: Jovic saves the Serbs late

With 95 and a half minutes played, Serbia were witnessing what could have been the quickest elimination from Euro 2024. Then, with the final touch of the game, Jovic saved them. The AC Milan striker was one of a series of attackers released at the time of his death as Dragan Stojkovic desperately tried to avoid a defeat to Slovenia, which would mean their hopes of qualification slipping out of the hands of Serbia, considered by many to be dark horses for make a big impact in the tournament a week ago. They could still do it, even if they need to beat Denmark in the last game.

Jovic’s late equalizer was harsh on Slovenia and, in particular, on Zan Karnicnik, whose 69th-minute goal looked to have secured their first European Championship victory. The Celje right-back’s goal was a moment of great individual quality in a very weak game in that regard, with the play starting with Karnicnik himself stealing possession of the ball before moving forward to finish off the counterattack, deflecting Timi Max Elsnik’s cross beyond a helpless man. Predrag Rajkovic.

Having entered the field in search of a crucial goal, Karnicnik might have had the right to stand up for a moment or two. Fortunately for Slovenia, he didn’t and, moments later, he was on hand to deflect Aleksandar Mitrovic’s first shot, sending the Al Hilal striker’s shot off the post. This would be the best opportunity that Mitrovic missed in a game similar to the defeat to England, where Serbia saw a lot of possession, but only translated this into crushing pressure on Jan Oblak’s goal in the last seconds.

The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper, so authoritative over the previous 95 minutes, appeared to be thrown back by the wave of Serbian bodies in his box as Jovic rose to head Ivan Ilic’s corner down without Oblak coming close to putting on a glove. on the ball.

Group B outlook

The draw between Albania and Croatia yesterday did not please either team, despite the former being jubilant after Klaus Gjasula’s late equalizer. The Spain and Italy that emerge victorious will qualify in first place, tying with one of the third-placed teams from elsewhere. For the losers, even a point in the final match would probably be enough. A draw for both former champions tonight and both would be extremely well placed to reach the last 16.

Group C outlook

An England victory over Slovenia would guarantee first place for Southgate’s side, who cannot finish lower than third in Group C and are therefore likely to have already qualified. If Denmark beat Serbia, they will also qualify, while their opponents will have to win to reach the knockout stages.

What happened on Wednesday

The sixth day of the tournament saw the first guaranteed qualifiers, with Germany securing passage to the round of 16 with a solid 2-0 victory over Hungary. Switzerland are yet to secure their place following their 1-1 draw with Scotland, but it is highly unlikely that the four points they have already gained will not be enough, whether they finish third or second. The Scots and Hungary could well compete for third place in Stuttgart on Sunday. Meanwhile, in Group B, Croatia and Albania shared the first points of the tournament, in a thrilling game in which Gjasula went from being a villain whose own goal condemned his country to defeat, but he scored in the 96th minute.

Friday Games

All Eastern times

Slovakia x Ukraine, 9am (preview)
Poland x Austria, 12pm (preview)
Netherlands x France, 3pm (preview)