Denmark defeated host nation Czech Republic 2-1 in an entertaining opening fixture of the European Under-21 Championship at the Eden Stadium in Prague on Wednesday evening.
Hoffenheim defender Pavel Kaderabek gave Jakub Dovalil’s outfit the lead before Danish captain Jannik Vestergaard levelled matters early in the second half. Substitute Pione Sisto pounced late on to ensure Denmark earned maximum points from this Group A encounter.
The first period saw both teams take a cautious approach in the opening exchanges, with the first opportunity falling to Danish attacker Pierre Hojbjerg, the Bayern Munich youngster failed to test Tomas Koubek in the Czech goal from 25 yards.
The Danes came into the tournament with a reputation of quality attacking football but it was the hosts who looked the bigger threat as the half progressed, ten minutes before the half-time whistle Pavel Kaderabek came inside from his right-back position before stroking the ball left-footed into the corner of the net for the first goal of the tournament and a deserved lead.
Vestergaard and Jonas Knudsen both found their way into the referee’s notebook while Jakob Busk kept the Danes within touching distance with a quartet of important saves before the break.
Jess Thorup’s team returned after the interval with renewed vigour and wasted no time forcing their way back into the match, with less than ten minutes elapsed Vestergaard headed an equaliser following an excellent cross from Knudsen as the duo atoned for their early cautions.
Substitute Sisto was on hand to toe poke an instinctive finish into the net to give Denmark the lead after the hosts failed to clear a corner. Czech substitute Michal Travnik found the net in the final stages but his effort was ruled out for offside, much to the disappointment of the majority of the 15,987 attendance.
Germany and Serbia complete Group A and meet at the Letna Stadium, also situated in Prague later this evening.
