Gareth Southgate’s England should have been hosting Denmark at Wembley on Tuesday, but will instead be adhering to social distancing measures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Here, the PA news agency looks at a clutch of classics between the two nations who should have squared off in north London.
Denmark 3 England 4, September 20, 1978, Copenhagen
Kevin Keegan, pictured in his playing days, scored twice in the 1978 match in Denmark (PA)
Two Kevin Keegan headers in four first-half minutes had England anticipating a comfortable Euro 80 qualifier victory. Any such thoughts lasted just two minutes however – as Allan Simonsen converted a penalty to reignite the clash. Frank Arnesen levelled five minutes later to complete a madcap half-hour, and leave the tie all square at the break. Bob Latchford and Phil Neale restored England’s two-goal cushion after the restart, only for Per Rontved to steady himself and lash a home a fine strike. This time however, England held on.
Denmark 2 England 2, September 22, 1982, Copenhagen
Trevor Francis, pictured, went on to a long managerial career, but before all that he dug England out of a hole in Denmark in 1982 (Nick Potts/PA)
Another Euro qualifier, and another dramatic Copenhagen night. This time Trevor Francis slid in to poke home the opener and put England ahead. The visitors rode their luck to keep that lead past the hour, before Allan Hansen converted a penalty for the Danes. Francis popped up with another close-range finish to claw England into the lead again, and the Three Lions looked to be heading for all three points until Jesper Olsen – later of Manchester United – jinked through the middle of the defence and slotted home a fine equaliser.
England 1 Denmark 0, March 9, 1994, Wembley
Terry Venables won his first match in charge in 1994 (PA)
The Terry Venables era started with a bang thanks to an early David Platt goal. Platt delivered a composed finish, firing home first-time after letting the ball roll into his path on the inside-left. The first seeds of England’s stirring Euro 96 run were sewn with this impressive victory.
England 3 Denmark 0, June 15, 2002 World Cup, Japan
England’s players celebrate during their 2002 World Cup win over Denmark (Rui Vieira/PA)
England swept past the Danes and into the quarter-finals thanks to first-half goals from Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Emile Heskey. This was one of the most comprehensive England victories under Sven-Goran Eriksson. Sadly the comfort of this last-16 triumph gave way to another galling defeat, the 2-1 loss at the hands of Brazil.
Denmark 4 England 1, August 17, 2005, Copenhagen
Dennis Rommedahl, pictured, kick-started Denmark’s rout against England in 2005 (Martin Rickett/PA)
The heaviest defeat under Swedish boss Eriksson offered hefty humiliation. An insipid first-half gave way to a goal glut after the turnaround. Dennis Rommedahl, Jon Dahl Tomasson and Michael Gravgaard all punished England in a seven-minute triple blow that floored Eriksson’s men. Wayne Rooney bagged a consolation three minutes from time, but Soren Larsen still managed to net after that, adding further insult to an already injurious evening.
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