World Cup, Group C, Denmark vs Australia as it happened: Australia dominate but Danes get a draw
Live updates from the third game in Group C.

Australia 1-1 Denmark
7’: Eriksen (DEN)
39’: Jedinak (pen, AUS)
Group C preview: France favourites, but tough battle for second spot. Read here.
FT: And that is how it ends. A point for each of the sides. Australia dominated gameplay but the Danes held on for a draw.
Outplayed them but couldn't get the winner we needed. A great performance, but not the ideal result. Let's hope things can still fall our way. Leckie was great all game. Arzani excellent off the bench. Cahill should've come on not Juric #AUS #WorldCup #DENAUS
— Anthony Vescio (@vesh88) June 21, 2018
90’: Schmeichel’s had to come up with two big saves to make sure the scores stayed level. 3 minutes time added on.
Australia go close again - twice! The substitutes Arzani and Juric both having shots well saved by Schmeichel... They're looking more likely to get a winner here but there's not long left!!! #DEN #AUS #DENAUS
— COPA90 (@COPA90) June 21, 2018
87’: Finally, Denmark keep the ball for a while. Good, patient build-up but Delaney’s final cross was wayward to say the least. His team-mates were not happy.
79’: Once again, Australia go close. Arzani beat the defender and his cross across the face of goal could have led to a goal if someone had got a foot onto it. No one did. Denmark are having some serious trouble keeping the ball. They just haven’t been able to string passes together. Not good.
Really like what Australia is doing here.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) June 21, 2018
72’: Cornelius who can on for Jorgensen in the 68th minute is a statistical oddity.
Andreas Cornelius has come on wearing the #21 jersey in the 21st match of the 21st World Cup, on 21 June.#DEN #DENAUS #WorldCup
— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) June 21, 2018
71’: Another left-footer from Rogic. Australia are taking their shots but their final shots have left something to be desired. The build-up play has been wonderful.
If this laser found the back of the net I would have busted a throat pipe #DENAUS pic.twitter.com/bvlSjiilIm
— 🙏 Jackson Ryan (@dctrjack) June 21, 2018
70’: Mody lets loose a screamer from just outside the D. He caught it well and it didn’t miss by much. Australia are building up a dangerous rhythm here.
65’: Denmark have been chasing the ball which Australia have kept surprisingly well. Another chance for Australia! Schmeichel with a mistake and Australia go close again. They get a corner.
64’: A lot of play is not taking place in the Denmark half. The Danes are being pretty passive here. Eriksen needs to get involved a lot more. A creative presence to cut through the Australian defence is the need of the hour for them.
58’: Poulsen, whose handball led to the penalty, is being taken off and Braithwaite is coming on.
54’: Good stuff by Australia... overall their ball movement has been better than Denmark. Denmark need to wake up and take control if they want to win this.


51’: Denmark protesting after Poulsen was brought down in the penalty area. But we are not going to VAR. The use of VAR sometimes feels like...

46’: And we are a go again.
HT: VAR impact in penalties has been huge.
Key stats:
— FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) June 21, 2018
👉 There have now been more penalties (11) at the 2018 #WorldCup than in the entire group phase in 2014 (10)
👉 @Socceroos' penalty was the fifth that was awarded after consulting VAR at the 2018 #WorldCup #DENAUS pic.twitter.com/ASngn4eiv8
HT: But was that really deliberate? There is no way he would have know the ball would have gone there and his hand was already up much before the ball hit his hand.
Can understand why they’ve given a penalty for that but it is preposterous to suggest it is ‘deliberate’. Few handballs are ‘deliberate’ but doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be given. The rule’s definition needs to change. #DENAUS #WorldCup
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) June 21, 2018
VAR has been Australia's best player this World Cup.#WorldCup #DEN #AUS #DENAUS
— 🇩🇰 vs 🇦🇺 Football Tweet (@Football__Tweet) June 21, 2018
HT: Eriksen got the early goal but then VAR gave Australia the opportunity to even things out by awarding a penalty. Jedinak converted easily. Still, Australia have played well after conceding an early goal – they have looked like the better side; a side with more purpose.
2 - No player has conceded more penalties in the same World Cup since 1966 than Yussuf Poulsen 🇩🇰 in 2018 (2). VAR. #DENAUS #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/DnCwVctRxl
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) June 21, 2018
571 - Mile Jedinak's penalty ended a run of nine hours and 31 minutes without conceding at international level for Kasper Schmeichel (571 minutes). Beaten. #AUS #DEN #DENAUS #WorldCup
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 21, 2018
44’: This is what Australia were awarded a penalty for. What is your take?
Australia were awarded a penalty for this! #DENAUS #DEN #AUS #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/UxhAUZYjvN
— FIFA World Cup (@WorIdCupUpdates) June 21, 2018
39’: GOAL! Yet another corner – Australia’s 4th as against Denmark’s 1 – and a penalty comes out of it! Paulsen handball and VAR comes to Australia’s rescue. This one is going to be debated for a long, long time. The handball looked to be unintentional – VAR ruled otherwise. Jedinak stepped up to convert his second penalty of the tournament.

29’: Denmark have never lost a competitive game in which Eriksen has scored. They will be hoping that trend continues. Australia are throwing men forward in a spirited display after conceding the goal but nothing has come of it. Yet. Another wonderful move down the right flank by Leckie, but Denmark had bodies in the way.
We expected diving from the French, but not you Denmark. Imagine Ragnar seeing a Dane fake injury... #DENAUS #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/PsWtv3go40
— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) June 21, 2018
24’: Wonderful opportunity for Jorgensen. Lovely cross from the right flank reached him just as he managed to get behind a struggling Australian defence, which was caught napping. But he failed to hit the target.
23’: Another shot on goal by Rogic. It wasn’t a great shot though. No power and it was always going wide. Denmark are in control here.
Van Marwijk: ‘Denmark are more of a team than France’. Certainly looks like it in first 15 minutes. Movement, speed, cohesion. And a world class player, Eriksen, at heart of it all #DENAUS
— Matt Spiro (@mattspiro) June 21, 2018
19’: Not much has happened since the goal. Australia have kept their shape but still scoring first has proved to be a big advantage in this World Cup. Nine matches in this edition have already ended 1-0.
GOLAZOOOO!!!! CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN!! WHAT A GOAL! BRILLIANT FINISH!#WorldCup #DEN #AUS #DENAUS pic.twitter.com/9C1GoIOph5
— FIFA World Cup (@WorIdCupUpdates) June 21, 2018
🇩🇰 ⚽️ @ChrisEriksen8 fires #DEN into an early lead against #AUS! #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/w8tZXnlDvo
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 21, 2018
11’: Australia have been getting corners but not doing much with them. Eriksen was the youngest player playing in the 2010 World Cup (he was just 18 then) but his increasing maturity in front of goal is making him a very dangerous player indeed. For now, he has people talking about the Laudrup brothers again.
Christian Eriksen is the first no.10 to score for Denmark at the #WorldCup since Michael Laudrup in 1998.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 21, 2018
A glorious way to open the scoring. pic.twitter.com/GS1QiWiqO8
7’: GOOOOAAAALLL!!!! And it is that man Eriksen again. He had an assist in the first game and now he has a goal. Wonderful technique. It would have been easy to get the weight balance wrong and smash it way over the top. He didn’t and Denmark are into the lead. 13 goals and 5 assists for Eriksen in his last 15 caps!!!

5’: Leckie with the header for Australia but he couldn’t keep it down. He timed his jump well and rose above the defenders to meet the ball but the direction was poor.
2’: Delaney with the header but couldn’t direct it goalward. Australia will look to soak up the pressure in the early going – they will not want to concede an early goal.
1’: Denmark wearing white today. Australia in green. Denmark have gone 534 minutes (before the start of this game) since they last conceded a game. They will be tough to break down but Australia will HAVE to push forward today.
5:28 pm: National anthems done. Must-win game for Australia – unchanged from the first game. Denmark will depend on Eriksen to produce some magic once again.
5:05 pm: Time for a walk down memory lane, on this day in 1970 – Brazil became the last country to win the Jules Rimet trophy. They defeated Italy 4-1 in the final at Mexico City to become the first country to win the competition three times. The trophy was then replaced by the current design.
5:01 pm: Australia and Denmark have faced off three times before. They were all friendlies and Australia have come out on top once.

4:54 pm: Australia were pretty good in their first match of the tournament but they have lost their last four consecutive World Cup fixtures.
Lineups
Denmark: Schmeichel, Dalsgaard, Kjaer, Christensen, Larsen, Eriksen, Schone, Delaney, Sisto, Poulsen, Jorgensen
Australia: Ryan, Risdon, Sainsbury, Milligan, Behich, Jedinak, Mooy, Rogic, Leckie, Kruse, Nabbout
04:37 pm: Les Bleus play later today. What do we make out France’s game against Australia?
On the face of it, a 2-1 win over Australia seems perfectly alright, with three points on the board to get the French engine up and running.
The result masks the ineffectual displays of many of the starting XI against the Socceroos, with Didier Deschamps openly questioning Antoine Griezmann’s antics on the eve of the World Cup. The front three failed to link up with the midfield, with too much space between the two banks of Frenchmen.
04:33 pm: Australia are on a run of four consecutive defeats at the World Cup. Will the run end against Denmark?
Meanwhile, the Sydney Harbour bridge looks spectacular ahead of the match today.
The #SydneyHarbourBridge is shining green and gold 💛💚to support our Aussie ⚽ @Socceroos in their #worldcup match tonight! #ilovesydney #GoSocceroos pic.twitter.com/H35YNX6FR6
— Sydney.com (@sydney_sider) June 21, 2018
04:26 pm: Australia’s lineup is in and they are unchanged from their 1-2 defeat against France.
Australia, your starting XI is in!
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) June 21, 2018
⚽️ Denmark v @Socceroos
🏟 Samara Arena
⌚️ 10pm AEST, 9:30pm ACST, 8pm AWST
📺 LIVE on @OptusSport and @TheWorldGame #GoSocceroos pic.twitter.com/PlNiWtAg3E
04:20 pm: Today’s venue...
The first venue of the day: Samara 😍#DENAUS #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/o3hjsM2JWv
— FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) June 21, 2018
04:15 pm: Christian Eriksen didn’t have the best of games against Peru, but still ended up with an assist for the solitary goal – that’s the quality he possesses. Here he is, talking about the game today. Kick-off at 530 pm IST.
"They are always at the tournament so they know what they're coming for."
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 21, 2018
🗣️ @ChrisEriksen8 knows #DEN are in for a tough test when they take on #AUS this afternoon. #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/JCbTokNLno
04:11 pm: Iran may have lost last night, but back home, history was being made.
A historic moment for Iran!
— The Field (@thefield_in) June 20, 2018
Women were allowed to enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium for the first time in 37 years, to watch the screening of #IRN v #ESP at the #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/HIHX4zYQ2y
04:08 pm: This is how things stand in Group C after one game. Denmark can go top with a point, and almost be assured of a spot in the last 16 with a win.

#Together Let’s do this @Socceroos #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ynNd2BjwvW
— Steve Horvat (@Steve_Horvat) June 21, 2018
04:05 pm: Hello all and welcome to The Field’s live blog of the first game of the day, where Denmark take on Australia in a Group C encounter. The Danes managed to withstand Peru’s assault in their opening game to emerge with three points while Australia went down