Belgium beat Denmark 2-1 in an emotional Euro 2020 Group B match in Copenhagen on Thursday.
Yusuf Poulsen's strike in the second minute helped the Dane to a surprising early lead, but a sensational Kevin de Bruyne came off the bench to score a goal and another to bring Belgium to the knockout stage in a match marked by Denmark's tribute. Midfielder Christian Eriksen made the score.
Teams stopped in applause for a minute to pay tribute to Ericsson who had suffered a heart attack in the Dane's opener against Finland at Parken Stadium.
As the clock for the stadium match showed minute 10 - Ericsson's shirt number - Belgium's Dries Mertens stopped the game and the players applauded as the Danish crowd hoisted a banner that said: "All Denmark is Christian with you. "
Ericsson is recovering at a nearby hospital and will be fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to regulate his heart rhythm. His future in the game is in doubt.
The collapse of Ericsson shocked millions of viewers around the world. Finland play was suspended and when it eventually resumed, the Danes lost 1–0.
On Thursday, a crowd of 25,000 dressed in red and white gave Danish players a warm welcome as they came out before the game, and Belgian fans held up a banner saying "Belgium love you Christian" before kickoff.
The performance was topped when a giant Danish shirt bearing Ericsson's name and number was revealed during the opening ceremony to the excitement of the crowd, followed by a rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone".
The gesture was continued with a catchy rendition of the Danish national anthem before the Danish team captain Simon Kjaer was presented with a signed Belgian shirt, in which Ericsson's name and number were given by Jan Verthongen.
Once play began, Denmark wasted little time taking the lead through Poulsen, who swung his right footed shot into the far corner when pressure from Denmark cheapened the Belgian outside the box.
Belgium leveled in the 54th minute, when second-half substitute De Bruyne caught on a Romelu Lukaku pull-back, let two charging defenders slide and calmly found an unmarked Thoran Hazard to thump home a pass.
De Bruyne sealed the point 16 minutes later with another fine play. The Manchester City midfielder trimmed off substitute Eden Hazard and beat Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel into the near post with a stoppable low strike with his left foot.
"The fans created an incredible atmosphere. The fans gave the home team a one-goal lead and we were a bit surprised at the time," Belgian manager Roberto Martinez told reporters after the match.
"It took us maybe 20 minutes to restart ourselves but we didn't get the will, heart and pressure that the Danish team had. I thought there was a lot of emotion involved in the first half.
"The second part was completely rational, we showed incredible characters, big hearts and [played] with a real idea of what to do. It's victory that you enjoy and treasure, it's what you get to do as a team." makes it better."
De Bruyne was playing his first match since an injury in the Champions League final last month and Martinez heaped praise on the City midfielder, who has recovered from a double facial fracture.
"You never doubt his talent. Obviously, coming in at half-time and being able to influence the game is a big challenge," Martinez said.
"The way he played in the second half, he didn't sound like a player who went through surgery and got turned off the football pitch. It shows you the way he took care of himself, the way he took care of himself." By the way he was focused in training.
"It was a really impressive way for a player to introduce themselves for a long time and influence the game that way."
The result leaves Denmark with zero points from the two opening group games. They will play their final match against Russia on Monday if they win and have a chance to qualify to get some help in the second group game between Belgium and Finland.
Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmund said his side are keen to ensure they can prolong their stay in the tournament.
"With Christian in our mind and our hearts, we know he is still here, we know it is going to be a tough few weeks for you Christian, we are here for you," Hazulmand told a media Said at the conference.
"We are going to be together and we will beat the Russians, we are not in this competition."
Striker Martin Braithwaite said Ericsson congratulated him when he returned to the team's dressing room.
"He sent us a message in the WhatsApp group. I think he said we were really cool, I didn't have time to look, but when we got into the dressing room there was a message," Braithwaite said.