Skipper Mile Jedinak scored his second-successive penalty via the Video Assistant Referee to peg back Denmark after Christian Eriksen’s astounding opener and keep Australia alive in World Cup 2018.
The Tottenham playmaker lashed in from Nicolai Jorgensen’s delightful flick to open the scoring at Samara Arena in the seventh minute.
But the Socceroos refused to be downcast and they profited on 38 minutes after Yussuf Poulsen’s handball made it two matches in a row from which he’s been punished by the review system. Jedinak then did the business from 12 yards.
The result leaves Denmark on four points in Group C and Australia with one point. Their final pool fixtures comes on Tuesday.
Here are our Denmark ratings:
DENMARK (4-2-3-1)
Kasper Schmeichel – 6: The Leicester City’s goalkeeper’s run of international clean sheets has stopped at five matches. Sent wrong way by penalty expert Jedinak and made fine late save, denying Mathew Leckie.
Henrik Dalsgaard – 6: The Brentford right-back was given all sorts of trouble by Australia right winger Robbie Kruse. But made two quickfire blocks on Huddersfield Town’s Aaron Mooy in the second half.
Simon Kjaer – 7: The Sevilla war horse had to be sharp to snub out the waves of Socceroos attacks. The skipper’s tally of three tackles was the joint-second most for Denmark.
Andreas Christensen – 6: Left majority of the donkey’s work to his experienced partner. The Chelsea man registered an impressive 97.2-per-cent passing accuracy from 72 passes.
Jens Stryger Larsen – 6: Kept honest by the endeavor and drive of Hertha Berlin winger Mathew Leckie. Only delivered one cross, so Udinese left-back offered little attacking threat.
Lasse Schone – 5: The Ajax midfielder tried to keep it tidy in middle, but he was over run by the game Australians.
Thomas Delaney – 5: The new Borussia Dortmund signing went close with one first-half effort. Was otherwise swamped in midfield.
Yussuf Poulsen – 5: That’s two matches and two penalties given away via VAR by the RB Leipzig forward. Scored against Peru, but offered nothing this time and was hooked.
Christian Eriksen – 7: What a goal from the Tottenham playmaker. Applied a perfect, powerful connection to Jorgensen’s astute assist to make it 13 goals in his last 15 internationals. True ‘Danish Dynamite’. This was his only notable intervention.
Pione Sisto – 5: A quiet game for the emerging Celta Vigo winger. Frustration boiled over and was booked late on for dissent.
Nicolai Jorgensen – 6: Showed superhuman perception to pick out the onrushing Eriksen for Denmark’s goal. Shortly after, Feyenoord striker screwed a header wide when it looked easier to score.
SUBS
Martin Braithwaite – 6: Middlesbrough forward showed plenty of desire, but little discernible quality.
Andreas Cornelius – 5: Colossal Atalanta centre forward was starved of service.
