It is tempting to believe that Denmark are riding high on a wave of goodwill after seeing Christian Eriksen's collapse three weeks ago. But their success to the semifinals at Euro 2020 is more than destiny and fairytale.Their 2-1 victory over Czech Republic was not surprising. Kasper Hjulmand is a great coach and has a lot of good players. They are able score high-quality goals and also defend with grit. Denmark is ranked 10th in the world as the best team for a reason.Fixtures and bracketIt is still remarkable to see what they were able achieve without Eriksen. As Denmark's players prepared for their first game against Finland, many were in tears after Eriksen left the pitch. They seemed to be in a state of shock after the 1-0 loss. However, the Czechs showed energy and determination, and there were even tears at the end.Denmark hadn't won a knockout at the Euros in Denmark since 1992 when they won it. Yugoslavia was only replaced at a week's notice. They now have a semifinal at Wembley. They beat England 1-0 in October's Nations League to win there this season.Are you an underdog? Yes. Do you rank outsiders? It's not possible.After the match, Kasper Schmeichel, Denmark goalkeeper, said that "it's difficult to put into words.""The Czech Republic is a very difficult team to play against. The first half was easy, while the second was hard. We are able to fight and fight, which we did. It was a relief to hear the last whistle.In the sweltering heat of Baku, Azerbaijan Thomas Delaney gave Denmark a perfect start with a header from Jens Stryger Larsen's corner. Although it was fortunate, replays revealed that the Czech Republic should have received a goal kick after Kasper Dolberg's ball. However, Denmark's second goal was not lucky.Joakim Maehle was sent racing down the left shortly before half-time. He had the outside of his right foot bent in a cross, which was met at Dolberg's back post by Dolberg’s cushionedvolley.Denmark was one of the dark horses in the tournament, but they were not without Christian Eriksen and their place in the semifinals proves that. Photo by Tolga Boozoglu - Pool/Getty ImagesAs a teenager, Dolberg was pursued by many of Europe's most prestigious clubs at Ajax. He is now 23, and is playing in France with Nice. He has played in two games, scored three goals, and will be playing at Wembley against England or Ukraine on Wednesday.Czech Republic's fifth goal, Patrik Schick's clever volley that was pushed into the far corner, gave hope they could make a comeback like those of Croatia against Spain or Switzerland against France. However, Denmark performed well in the second half.Denmark could have added at most one additional if they were more clinical during the break. The attack eventually turned into an aerial assault. Denmark's back three managed to repel it.Vladimir Darida, captain of the Czech Republic, said that Denmark is a "great team". They defended well and their early goal was a great help to their strategy. It's so difficult to get in them. It's a shame."We should not be ashamed of anything. We displayed good fighting spirit and performed well. This was evident in today's match, too."It's a shame we couldn't equalise. I believe it would have turned our direction then."Denmark's strength is in its collective, without their star man Eriksen. Although Maehle's cross to Dolberg for his goal was one of the highlights of the tournament, there were many more. Andreas Christensen took a risk to challenge Tomas Soucek to stop the West Ham midfielder scoring an equaliser. Kasper Schmeichel raced out to block a Tomas Holes chance.Dolberg's finish wasn't only impressive, but so was his stooping header from the Czech near post to clear a Czech free kick and his sprint out to stop a cross in. Denmark is not without support, but they also have talent and a strong work ethic.To reach the final four of a major tournament, it takes more than a good story. They are well-deserved to be among Europe's top players.
