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Varela celebrates the winner. Armando Franca/AP/Press Association Images
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Denmark v Portugal, Euro 2012

Lviv hosted the first of two Group B games today, and the Danes were hoping to secure qualification to the quarter-finals.

After their shock win over the Dutch, Denmark are looking to see off Portugal and book a place in the last eight.

As always, we’d love your thoughts on today’s football. Leave a comment below, email ben@thescore.ie or tweet us @thescore_ie.

Denmark 2-3 Portugal

How is everyone? As if the so-called Group of Death wasn’t going to be tight enough, unfancied Denmark threw a spanner in the works in Round 1 by beating many peoples’ favourites to make the final, Holland, by a Michael Krohn-Dehli goal to nil.

Now Morten Olsen’s side will look to put themselves in a favourable position ahead of this evening’s clash between Germany and the Netherlands by taking three points from Portugal here.

Kick-off is a little under 30 minutes away now and teams are coming right up.

Denmark: Andersen, Jacobsen, Kjaer, Agger, Simon Poulsen, Kvist Jorgensen, Zimling, Rommedahl, Eriksen, Krohn-Delhi, Bendtner. Subs: Lindegaard, Christian Poulsen, Bjelland, Okore, Schone, Silberbauer, Pedersen, Wass, Jakob Poulsen, Kahlenberg, Mikkelsen, Schmeichel.

Portugal: Rui Patricio, Joao Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, Meireles, Veloso, Joao Moutinho, Nani, Postiga, Ronaldo. Subs: Eduardo, Custodio, Almeida, Quaresma, Nelson Oliveira, Ricardo Costa, Rolando, Ruben Micael, Varela, Miguel Lopes, Hugo Viana, Beto.

With both teams unchanged from their first games, the Danes should once again line up with a central defensive partnership of Simon Kjaer and Daniel Agger, who were both excellent against Holland, Niki Zimling and William Kvist sitting in midfield and Denis Rommedahl, Christian Eriksen and goalscorer Michael Krohn-Dehli behind frontman Nicklas Bendtner.

Paulo Bento’s Portugal keep faith in Helder Postiga with Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo flanking the former Spurs man. Raul Meireles, Miguel Veloso and Joao Moutinho have been tasking with ball-winning in the centre of the park and Bruno Alves plays alongside Pepe at the back.

These two actually qualified from the same group en route to the finals, with Denmark pipping Portugal to top spot meaning the Iberians had to come through a two-legged play-off with Bosnia Herzegovina.

Their head-to-head results during that campaign were as follows:

  • Portugal 3-1 Denmark, October 2010
  • Denmark 2-1 Portugal, October 2011

Teams are out, anthems being played. All of which means we’re not far away from kick-off now…

Here we go, then. Portugal wearing the second strip of all-white while Denmark in their pretty retro looking red and white number.

Some early pressure from Denmark who win a corner, which is eventually cleared away. Fabio Coentrao then goes chasing a ball down the left flank but it is successfully marshalled out by Kjaer.

Free-kick for Portugal in a dangerous area out wide after Bendtner comes over the top of Moutinho. Awful delivery from the Porto midfielder, however. Chelsea reportedly interested in the former Sporting Lisbon player but I haven’t been impressed with him this season.

Ronaldo gets the ball at his feet for the first time after 12 minutes of play and a couple of stepovers is followed by a pass out wide. Nani’s cross is put behind for a corner.

Miguel Veloso takes it short and, on the return, whips it towards the Danish goal where Stephan Andersen punches clear.

Down the other end, Dennis Rommedahl isn’t far from reading a long diagonal ball.

We’re going to have our first change of the game as Denmark midfielder Niki Zimling is unable to play on after taking a knock on the shin and has been replaced by Jakob Poulsen.

Spotting a couple of yards of space, Raul Meireles has a pop from distance which canons off a defender and falls to Ronaldo. The Real Madrid man gets the connection all wrong and completely scuffs the shot.

Ronaldo has just been bundled over by Kjaer and does his trademark stance before drilling the ball over the wall… and over the bar.

GOAL! Denmark 0-1 Portugal (Pepe)

Portugal have scored their first goal of Euro 2012 and you it comes thanks to everyone’s favourite player Pepe. After Daniel Agger fouls Helder Postiga, a free is whipped in and Postiga isn’t far away from putting it in. When Portugal take the resulting corner, the Real Madrid defender glances home past Andersen at the front post.

Yellow card for Meireles, who throws his hand in front of the ball to block a pass from midfield. Blatant stuff and Scottish referee Craig Thomson throws the Chelsea midfielder into his book.

Jacobsen shoves Ronaldo to the ground as he lines up a strike. Free-kick for Portugal, 25 yards out…

It catches the head of Kjaer and curls over for a corner.

GOAL! Denmark 0-2 Portugal (Helder Postiga)

Oh dear. The Danes now find themselves two behind. Coentrao’s ball from the right makes its way all the way to the other side, where Nani has time and space to thread a pass through for Postiga and he finishes emphatically.

GOAL! Denmark 1-2 Portugal (Nicklas Bendtner)

And they’ve pulled one back. Jacobsen swings a cross to the back post, where Krohn-Dehli nods it back across. Sunderland striker Bendtner has the easy task of directing the ball over the line. Game on.

HALF-TIME: Denmark 1-2 Portugal

Cracking first half. Let’s hope we witness more of the same. Second half is underway.

What a chance. Ronaldo is away from the Danish defenders and only has Andersen to beat but gives the goalkeeper a chance to get down well and keep it out. You would expect him to score those.

UEFA had clearly banked on him scoring…

Yellow card for Jakob Poulsen as the substitutes leaves a trailing leg to take out Nani. Veloso floats in the free, but it’s punched away.

Corner for Denmark here. Headed away and pumped up field. Dennis Rommedahl is holding his hamstring problem so Denmark look like they will have to make their second enforced change.

Denmark threatening and after a prolonged period of possession, Stuttgart midfielder William Kvist catches a volley sweetly from 20 yards and it’s not far away from the top corner.

Tobias Mikkelsen, just on for Rommedahl, takes on Veloso with his first piece of action and nutmegs his opponent. Upon getting to the end line however, his delivery is weak.

20-year-old Nelson Oliveira is on for Postiga, meanwhile.

Super take by Bendtner, who expertly controls the ball and steps inside for a strike but drags his effort wide of the mark. Denmark still very much in this at 2-1.

Kjaer inches away from connecting with Eriksen’s free but Patricio fists away. Portugal go down the other end and Ronaldo is put through for what should be a routine finish.

Incredibly, he somehow manages to put the ball a good four yards wide. Bizarre.

GOAL! Denmark 2-2 Portugal (Nicklas Bendtner)

How sick must Ronaldo feel?! Bendtner, wearing Paddy Power boxers, heads yet another Euro 2012 goal into the back of the net after a cross from the left. Patricio gets a hand to the ball but can only push it onto the inside of the post.

Silvestre Varela, on as a sub in the defeat to Germany, comes on for Meireles. Portugal have five minutes to rescue three points but it’s just not happening for Ronaldo right now.

GOAL! Denmark 2-3 Portugal (Silvestre Varela)

And it’s the substitute who scores what could well be the winner! Swinging a left leg at it first time around, the Porto man misses completely but steadies himself for a second go and rifles past Andersen.

Nani is off for defender Rolando and they will just look to run down the clock now.

FULL-TIME: Denmark 2-3 Portugal

One final chance to level up the scores falls to recently-introduced Lasse Schone, but his attempt is high and wild. It’s been a rollercoaster of a game and Portugal have earned themselves their first three points.

What a group this ‘Group of Death’ is turning out to be. Portugal, beaten by Germany, narrowly see off Denmark… who had claimed a 1-0 win over the Netherlands. All we need now is a Dutch win tonight and all four teams would be on three points going into the final game. Amazing.

Here’s that winning goal from Varela:

YouTube credit:

We’ve just had one cracker of a game, but there’s still plenty to come. As I write, Sean is getting his liveblog started for the meeting of the Netherlands and Germany. It promises to be a classic stick with us.

Preview: Krohn-Delhi out to upset Portugal

VIDEO: New Manchester United signing Nick Powell’s goals of 2011/12

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