This was a reminder that Denmark, highly favoured in many quarters, must walk steadily before they attempt to run. They deserved no more than a draw against a clever, highly motivated and rattlingly intense Tunisia who were on top for much of the first hour. Even though Andreas Cornelius subsequently missed a sitter and a last-gasp penalty shout was dismissed by VAR, it would be hard to construct an argument that Christian Eriksen’s return to the highest stage should have been celebrated with three points.
At least they could focus on playing a game of football. Denmark have been at the forefront of the controversy over the OneLove armband, also seeing Fifa ban them from wearing a training shirt proclaiming support for human rights, and while their performance should be separated from that it is clear the farrago has taken a toll. In an extraordinary post-match press conference their manager, Kasper Hjulmand, laid bare his struggle dealing with the cloud that has dogged this tournament’s every step.
