Denmark vs Belgium LIVE: Danes play their first game since Christian Eriksen’s shock collapse as Romelu Lukaku looks to fire Roberto Martinez’s men into the knockout stage of …

He would almost have been able to hear the minute’s applause from his bed at Rigshospitalet, less than a mile from Parken Stadium. The strains of You’ll Never Walk Alone before kick-off and an emotional Danish national anthem.

Even if he hadn’t been allowed to watch this game on television, Christian Eriksen could have felt the love carried across Copenhagen on the warm evening air. From Denmark. From Belgium. From everyone associated with football.

From the teammates and fans who thought they had lost him just five days earlier when he collapsed, motionless, on the same pitch. From members of the Belgian camp like Romelu Lukaku, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld who have played alongside Eriksen at Inter Milan, Tottenham and Ajax.

A huge red No.10 shirt was carried onto the pitch beforehand in recognition of a player who was said to be wearing his national jersey in his hospital bed. They stopped play to applaud him in the 10th minute.

‘All of Denmark is behind you, Christian’ declared one banner. ‘Belgium Loves You’ read another.

Kevin De Bruyne inspired a second-half turnaround for Belgium to help them beat Denmark and reach the Euro 2020 last-16

De Bruyne (pictured wheeling away to celebrate) had been introduced as a substitute to devastating effect at Parken Stadium

A flowing move from Belgium saw De Bruyne teed up, and the playmaker crashed into the bottom corner to seal the victory

And Eriksen’s team rode that wave of emotion for all they were worth. They went ahead inside two minutes and for the rest of the first half made the No.1 ranked team in the world look like a bunch of strangers.

How would Denmark react? Very well, it turned out. Belgium were the ones who seemed overwhelmed by the occasion.

Wretched and overrun in the first half, they were much improved in the second. Frankly, they couldn’t have been any worse.

Of course, it helps when you can summon the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Axel Witsel off the bench.

De Bruyne helped turn this game on its head more than anyone, coming on at half-time to set up the equaliser and score the winner.

Thorgan Hazard (left) placed Belgium onto level terms with De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku combining sharply down the right

Hazard was left with the simple task of tapping into the empty net and the momentum then quickly swung the way of Belgium

MATCH FACTS, RATINGS AND LIVE GROUP TABLE

DENMARK (3-4-3): Schmeichel 6; Christensen 6.5, Kaer 7, Vestergaard 6 (Olsen 84); Wass 6.5, Hojbjerg 7, Delaney 6 (Jensen 72, 6.5), Maehle 6.5; Damsgaard 7 (Cornelius 72), Poulsen 7 (Norgaard 62, 6), Braithwaite 6.5

Subs not used: Andersen, Skov, Dolberg, Jorgensen, Lossl, Wind, Ronnow

Goals: Poulsen 2

Booked: Wass, Jensen

Manager: Kasper Hjulmand 

BELGIUM (3-4-3): Courtois 6.5; Alderweireld 6.5, Denayer 5.5, Vertonghen 5; Meunier 6, Tielemens 6.5, Dendoncker 5.5 (Witsel 59, 6.5), T Hazard 7 (Vermaelen 90+4); Mertens 5 (De Bruyne 46, 8), Lukaku 7.5, Carrasco 6 (E Hazard 59, 7) 

Subs not used: Boyata, Mignolet, Sels, Benteke, Batshuayi, Trossard, Doku, Praet

Goals: Hazard 55, De Bruyne 70

Booked: T. Hazard 

Manager: Roberto Martinez 

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Holland) 7 

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It wasn’t the script people had hoped for, perhaps, but it was a reminder just how powerful this Belgium team will be when it’s at full strength.

They are through to the last 16 after two wins, leaving Denmark’s hopes hanging on their final Group B game against Russia on Monday. Kasper Hjulmand’s side will not be short of fans around the world willing them to do it, especially after this performance.

‘I didn’t expect too much from this game but I can’t describe the pride I feel for the squad,’ said Hjulmand.

‘Five days after almost losing one of their best friends, they play a game like this. It’s amazing. They totally dominated the best team in the world.

‘Thank you so much for all the support we’ve been getting, it means the world to us.

‘With Christian in our minds and hearts, we’re going to stick together and beat the Russians – we’re not done in this competition.’

Yussuf Poulsen scored the opening goal of the clash just two minutes in as a determined Denmark got off to the perfect start

Poulsen was afforded space inside the area to shoot and the strike arrowed across Thibaut Courtois and into the net

The emotion was visible from each of Denmark’s players and the home nation then set about trying to double their advantage

Denmark’s coaching staff came together to embrace as a group after Poulsen scored against the world’s No 1 ranked nation

The Danes swarmed all over Belgium from the first whistle and didn’t let up until half-time when the shot count was 9-1 in their favour.

The one that mattered came after 99 seconds, making it the second fastest goal in Euros history after Dmitry Kirichenko’s strike for Russia against Greece in 2004.

Jason Denayer, recalled to the line-up, played a lazy pass that was intercepted by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Denayer tried to make amends by chasing the ball, but that only left Yussuf Poulsen unmarked and Hojbjerg slipped the ball to his teammate. Poulsen took aim and despatched the ball inside Thibaut Courtois’ right-hand post.

Thomas Delaney described the atmosphere as a ‘crazy tailwind’ and it could have been worse for Belgium had Daniel Wass and Mikkel Damsgaard not squandered chances for the hosts.

When Roberto Martinez’s side got a rare sight of goal just before half-time, Yannick Carrasco sent a free kick bouncing into the stands.

Mikkel Damsgaard caught the eye on only his second international start for Denmark and dragged a strike wide of the target

Daniel Wass had also been heavily involved for Denmark, but his crashing effort from distance wasn’t able to trouble Courtois

Wass clambered up at the back post to muster a header on goal, but Courtois was able to collect with ease at his near post

It could have been much worse for Belgium if Denmark had shown better finishing as Daniel Wass and Mikkel Damsgaard both squandered chances.

When Roberto Martinez’s side got a rare sight of goal just before half-time, Yannick Carrasco sent it bouncing into the stands.

Half-time brought respite and, crucially, the arrival of De Bruyne who had not played since suffering facial fractures in Manchester City’s defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League final last month.

It took him nine minutes to make a difference. Lukaku finally got free of Simon Kjaer, the Inter Milan striker hurdling the AC Milan defender’s desperate lunge as he accelerated down the right flank.

Lukaku cut the ball back for De Bruyne who produced the bit of quality his team had been missing, spiriting it away from Wass and Jannik Vestergaard before squaring again for Thorgen Hazard who couldn’t miss from close-range.

Martinez summoned Witsel – making his first appearance since January after injury – and Eden Hazard from the bench, and we had a different game on our hands.

The decisive goal arrived in the 70th minute after Lukaku ran in behind the Denmark defence onto Alderweireld’s pass.

Romelu Lukaku was initially left isolated in the fixture but gradually began to assert his influence to help Belgium take the win

Yannick Carrasco bent a free-kick into the box, but the delivery evaded all his team-mates as Belgium’s frustration mounted

Roberto Martinez cut a frustrated figure on the touchline during the clash, but his heavyweight outfit are in the next round

Damsgaard marred his good display by picking up a booking for diving, with the youngster throwing himself down in the box

The whole of the ground stood to applaud Eriksen as the Denmark talisman continues his recovery in a local hospital

A giant jersey designed to look like Eriksen’s for his country was unveiled on the field ahead of the match getting underway

He looked to be boxed in by three defenders but managed to find Youri Tielemens and the ball was shifted quickly through both Hazard brothers to the feet of De Bruyne.

His decision to strike it early gave Kasper Schmeichel no chance as he lashed a shot past the Leicester keeper.

There was no great celebration. ‘I went to the part of the pitch where Eriksen collapsed on Saturday and I stayed calm,’ said De Bruyne. 

Denmark kept fighting to the last, Martin Braithwaite clipping the bar with a header in the 87th minute following a great turn and cross by substitute Andreas Skov Olsen, but they fell just short.

‘In this tournament, we cannot give away 45 minutes,’ said Martinez. ‘Denmark really took advantage of the crowd and the emotions around the fixture.

‘The way De Bruyne, Witsel and Hazard came on, you’re going to see that difference to know how to do the right things under immense pressure.

‘You don’t get over 300 caps like they have without being special at what you do.’

Re-live all the drama from Copenhagen below with Sportsmail’s DANIEL DAVIS’ live text updates…