Manchester United duo Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen have been eliminated from Euro 2024 – following a 2-0 loss to Germany in the Round of 16.
The Danish pair will not be heading back to Carrington with a Euros winners medal around their necks, as the hosts put on a late show on a night with torrential downpours and lightning strikes to become the second side to advance to the quarter-finals.
But it could have been so different. The game was also full of controversy, with VAR calls aplenty. Nico Schlotterbeck had an early header ruled out, while Denmark were cruelly denied in the second half when Joachim Andersen’s strike was chalked off as team-mate Thomas Delaney was just inches offside.
Alas, as they always seem to, the Germans punished their opposition. Goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala were enough to secure the victory for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, and more importantly, send Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen packing.
Rasmus Hojlund thinks he should have scored
In Hojlund’s first ever Euros, and probably Eriksen’s last – it ended in misery for Denmark. They fought valiantly, but Germany just had too much firepower for them.
Hojlund reflected on the defeat in an emotional Instagram post and will be hoping for better in the future after a goalless tournament for the Manchester United youngster.
He was also disappointed with his performance after the game, having skewed a lot of chances in the 90 minutes he played.
“I should have scored today, and I know that. I take on that responsibility. You become the hero when you score, and then you become the villain when you don’t. I take that responsibility 100 per cent on my shoulders, even though I’m young, and it’s my first tournament,” Hojlund said post-match to Danish TV.
“It has not affected me at all. Of course, I want to score goals. That’s what I do for a living. I can be a little frustrated after a game, for example after I burned today, but at the same time I know that my development is going in the right direction, and this team is getting better and better, so hopefully I will score my goal for another tournament in the future.
“I have lacked the final sharpness. I think I played a good game today. Probably my best game of the tournament. I had chipped, and if I had fallen on it with [Nico] Schlotterbeck, where I kicked it into the side netting, then maybe there would have been a penalty, and then I had a good first touch on it in the second half, where I clocked it a bit and kicked straight at the goalkeeper.
“Football is decided on margins, and we were just missing the last of those, also with criminal warrants and everything.”
Christian Eriksen criticized by Rafael van der Vaart
But such as Hojlund didn’t have the best of games for his nation, and neither did the captain, Eriksen. Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart thought he could’ve done more on the night.
“I expected more from them – including Eriksen. We all have a soft spot for him because of what happened to his heart,” the former Ajax player told NOS.
“You still see his class in glimpses as with the one chance [Højlund’s]. But I could use more, I must be honest and say.
“They (Denmark) have a lot of players in big clubs, but I don’t think they have played so well in this tournament that you think ‘wow.’
At the end of the day, it wasn’t meant to be for the Danish at Euro 2024, and now two of Manchester United’s stars are returning home ahead of the Pre-Season Tour 2024.
Now, just Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo and Altay Bayindir remain – but for how long is unknown.