Christensen was one of the players very understandably and very visibly upset by seeing their team-mate Christian Eriksen fall serious ill on the pitch towards the end of the first half against Finland.The Danish team stood together and with Eriksen to form a screen while he received emergency medical treatment, before the Inter Milan and former Tottenham player was carried off.Following the news he was awake and stable in hospital, and after a request by players from both teams, the game in Denmark’s home stadium in Copenhagen resumed after a 90-minute delay.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, with Christensen and his colleagues looking solid in defence and pushing forward frequently but without creating chances, until just before the hour when their Nordic rivals scored the game’s only goal against the run of play.Joel Pohjanpalo, a Bayer Leverkusen player, put his side ahead with a downward header that went through Kasper Schmeichel.

There was a great opportunity to equalise when Denmark were awarded a penalty by Premier League referee Anthony Taylor but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s effort was saved. A mixture of good and last-ditch defending then kept the Danes at bay during a couple of late attacks so the Finns were able to record a win in their first appearance at a European Championships, albeit on an evening when thoughts were with Eriksen rather than on the football.

Wales respond

In the day’s first game, Ethan Ampadu was introduced as a substitute at the very end of Wales’ 1-1 draw with Switzerland in Baku.The 20-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Sheffield United, came on with 92 minutes played after the Welsh had netted a second-half equaliser having conceded shortly after half-time. Their goal was a 74th-minute header from Cardiff City’s Kieffer Moore following a short-corner routine.

The Swiss also scored from a corner, Breel Embolo of Borussia Monchengladbach on target after his shot had just been saved by Danny Ward, and Wales were grateful for a series of good stops by their goalkeeper, while Yann Sommer in the opposite goal made a good save early on to deny Moore.This result followed Italy’s win over Turkey yesterday when the other teams in Group A met.

Belgium open with win

In Saturday’s other game in Group B, Denmark’s group, Michy Batshuayi was an unused sub as Belgium beat Russia comfortably.Former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku scored twice in a 3-0 win, taking his total for his national side to 62 goals. The first was netted after the ball broke his way off a defender and first-half substitute Thomas Meunier made it 2-0 before the break after the Russian goalie pushed a Thorgan Hazard cross in the Borussia Dortmund player’s direction.Lukaku added the third late on after running through. Belgium were missing Kevin De Bruyne and kept Eden Hazard on the bench until the last 20 minutes. Russia had another former Blue Yury Zhirkov, now 37, in their side but playing in his current home stadium in St Petersburg, he went off injured before half-time.