Image credit: Getty Images
Joel Pohjanpalo scored the only goal of the game as Finland edged out Denmark in their Euro 2020 Group B opener but the match was overshadowed by the awful moment Christian Eriksen collapsed and had to be taken to hospital.
Eriksen left the pitch conscious and in a stable condition but his sudden collapse just before half-time with no one around him shocked everyone inside Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
Immediately the players and match officials knew something was terribly wrong and called for medical assistance. The Danish players formed a wall around Eriksen as the medical professionals worked to resuscitate him.
Pictures showed that Eriksen was conscious as he was taken off the field, which was the first moment everyone was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
He has now been transferred to a local hospital in Copenhagen and is reported to be stable in hospital after the terrifying scenes.
UEFA decided that there would be a crisis meeting between the two teams and match officials to decide the next steps, then announced that the match would be restarted.
Upon the restart, in what was an understandably subdued atmosphere, the tempo of the match was very slow indeed.
It was Finland who conjured up the only goal of the game as Pohjanpalo pounced, though Kasper Schmeichel should certainly have done better with the effort which came more or less straight at him.
Denmark could not find a way through for the remainder of a match that will be remembered only for the shocking collapse suffered by Eriksen.
On a day when football was very much put into perspective, everyone just hopes Eriksen makes a full and speedy recovery.