Kevin De Bruyne broke Danish hearts in Copenhagen, scoring one and providing another of the substitutes' bench as Belgium booked their spot in the Euro 2020 knockout rounds with a 2-1 win.
On an emotional afternoon at Parken Stadium, where just four days earlier Christian Eriksen had suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch, Denmark flew out of the traps, scoring the second-quickest goal in European Championships history and threatening more before Belgian substitutes swung the contest in their favor.
Whether they were there to support Belgium or Denmark, every supporter in the Parken Stadium seemed to be united before kickoff in their determination to give Eriksen something to smile about. Once the game was underway, his teammates soon gave him cause for even greater delight when they pounced on a mistake by Jason Denayer, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg slipping in Youssuf Poulsen to drive low past Thibaut Courtois.
Denmark might have been several goals clear early on, Belgium's goalkeeper saving early efforts from wing backs Joakim Maelhe and Daniel Wass as the home team penned their opponents in with an energetic press.
Belgium looked a shadow of the side ranked No. 1 in the world by FIFA at least until the introduction of De Bruyne at the interval. The Manchester City playmaker was immediately at the heart of proceedings, coolly dropping two Danish defenders to the deck with a feint before squaring for Thorgan Hazard to equalize.
De Bruyne's goal might have been even better, Romelu Lukaku holding off and beating two defenders before Youri Tielemans teed up the substitute to slam a shot into the bottom left corner.
Martin Braithwaite twice came close to an equalizer in the game's closing quarter, one which would have significantly aided Danish hopes of reaching the last 16 ahead of the visit of Russia to Copenhagen on Monday.
In the build-up to this game, Kasper Schmeichel had spoken about winning, not just against Belgium but throughout the tournament, for Eriksen. They did so, playing with an intensity and energy that came from something deeper than just a desire to win for themselves. They were playing for the man who could not be with them.
Eriksen is not far away in spirit or in person, from his hospital room on the other side of Faelledparken, he could perhaps have heard the roar when the clock struck 10 minutes and Belgium. The energy that naturally vanished when Danish players had to finish off their opening game against Finland only a few hours after seeing their friend suffer a life-changing cardiac arrest was apparent in almost every second of this thrilling contest.
Denmark pressed with aggression and defended with spirit. On those rare occasions where a Belgian player looked like darting forward they immediately found their path to goal blocked by three or more opponents in red.
This was not just a performance of intensity and emotion, there was real quality and intelligence as well. They knew where the weak points in their much-garlanded opponents were and Kasper Hjullmand's side exploited those spaces in behind the wing-backs remorselessly. Mikkel Damsgaard was free to drift across the front and look for overloads, when he combined with Joakim Maelhe down the left there seemed to be no obstacles to Courtois' goal.
They would ultimately regret those missed chances but no one who was watching, at Parken Stadium or around the world, will forget how wonderfully Denmark responded to their adversity over recent days.
Denmark certainly had help in their bright start. A lazy pass by Denayer was compounded by the defender's decision to sprint toward danger and leave Poulsen in space to drill home. The youngest of the back three was hardly alone in struggling, particularly down the left flank.
Hazard is more winger than wing back and it showed. It also rather exposed the Achilles heel of the Belgian backline, Jan Vertonghen playing like a man with every one of his 700-plus games on the clock. Poulsen found it all too easy to peel into those spaces; the RB Leipzig striker might not be the most explosive of forwards, but he scarcely needed to break into a sprint to ease away from.
The concern for Roberto Martinez will be that with Timothy Castagne out of the tournament his flanks and backline look rather vulnerable. It said everything that with his defense looking like a sieve at the interval, he opted to throw on ever more attackers. Thomas Vermaelen, 35, is hardly the sort of player to strengthen that backline. Even after taking the lead Braithwaite was still able to glide through the Belgian rearguard almost at will.
The defensive problems will be at least partly mitigated by the return of key attacking players, not least De Bruyne, with whom the Belgian side looked a different proposition in the final third. The No. 7 may not have played since the Champions League final, but he immediately found himself on the same wavelength as Romelu Lukaku and Thorgan Hazard, providing a brilliant through ball for the former to start a counterattack that ended with De Bruyne rolling the ball into the path of the latter.
Throw the returning Axel Witsel and Eden Hazard into this equation and there is attacking talent in abundance. There will need to be. It rather seems like Belgium's best bet will be to outscore opponents.
Stunning. Absolutely world class. Brilliant build-up play from Lukaku and his Belgian team mates. Brilliant hold up play by the Inter Milan striker. A wonderful hit by De Bruyne.
All square now as Belgium finally click. De Bruyne and Lukaku combine down the right, the cutback from the latter before De Bruyne dummies a hit, sending two defenders to the floor before he squares the ball for Hazard to tap into the net.
Dries Mertens' 100th appearance for Belgium ends at half time. The replacement is not too shabby however. Kevin De Bruyne is on, playing his first game since fracturing his eye socket in the Champions League final.
A moment there that typifies Belgium's first half. Lukaku wins a free-kick just outside the right corner of the box. Carrasco stands over it and punts the ball straight into touch.
Denmark's final ball is rather letting them down but Belgium are giving them plenty of chances to make amends. When Damsgaard gets one delivery wrong Vertonghen clears it straight to the Sampdoria winger, who proceeds to beat two players before curling just wide of the far post.
It really was the dream start!
This Danish defense looks so easy to get at with a bit of pace. Damsgaard, Braithwaite and Poulsen are stretching the ageing back three, dragging them into the channels and looking to spring crosses in behind. Thorgan Hazard isn't a natural defender, frankly Meunier isn't offering much support either.
Hojbjerg slips a brilliant pass in behind to Poulsen but Damsgaard is a little too far behind the play and the Danish scorer shanks his cross out of play.
