If the rollercoaster of emotions were not enough to give Denmark a sense of destiny at these Euros, there is a parallel with Russia to consider as well.
Mention that country to any Dane with a passing interest in football and they will tell you the story of their World Cup qualifier against the Soviet Union in June 1985, which Denmark won 4-2 in front of 45,000 at Copenhagen's old Idraetsparken stadium.
It was the win that took Denmark to their first World Cup, where they destroyed Uruguay, beat Scotland and even West Germany, in the high-water mark of the 'Danish Dynamite', as the nation's great 1980s team were known. 'What Denmark did was amazing,' Diego Maradona once reflected of that team. 'They were like a bullet train.'
Denmark produced a brilliant performance to beat Russia 4-1 to progress to the last 16
Manager Kasper Hjulmand has reinvigorated the national team since taking over in last year
Kasper Hjulmand's players have beaten Russia 4-1 this time to reach the last 16 of Euro 2020, where Wales lie in wait. The symmetry has helped create a sense that something may be written in the stars for a nation that was confronted with the horror of Christian Eriksen's collapse.
Hjulmand has proved a very good man for a crisis. He has spoken candidly but not cloyingly about Eriksen in this past fortnight. The simple act of wearing a bracelet with a silver football inside during the Russia game, as a tribute to the midfielder, has been extremely well received in Denmark.
Simon Kjaer's conduct on the night of the incident will likely lead UEFA to honour him in some way after the tournament.
'The Danish supporters' love of the national team has become stronger,' says Fritz Ahlstrom, a Danish writer who worked with the team in the 1980s. 'We have seen how the team responded to the most terrible event. People have seen their human side.'
The relationship has not always been like this. Three years ago, Denmark fell out of love with its football team after a dispute over commercial rights saw the
