Roaring Tunisian crowds created an electric atmosphere from the moment the whistle was blown at the Education City Stadium in Doha, on day three of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Danes held up possession in the first moments after kick off, but were quickly rattled by a strong Tunisian side backed by solid support in the stands.
A dominant Tunisia managed to find the back of the net in the 23rd minute, but the excitement was cut short when the referee called offside.
High spirits
Despite the setback, Tunisian spirits remained high both on the stands and pitch. Moments later, a Danish attempt on goal was thwarted, with goalkeeper Ayman Dahmen handling the ball with ease.
With four minutes added, the score remained level at 0-0 at half time.
Denmark managed to slip past the Tunisian defence in the 68th minute with number 10 Christian Eriksen striking in the top right before being denied by a swift dive by the goalkeeper.
However, with a corner kick still threatening the Tunisian side, chaos ensued in the penalty box and a failed tap into the goal marked a close call for the Eagles of Carthage.
As both teams began to show tiredness well into the second half, Tunisia was given a fresh boost as Manchester United’s Hannibal Mejbri was substituted on.
Last-ditch attempts
Taha Yassine Khenissi received a booking in the 85th minute, after a hard knock into Mathias Jensen, marking the third yellow card of the match for both sides.
Tensions were high as the timer edged closer to the 90th minute, with both sides taking it up a gear to secure a goal.
A stunning Danish strike from outside of the box was saved in the final moments, and a sudden VAR handball check in the penalty box spiked tensions for the Tunisians.Â
With the VAR ruling out a potential last minute penalty, the 42,925 capacity stadium once again erupted with cheers, whistles and chants.