Although there was nothing at stake for qualification, the Danes were strong favorites to avoid finishing last. Janni Thomsen had a prime chance to put Denmark ahead early, but when she found herself unmarked six yards from goal, she astonishingly volleyed over the bar.

That miss proved costly moments later when Natalia Padilla reacted quickest to a loose ball in the area and slammed home Poland’s first goal of the tournament after Ewelina Kamczyk’s cross created chaos in the Danish defense.

The goalscorer then turned into a provider as the Poles doubled their lead, with Padilla delivering a perfect cross to the head of record scorer Ewa Pajor, who directed it home to put Poland two goals ahead.

Denmark appeared visibly stunned and were lucky not to fall three goals behind in a comical fashion. Kamczyk’s long-range shot seemed destined for the hands of Maja Bay Ostergaard, but the ball slipped through her grasp, and only the crossbar saved her from embarrassment.

The woodwork rattled at the other end before halftime as Denmark reminded Poland that they were still in contention when Signe Bruun hit a header against the bar.

A goalkeeping blunder in the first half went unpunished for Denmark, but they benefited from a similar mistake in the second half. In eerily familiar circumstances, Janni Thomsen attempted a long-range shot this time, and her effort, although seemingly easy for Kinga Szemik to handle, slipped through her fingers and rolled over the line.

Denmark gained momentum from that point, and although they equalized when, in her last international tournament, Nadia Nadim scored a goal, her celebrations were cut short as she was ruled offside in the buildup.

Their disappointment deepened just moments later when, against the flow of play, Martyna Wiankowska struck a shot off the crossbar to restore Poland’s two-goal lead.

Bruun soon reduced that advantage back to one when she headed in Katrine Veje’s delivery, but that served as little more than a consolation for Denmark, who suffered three defeats in a single Euros campaign for the first time in history.

Flashscore Player of the Match: Natalia Padilla (Poland)

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