Euro 2024 Qualifiers: Hojlund's Hattrick Helps Denmark Claim Emphatic 3-1 Win Over Finland

Denmark secured a crucial victory in their European Championship Group H qualifying campaign with a 3-1 win over Finland at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium on Thursday.

The Danes were without their star playmaker Christian Eriksen, who was sidelined due to an ankle injury, and suffered another setback when defender Andreas Christensen limped off the field with a leg injury in the 18th minute.

However, 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund stepped up to the occasion, scoring a brilliant hat-trick to give Denmark a much-needed win.

Denmark started strongly and took the lead in the 21st minute when Hojlund finished off a fantastic cross from Alexander Bah.

Finland responded well in the second half and equalized in the 53rd minute when Teemu Pukki played a neat pass to Oliver Antman, who calmly slotted the ball past Denmark's goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Finland goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky made several important saves to keep the scores level, denying Joakim Maehle, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Hojlund on multiple occasions.

Hojlund broke through in the 82nd minute with a close-range header, before completing his hat-trick with a powerful shot in stoppage time.

The win puts Denmark in second place in Group H with three points, behind leaders Belgium who beat Wales 3-1 earlier in the day.

Denmark will next face Moldova on Sunday, while Finland will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina on the same day.