DEFENDING champions Denmark, fairytale winners in Sweden four years ago, were brought back to reality after surrendering the lead in a pulsating 1-1 draw against Portugal at Hillsborough last night.
And the Danes were lucky not to lose a match in which the Portuguese showed why Pele is tipping Antonio Oliveira's talented youngsters to go all the way to the title.
To the delight of their 15,000 fans packed into the stadium for this Group D opener, Laudrup got the Danes off to the perfect start with a 21st minute strike.
But Portugal, who were true to their promise of all out attack, finally grabbed the equaliser their slick, fluid football deserved with a header from Sporting Lisbon striker Ricardo Sa Pinto after 53 minutes.
Laudrup, playing alongside his elder brother Michael for the first time in the finals of a major championship, was the beneficiary of a dreadful mistake by highly rated goalkeeper Vitor Baia.
The Porto goalkeeper tried to clear a backpass but hit the ball straight at young Danish striker Mikkel Bekk. The ball ricocheted off his head straight to Laudrup on the right of the box.
The Glasgow Rangers striker burst towards the goal line before cutting sharply inside and rifling an unstoppable shot into the roof of Baia's net from an oblique angle.
Portugal had a number of chances to draw level, not least when Ricardo Pinto broke down the empty spaces on the right and crossed for midfielder Luis Figo.
Eigo turned the defence but with just Schmeichel to beat from six yards, fired a left footed shot over the bar.
Rui Cost a twice went close to levelling but a low free kick on 30 minutes was just pushed out by Schmeichel. Three minutes before the interval, the 24 year old was inches away from breaching the Danish goal with a fierce shot from the edge of the box but it slipped past the right hand upright.
The drama continued at the start of the second period before Portugal drew level with a well taken goal that their greater adventure and incisive passing deserved.
Substitute Antonio Folha broke down the left before picking out Sa Pinto with a perfectly weighted cross for the unmarked 23 year old Sporting Lisbon striker to head beyond Schmeichel from eight yards out.
The chances continued to appear at both ends but the best chance of victory fell to the Danes when Brian Laudrup found himself clean through on Baia after 70 minutes only to blast, his shot straight at the advancing goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, the vociferous Danish fans fell momentarily silent when Claus Thomsen - who plays for English first division side Ipswich - headed over from close range after Thomas Helveg's cross from the right found him unmarked at the far post.
Portugal almost snatched a dramatic last minute win when a misunderstanding between Marc Rieper and Schmeichel let in substitute Jose Tavares who fired just wide from the edge of the box.
