While the European champions England defeated Denmark 1-0 on Friday, coach Lars Sondergaard acknowledged there were lessons to be learned from his team’s first defeat at the Women’s World Cup.

At Sydney Football Stadium, Lauren James scored the game’s lone goal in the sixth minute with an incredible strike from outside the box that stunned the 13th-ranked Danes.

However, Denmark quickly recovered and, with a number of outstanding opportunities late in the match, threatened to duplicate their 90th-minute goal in their 1-0 victory over China.

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Pernille Harder of Bayern Munich, who had been named one of the finest players in the world a day before by Lucy Bronze of England, had a header rebound off the post, and Katrine Veje fired a dipping drive that custodian Mary Earps stretched to narrowly miss the crossbar.

When England’s Keira Walsh was forced to leave the game late in the first half due to injury, the midfield fight turned in favour of Denmark, and Sondergaard expressed satisfaction with how his team grew into the match.

“I think we grew into the game, the second part of the first half, we won some duels, we won some balls in midfield… second half, we went out playing with a little bit more confidence,” the 64-year-old said.

“We could see that England got a little bit insecure, easy balls that we won, and I think we put pressure on them in the last part… could have deserved an equalizer.

“I’m happy with the way we ended the game.”

The Danes have a chance to make it to the knockout round. On Tuesday, they take on Haiti in their last Group D match.

“I definitely think we played a little bit better today,” Sondergaard said.

“Of course it’s always how your opponent plays as well.

“But I think we were more dangerous, because we played a little bit more direct than we did in the first game.”