Michael Krohn-Dehli scored the only goal of the game as Denmark shocked highly-fancied Holland 1-0 in the opening match of Euro 2012 Group B in Kharkiv.

Bert van Marwijk's side created 28 chances at Metalist Stadium, hitting the post through Arjen Robben and having two penalty appeals turned down.

But only Krohn-Dehli was able to find the target and he did so in style, lashing a fierce angled drive through the legs of Maarten Stekelenburg in the 24th minute.

Jetro Willems became the youngest player at a European Championship and blasted a long-range drive over Stephan Andersen's bar in the third minute as the Oranje signalled their attacking intent early on.

Robben's seventh-minute cross deflected kindly into the path of Robin van Persie but the Arsenal captain sidefooted wide when he should have done better.

The Dutch had looked totally in control, but were stunned in the 24th minute when Denmark took the lead against the run of play. Simon Poulsen burst down the left and, after the Danes got lucky with his cross ricocheting straight to Krohn-Dehli, the Brondby winger despatched an angled left-footed drive through Stekelenburg's legs.

Robben latched on to a poor attempted pass from Andersen in the 36th minute and hit a left-footed shot against the post. But Denmark's confidence soon grew and a well-worked move three minutes before the break almost put them two up, Stekelenburg diving to his left to save Krohn-Dehli's low effort.

After the interval, Van Persie fell over his own feet when well placed and then had a right-footed shot on the slide kept out by Andersen. Holland captain Mark van Bommel unleashed a vicious drive which brought another fine save out of Andersen, and John Heitinga powered a free header over the bar from Robben's corner.

Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar latched on to a stunning outside-of-the-boot pass from the influential Wesley Sneijder only to be denied by Andersen, with Van Persie's frustrating evening continuing when he fouled the keeper in attempting to pounce on the follow-up.

The Holland players were enraged in the 89th minute when referee Damir Skomina waved away penalty appeals after the ball struck Lars Jacobsen's hand and averted the danger from Huntelaar. Van Persie flicked a header over the bar from Sneijder's cross two minutes into stoppage time, but it was not to be for Holland.