Denmark had rattled the French with an opening flourish but Fabien Barthez kept them at bay and Nicolas Anelka provided the spark to set up Blanc's opener.

In a frenzied opening, Jon Dahl Tomasson squandered a gilt-edged chance to put the Danes ahead.

Ebbe Sand flicked a pass towards him in the second minute and, when Marcel Desailly slipped as he stretched for the ball, the former Newcastle striker found himself clean through.

Barthez saved with his legs and claimed a corner with confidence moments later.

Zinedine Zidane released Anelka but Rene Henriksen tracked back brilliantly as the striker lined up his shot.

Desailly tidied up a French farce in defence after Barthez collided with Blanc and Didier Deschamps raced back to intercept a cross from Morten Bisgaard with the world champions on the rack again.

Barthez saved low to his right from Sand and, seconds later, Anelka slipped the offside trap, skipped round Peter Schmeichel but fired his shot into the side-netting.

France recovered, however, to take the lead in the 16th minute.

A well-worked move began with a free-kick fortunately awarded for a foul by Jan Heintze on Youri Djorkaeff on halfway.

It ended with Anelka again bearing down on Schmeichel's goal. The big keeper raced from his line to deny the Real Madrid star but Blanc seized on the rebound and stroked the ball home.

Anelka was electric as he played on the shoulders of the Danish back four and only a lunge from Michael Schjonberg prevented the former Gunner connecting with a left-wing cross by Thierry Henry in the 24th minute.

Zidane, enjoying more of the ball as the tempo slowed after the goal, lashed a shot narrowly wide after driving forward from midfield.

Barthez easily kept out a tame drive from Allan Nielsen and Henry danced his way through the Danish defence and to the by-line but couldn't squeeze a shot on target from an acute angle.

Zidane released Djorkaeff on the right with a perfect pass, before half-time, but the French were denied by a controversial offside flag against Anelka in the centre.