Danish Superliga match features fans in stadium via Zoom

Like the Bundesliga before it and the upcoming returns of the English Premier League and Italian Serie A amid the coronavirus pandemic, Denmark's Superliga resumed play on Thursday evening without fans in attendance due to restrictions limiting large gatherings. 

The league nevertheless found an interesting way to involve supporters in the action. 

Per ESPN, thousands of fans who joined a Zoom videoconference call were featured on Ceres Park stadium screens during a match between AGF Aarhus and Randers, the league's first game since it suspended play in March because of the devastating virus outbreak. 

Additionally, cardboard supporters were placed in the stands, and noise was piped in over loudspeakers. 

Aarhus secured a 1-1 draw and a point after Patrick Mortensen tallied a stoppage-time goal. 

The Bundesliga has experimented with virtual crowd noise for league games during its final stretch of matches. Reports surfaced in April that Sky Sports could use CGI fans for matches played behind closed doors beginning on June 17.