Portugal Beat Denmark 4-2 in Nations League Match Without Ronaldo
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Portugal secured a 4-2 victory over Denmark in their UEFA Nations League encounter on Thursday, despite playing without Cristiano Ronaldo.
Vitinha and Joao Felix scored in the second half as Portugal regained the lead and eventually sealed the match after Denmark had twice equalised.
The match had attracted significant attention before kick-off following Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal’s training camp a day earlier. The veteran forward had been left out of the starting lineup for the game against Denmark.
Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus said before the match that his team needed to remain focused on the game despite the developments surrounding Ronaldo.
Portugal made a strong start, with Joao Cancelo opening the scoring in the 13th minute. Denmark responded quickly, as Mikkel Damsgaard found the net 10 minutes later to level the score.
Goncalo Ramos restored Portugal’s advantage just two minutes after Denmark’s equaliser. The forward was selected to lead the attack in Ronaldo’s absence.
Denmark again drew level early in the second half through Rasmus Hojlund.
Portugal regained the lead in the 57th minute when Vitinha headed the ball into the net. Joao Felix then completed the scoring three minutes before the end of normal time after finishing a quick counter-attack.
The result gave Jorge Jesus a third consecutive victory since taking charge of the Portuguese national team.
Speaking after the match, Jesus praised his players’ performance and emphasized that the team’s focus should remain on its upcoming fixtures.
Ronaldo had also been left on the bench during Portugal’s previous 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway. He had started the team’s earlier 1-0 win against Wales.
Ronaldo later said in a social media statement that he had decided to leave the national team’s training camp after speaking with the Portuguese Football Federation president. He said he would explain his reasons for the decision at a later stage.
Portugal will next face Norway at home on Sunday as they continue their Nations League campaign.
