Portugal's first match post-Ronaldo ends in 4-1 humiliation against Denmark
Denmark inflicted a humbling defeat on Portugal at the Estadio Municipal de Braga on Saturday, in the team’s first match since Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s penalty, a Rasmus Hojlund double and a Joachim Andersen header put the visitors 4-0 up, and although Bernardo Silva scored in the 90+4 minute, Portugal’s perfect Nations League record unravelled in a 4-1 defeat.
The night began with a tribute. Portugal’s players wore Ronaldo’s number 7 shirt in the tunnel, and the stadium stood to applaud him in the seventh minute. Jorge Jesus had said before kick-off that nobody could forget the 23 years the forward gave to the national team.
Denmark had the better of the opening spell. They held 75 per cent of possession in the first 15 minutes, and Hojbjerg, Morten Hjulmand, Hojlund and Gustav Isaksen all went close. Portugal were sloppy, disjointed and slow to settle in front of a subdued crowd.
Portugal grew into the contest after that. Pedro Neto and Joao Felix had sights of goal, and Joao Felix was denied by a Mads Hermansen save at the near post. Renato Veiga headed a corner across goal, and Hermansen again scrambled to stop Felix from close range.
Denmark thought they had scored in the 38th minute. Hojlund finished a Joachim Andersen header back across goal, but Mikkel Damsgaard had strayed fractionally offside and VAR confirmed the flag. A minute later Diogo Costa saved from Hojlund’s header at the near post.
The pivotal moment followed in the 41st minute. A VAR review showed Ruben Dias had steered Hojlund’s header back to his own goalkeeper with an arm, and the referee pointed to the spot. Hojbjerg smashed the penalty into the top-left corner to make it 1-0 at the break.
Portugal had only 0.18 expected goals in the half, and Goncalo Ramos managed just eight touches. Dias was booked in the first minute of the second half for a wild, high challenge on Damsgaard, and the home side never recovered their composure.
Hojlund doubled the lead in the 49th minute. Isaksen brought down Hojbjerg’s cross-field pass and found Damsgaard, who turned and crossed to the back post, where the striker volleyed into the bottom corner. Costa again had no chance.
The third arrived eight minutes later. Hojbjerg threaded a throughball into Hojlund’s feet, and he turned Veiga before driving a right-footed shot into the far corner. It was his second of the night and his fourth in four Nations League appearances against Portugal.
Neto then missed a glorious chance in the 56th minute. Ruben Neves’s shot was palmed away by Hermansen, but Neto, with the rebound at his feet, skied it over the bar. It was the moment Portugal might have clawed their way back.
Jesus made a triple change in the 64th minute. Francisco Trincao replaced Neto, Joao Palhinha replaced Neves, and Carlos Forbs came on for Felix, wearing the number 7 shirt for the first time since Ronaldo’s retirement. Fernandes was replaced by Bernardo Silva in the 79th minute.
Andersen made it four in the 75th minute, meeting a Mathias Jensen free kick with a bullet header into the top corner. Denmark’s travelling fans were delighted, and the home crowd had little to cheer. Hojlund was substituted soon afterwards, with William Osula replacing him.
Portugal pulled one back late on. Silva, who had come on to captain the side, scored in the 90+3 minute, and it was a shot with an expected goals value of 0.39. It was a consolation only, and Denmark had already shown the gulf in quality.
Portugal had won all four of their Nations League games before this, and had already qualified for the quarter-finals. They travel to Wales on Tuesday, while Denmark host Norway in a winner-takes-all game for the second quarter-final place.