Portugal defeated Denmark 4-2 in the Nations League as Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and João Félix helped secure victory in Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence.
Web Desk: Portugal defeated Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen on Thursday to maintain their perfect start to the UEFA Nations League campaign, overcoming the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo in a six-goal thriller.
Ronaldo was not part of the Portugal squad for the match after leaving the national team’s training camp on Wednesday. His departure had dominated the build-up to the game, but Portugal responded with a strong attacking performance.
Portugal Take Early Lead
João Cancelo opened the scoring for Portugal inside the first 13 minutes.
Denmark responded 10 minutes later when Mikkel Damsgaard curled home an equaliser, but Portugal quickly restored their advantage.
Gonçalo Ramos, selected to lead the attack in Ronaldo’s absence, scored two minutes after Damsgaard’s goal to put Portugal back in front.
Denmark Fight Back Again
Denmark levelled the match early in the second half through Rasmus Højlund.
Portugal, however, regained control when Vitinha headed the visitors back in front in the 57th minute.
João Félix then sealed the victory three minutes from full time after finishing a swift counter-attack, completing a 4-2 win for the European champions.
Ronaldo’s Absence Dominates Build-Up
The match came amid uncertainty surrounding Ronaldo’s immediate future with Portugal.
The 41-year-old left the national team’s training camp after coach Jorge Jesus said he would not start against Denmark. Ronaldo subsequently said he had spoken with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença before deciding to leave the camp.
Ronaldo said he would explain his reasons for leaving the team “in due time” but did not provide further details in his initial statement.
Jesus, meanwhile, said his approach was to apply the same rules to every player and denied that there had been a personal incident between him and Ronaldo.
Portugal Maintain Perfect Record
The victory gave Portugal a third consecutive win under Jesus and kept them unbeaten in their current Nations League campaign.
Portugal had previously defeated Wales 1-0 and Norway 2-1 during the international break. Their next match is against Norway on Sunday.
The result also showed that Portugal can produce a high-scoring performance without their long-time captain, although Ronaldo’s departure has left questions over his future with the national team.
