Portugal extended their winning run in the Nations League to three matches with a 4-2 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen, responding to Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the squad with a four-goal performance.
Joao Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and Joao Felix scored for the European champions, who twice surrendered the lead before Vitinha’s first international goal put them ahead for a third time in the 67th minute.
The result came a day after Ronaldo left the Portugal camp following reports of a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus over his role in the team. The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward had been an unused substitute in the victory over Norway, with Ramos taking his place in the starting line-up against Denmark.
Portugal made the breakthrough in the 13th minute when Ramos set up Cancelo to put the visitors ahead. Denmark responded through Brentford midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard, who equalised in the 23rd minute, but Ramos restored Portugal’s advantage two minutes later.
The hosts remained in contention and drew level again eight minutes after half-time. Rasmus Hojlund finished a swift counterattack to make it 2-2 before celebrating with Ronaldo’s trademark ‘Siu’ routine.
Portugal regained control through Vitinha, who met Bruno Fernandes’s free-kick with a near-post header in the 67th minute to score his first goal for the national team.
Denmark could not find another equaliser, and Felix settled the contest with a goal three minutes from time to complete Portugal’s fourth goal of the evening.
The victory preserved Portugal’s perfect record in the group and gave Jesus a response to the attention surrounding Ronaldo’s departure. The coach praised his side’s performance after the match.
“A victory of the highest quality,” Jesus said. “This Portugal team scored four goals and put in a performance which, in my opinion, was of a very high standard – and that cannot be overlooked. Of course, this is more important than anything else that has happened.”
