Denmark secured a 4-1 victory over Portugal in the Nations League on Saturday, marking a significant shift in the Group A4 standings. The win left Denmark three points behind Portugal, who remain at the top of the group with 12 points.
The match in Braga served as Portugal's first appearance since the international retirement of Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old forward announced his exit last week following a public falling-out with manager Jorge Jesus over not being selected for a Nations League fixture in September.
During the national anthem, Portugal's players and mascots wore shirts bearing Ronaldo's name and number seven. Supporters displayed a banner reading "Obrigado, capi7ão" — "Thank you, captain" — featuring images of the former forward with his European Championship and Nations League trophies.
Portugal dominated much of the first half in pouring rain but fell behind shortly before halftime. A VAR intervention and pitchside review following an aerial effort by Rasmus Hojlund striking Ruben Dias' hand led to a penalty. Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg converted the spot-kick into the top-right corner in the 43rd minute.
Hojlund scored twice in the opening minutes of the second half. Five minutes after the restart, he met a cross from the right with a powerful volley. Seven minutes later, he skipped past Ruben Dias on a counter-attack before firing a right-footed shot past Diogo Costa from the edge of the box. Joachim Andersen added a fourth goal in the 75th minute with a header from a Mathias Jensen free kick. Bernardo Silva scored a consolation goal for Portugal three minutes into added time, firing home from close range after the goalkeeper parried the ball.
Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha told broadcaster Sport TV, "Practically everything went wrong for us… It’s actually hard to find an explanation. It was an unlucky night for us; we made it far too easy for our opponents. We’ve got a match on Tuesday, so we’ve got until then to reflect about what happened today. But I have no doubt whatsoever that we’ll bounce back and secure top spot in the group in Wales."
Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes said, "There are no nights to forget; it was a night of learning, of seeing the mistakes we made. Denmark were also very clinical -- they scored from the chances they had and it was a match where things ultimately went wrong for us."
Denmark manager Morten Hjulmand praised his side, stating, "Every single Denmark player put in their best performance I've seen in a long time. Even the substitutes, which made for a fantastic overall display. We scored some great goals and we deserved to win."
In the other League A Group Four match, Norway defeated Wales 3-1 in Oslo. Antonio Nusa opened the scoring in the 59th minute with a half-volley. Andreas Schjelderup doubled the lead two minutes later after coming off the bench, following a square from Erling Haaland into an empty net at the far post. David Brooks gave Wales hope with a chipped finish in the 79th minute, but Erling Haaland converted a penalty in the 88th minute to seal the win for Norway.
One round of league-phase matches remains. Wales will host Portugal on Tuesday, while Denmark at home to Norway on Tuesday.
