Portugal win a wild thriller while the drama around their biggest star steals the headlines
Six goals, two comebacks and one superstar missing from the squad. Portugal flew to Copenhagen with the whole football world talking about Cristiano Ronaldo, and they answered with a performance that shouted louder than any headline.
This was one of the most breathtaking games of the international break. Strap in, because here is how it all happened.
The Build Up
A camp in chaos, a team in form
The day before the game, a bombshell dropped. Ronaldo walked out of the Portugal training camp. Coach Jorge Jesus had told the 41 year old he would start on the bench again, and the news exploded across the football world.
Ronaldo later said he would tell the Portuguese people the truth about his reasons for leaving the national team, which only added more mystery. Jesus said before kick off that he simply wanted his players to focus on the match.
The pressure was enormous, but Portugal had a perfect start. The reigning Nations League champions had won twice under their new coach, and Gonçalo Ramos had been leading the line in place of Ronaldo. Denmark, meanwhile, had one win from their first three games and desperately needed points in front of their own fans.
First Half
Three goals in twelve crazy minutes
Portugal started like a team with something to prove. Ramos had an early shot from distance blocked, and Vitinha tested the goalkeeper before Portugal finally broke through in the 13th minute. Ramos set up João Cancelo, who played a slick one two and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 1 to 0.
Denmark did not wait long to hit back. In the 23rd minute Mikkel Damsgaard bent a gorgeous shot into the far corner, a strike the Portugal goalkeeper had no chance of stopping. It was 1 to 1, and the Danish crowd erupted.
But the joy lasted only two minutes. Ramos and Bruno Fernandes combined beautifully, and Ramos slotted in a calm near post finish to put Portugal back in front. Three goals had arrived in just 12 minutes, and everyone in the stadium was breathless.
The rest of the half belonged to Portugal. Ramos was denied by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, and an effort from Neves was saved. Portugal went into the break 2 to 1 up, with Ramos involved in both goals.
Second Half
Denmark fight back, Portugal strike again
Denmark came out with fire in their eyes. In the 53rd minute Damsgaard threaded a superb pass into the path of Rasmus Højlund, who dinked the ball over Diogo Costa to make it 2 to 2. Højlund then did Ronaldo’s famous Siu celebration, a cheeky nod to the drama of the week, and the stadium went mad.
Portugal needed an answer, and Bruno Fernandes delivered. Earlier he had floated a ball over the top that Ramos could not keep down with a volley. This time he swung a free kick to the near post and Vitinha headed it in for his first goal for Portugal. It was 3 to 2 in the 67th minute, and Portugal had their noses in front again.
Substitutes changed the game. João Neves and João Félix came on late, and with three minutes left Félix tucked in the fourth at the end of a lightning counter attack. That killed the contest, and Portugal had a famous 4 to 2 win.
Beyond the Pitch
Stories, stats and surprises
Ramos was the hero of the night. He scored one goal and set up another, and he proved that Portugal can still shine without their all time record scorer in the team.
Félix has now scored in every game under Jorge Jesus, and the win was Jesus’s third in three games since taking over. It was a dream start to a new era.
The Højlund moment lit up social media. Many fans laughed at the Siu celebration, and many others wondered whether he did it to make a point. Either way, the Danish striker had a fine game, and he went on to score from the penalty spot against Wales a few days later.
Where It Leaves Both Teams
Portugal march on, Denmark must bounce back
Portugal now had nine points from three games and a firm grip on Group A4. They did not stop there. Three days later they beat Norway 2 to 1 on Sunday, with Ramos scoring a 79th minute winner, and they became the first team to book a place in the quarter finals.
Denmark were left with three points after the defeat, but they bounced back too. They won 1 to 0 at Wales on Sunday, thanks to a Højlund penalty, and that gave them two wins from four games.
The two teams meet again on 14 November in the return game. By then the Ronaldo story may have many more chapters, and Denmark will be hungry for revenge.
Featured image: Photo: kallerna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
