Rasmus Hojlund earned Denmark a deserved 1-0 lead over Portugal in their Nations League quarterfinal first-leg clash on Thursday. The Manchester United forward delivered from the bench to split the teams in Copenhagen, providing the finishing touch Denmark previously lacked on a night where they dominated Roberto Martinez’s side.
The Spanish coach selected veteran Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, but the Al Nassr striker was mostly frozen out of the game. Winners of the inaugural tournament in 2019, Portugal is aiming to become the first team to lift the Nations League trophy for a second time. However, they will need to improve swiftly to reach the semifinals as Denmark outclassed them and could have scored more on the night.
Looking for their first win under coach Brian Riemer, who was appointed in October, the Danes were without injured captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Denmark piled on the pressure from the start, with debutant Mika Biereth charging down Diogo Costa’s clearance, but the goalkeeper managed to escape by conceding only a corner. Jesper Lindstrom forced Costa into action again with an effort from a distance, while Pedro Neto tested Kasper Schmeichel at the other end.
The hosts won a penalty when Portugal defender Renato Veiga handled the ball, but Costa produced a superb save to deny Christian Eriksen's attempt. The Porto goalkeeper, an expert in saving spot kicks, dived low to his right to thwart Eriksen, who missed a penalty in the 24th minute.
Costa made another stunning save from Biereth to keep his team level as Denmark turned the screw. When they finally beat Costa, Diogo Dalot was in the right place at the right time to clear Eriksen’s effort off the line just before the break after good work by Gustav Isaksen. Riemer’s side stayed on top in the second half, with Costa saving an Eriksen free kick, while Vitinha came close for Portugal, who showed occasional flashes of their quality on an otherwise lethargic display.
Isaksen, a constant menace for Denmark, had a shot deflected behind as Denmark started to fear their dominance might not translate into a lead. However, Hojlund, on as a substitute, had other ideas. The striker, who ended a long Manchester United drought last weekend by scoring in his team’s win at Leicester City, broke the deadlock by slotting home to cap a fine move. Eriksen spread the ball to another substitute, Andreas Skov Olsen, who picked out Hojlund with a low ball to finish coolly in the 78th minute.
Hojlund, who last scored on October 17, 2023, against San Marino, was ecstatic after rediscovering his goal-scoring form for Denmark in such a high-stakes game. “I played against the world’s best footballer, my idol, and to score and become the match-winner, it couldn’t be better,” Hojlund said after the game.
After the match, he performed Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous 'Siu' celebration, which he clarified was a tribute rather than mockery. “It was not to mock him or anything. I’ve always said he has had great importance for me and my football career,” he stated.
Portugal's Bernardo Silva, making his 99th appearance for his country, had a penalty appeal late on waved away after falling under pressure from Patrick Dorgu in the box, and Schmeichel saved from Neto in the final stages.
Portugal will host the second leg in Lisbon on Sunday, and Diogo Costa expressed the need for a strong response, saying, “Pressure is part of football, now it increases because we’re one goal down, but we have time to correct that.”
The night saw other results in the Nations League quarterfinals, with Germany coming from behind to defeat Italy 2-1, and Spain salvaging a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands. Croatia also had a strong performance, beating France 2-0.
In conclusion, Denmark has secured a narrow advantage heading into the return fixture, displaying a robust performance that leaves everything to play for in the second leg.
