Portugal secured a dramatic 5-2 victory over Denmark after extra time, winning 5-3 on aggregate to book their place in the Nations League semifinals against Germany.

Francisco Trincão emerged as the hero, coming off the bench to score twice, while Cristiano Ronaldo also found the net after an early setback. 

Despite missing a penalty in the opening minutes, Ronaldo played a crucial role in Portugal’s resurgence before being substituted ahead of extra time. 

From the sidelines, he continued to rally the crowd as his team fought to break Denmark’s resilience.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Copenhagen, Denmark suffered an early setback when Patrick Dorgu, replacing Joakim Mæhle, fouled Ronaldo in the box just three minutes in. 

However, Kasper Schmeichel denied Ronaldo’s spot-kick, keeping Denmark’s lead intact. The Portuguese captain had another opportunity in the 17th minute but was once again thwarted by Schmeichel.

Portugal finally broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Danish defender Joachim Andersen inadvertently headed a corner into his own net. Denmark responded in the 56th minute through Rasmus Kristensen’s header, restoring their aggregate advantage. 

Ronaldo briefly put Portugal ahead again, finishing from a tight angle, but Christian Eriksen’s strike in the 76th minute put Denmark back in front overall.

With time running out, Trincão equalized in the 86th minute, forcing extra time, before delivering a composed finish in the 91st to give Portugal the lead. 

Denmark fought valiantly but ran out of steam, and substitute Gonçalo Ramos sealed the win with a late goal.

Germany awaits Portugal in the semifinals after surviving a tense 5-4 aggregate win over Italy, while Spain and France also advanced, both triumphing in penalty shootouts. 

The final four matches will take place in June on German soil.

Source: BBC 

BDST: 1147 HRS, MAR 24, 2025
SMS