Portugal delivered a commanding 4-2 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday, proving they can thrive without Cristiano Ronaldo. The win, their third from three UEFA Nations League matches, came hours after Ronaldo left the squad following a dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus. Jesus insisted the episode would not fracture the team, while midfielder Vitinha praised the coach’s growing influence.
The build-up to the Nations League clash was dominated by Ronaldo’s sensational exit earlier in the week, which appeared to signal the end of his international career. But Portugal showed no ill effects.
Joao Cancelo opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Mikkel Damsgaard equalised ten minutes later with a curling strike. Goncalo Ramos restored Portugal’s lead soon after.
Rasmus Hojlund made it 2-2 eight minutes into the second half. Vitinha scored his first goal for Portugal to put them ahead again, and Joao Felix, Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr teammate, sealed the win late on.
The result gave Portugal a third win in three games as defending Nations League champions. They previously beat Norway 2-1, a match where Ronaldo was left on the bench and appeared disgruntled.
Jesus insists squad remains united
Asked if the players were behind him, Jesus told Sport TV: “There’s no reason for them not to be behind me. What matters is what we have to do. I know why you asked that question, but things happen. They don’t divide the team, and they won’t divide us.”
Vitinha praises coach’s impact
Speaking to RTP, Vitinha attributed the improvements to Jesus’ work. He said: “The truth is, we played an excellent game. There’s no denying it. It’s very hard to win here. We learned that lesson last year or two years ago. We lost, and it was really tough. Don’t be fooled by the result. Beyond the result, it was the performance. It was our best so far.”
He continued: “We’ve been improving over these last three games. The more time we spend with the coach, the more we absorb his ideas and develop more dynamic play. Defensively, we’ve always been strong and capable. We’ve taken a step forward on offense. I hope we continue this way. It was a very hard-fought victory. It’s important to say that. It’s tough to play here. Beyond the win, it was an excellent performance.”
Vitinha added: “The coach’s work is starting to pay off. You can see it. It was crystal clear today. Fortunately, things are going well, and that’s how we want to keep it up. Now, we just need to tell everyone to pack the Dragao so we can make it four wins in a row, which would be perfect.”
On the Ronaldo situation, Vitinha said: “We tried to stay out of it. We focused on the game and succeeded. We responded incredibly well. Congratulations to the whole team for that.”
Portugal next face Norway in Porto on Sunday in their final fixture of the extended international break. Jesus made clear the squad will remain united despite the fallout from the Ronaldo episode.
Portugal’s emphatic win and united front suggest they are moving forward without their record goalscorer. With three wins from three, they will look to finish the break on a high against Norway.