Portugal Advances to Nations League Semis After Seven-Goal Epic
Portugal defeated Denmark 5-3 in a thrilling Nations League quarterfinal, with Francisco Trincao scoring twice in extra time to send Portugal to the semis.
Portugal secured a spot in the Nations League final four, defeating Denmark 5-2 in a thrilling encounter in Lisbon, which sealed a 5-3 aggregate victory. This marked Portugal's first appearance in the Nations League finals since their triumphant 2019 campaign.
The match got off to a dramatic start, with Cristiano Ronaldo earning a penalty after being pushed by Patrick Dorgu in the box. However, the Manchester United legend's spot-kick was uncharacteristically weak, allowing Kasper Schmeichel to make a comfortable save and deny Ronaldo the opening goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo had another opportunity to score when Nuno Mendes found him at the back post, but Kasper Schmeichel made a spectacular point-blank save to deny the header. Denmark's Rasmus Højlund, who scored the winner in the first leg, then had a chance to put the visitors ahead, but Diogo Costa comfortably gathered his strike from inside the area.
Portugal dominated the first half, and after Vitinha's shot sailed just over, they finally broke through. Bruno Fernandes' corner caused chaos, and Joachim Andersen inadvertently headed the ball into his own net. Ronaldo thought he had doubled Portugal's lead just before halftime, but his diving header was disallowed for offside, capping a frustrating half for the Portuguese captain.
Denmark improved in the second half, with Morten Hjulmand firing just wide. They then equalized from a corner, as Christian Eriksen's delivery found the unmarked Rasmus Kristensen, who looped a header into the far corner. Portugal continued to push, and Fernandes' strike hit the post, rebounding off Schmeichel and falling to Ronaldo, who tucked the ball home to put Portugal back in front.
The match took another dramatic turn as Denmark scored again shortly after Portugal's second goal. Club teammates Patrick Dorgu and Christian Eriksen combined, with Dorgu crossing for Eriksen to tap into an empty net, swinging the aggregate score back in Denmark's favor.
Cristiano Ronaldo almost responded immediately, but his shot from a promising position was saved by Kasper Schmeichel. However, Portugal found another goal before the end of regular time, as substitute Francisco Trincao struck into the bottom corner, forcing the tie into extra time.
Portugal got off to a perfect start in extra time, with Trincao netting his second goal in the opening minute. He capitalized on Schmeichel's parry of substitute Goncalo Ramos' effort. Although Diogo Jota had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half of extra time, Portugal eventually sealed the win in the second half.
Schmeichel produced a stunning save to deny Bruno Fernandes on the break, but he couldn't prevent Goncalo Ramos from tapping home Portugal's fifth goal, after being set up by Jota. This victory marked Portugal's 12th consecutive home win in the Nations League and their 12th head-to-head win over Denmark, securing their spot in the semi-finals against Germany.
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