Portugal’s Francisco Trincao entered the match as a substitute and scored twice, while Cristiano Ronaldo also found the back of the net as they defeated Denmark 5-2 in extra time, securing a 5-3 aggregate victory and setting up a Nations League semifinal clash against Germany.
Ronaldo, despite missing an early penalty, played a pivotal role in his team’s comeback on Sunday. Even when he had to watch extra time from the sidelines, he continued to inspire the crowd as Portugal eventually overcame Denmark’s stubborn resistance.
After the Danes took a 1-0 lead in the tie with Rasmus Hojlund’s goal in the first leg in Copenhagen, and with full-back Joakim Maehle absent due to the birth of his child, his replacement, Patrick Dorgu, gifted Portugal an early opportunity by conceding a penalty to Ronaldo in the third minute.
Although Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty, Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel successfully saved it, denying the Portuguese captain. Ronaldo came close to scoring in the 17th minute with a header, but Schmeichel once again thwarted him.
Portugal eventually took the lead in the 38th minute through an own goal from Danish defender Joachim Andersen, who inadvertently headed the ball into his own net. However, Rasmus Kristensen equalized with a header from a corner in the 56th minute.
Ronaldo put Portugal back in the lead with a goal from a tight angle, only for Christian Eriksen to restore Denmark’s advantage on aggregate in the 76th minute.
Trincao then stole the show, scoring in the 86th minute to level the aggregate score at 3-3 and force extra time. He then netted a superb finish in the 91st minute to give Portugal the lead.
Despite Denmark’s heroic defending, they ran out of steam after Trincao’s second goal, and substitute Goncalo Ramos sealed the victory for Portugal with their fifth goal, securing their spot in the semifinals.
In the other semifinal matchup, Germany managed to hold off a spirited comeback from Italy to secure a 3-3 draw in Dortmund and advance to the last four with a 5-4 aggregate score. The tournament will now be held on German soil, in Stuttgart and Munich in June.
Meanwhile, defending Nations League champions Spain booked their spot in the semifinals with a thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout victory against the Netherlands, after a dramatic 3-3 draw in the quarterfinal second leg. The Netherlands fought back three times to force the shootout, but it was Spain who emerged victorious.
In another quarterfinal matchup, France defeated Croatia 5-4 in a penalty shootout to secure their place in the final four after a 2-2 aggregate draw. Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele scored for Les Bleus in normal time, with Dayot Upamecano converting the winning penalty to set up a semifinal clash against Spain in June.
