Portugal booked their place in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals after a dramatic 5-3 aggregate victory over Denmark, with Cristiano Ronaldo both scoring and missing a penalty in a pulsating encounter in Lisbon.
The quarter-final tie had finished 3-3 on aggregate after 90 minutes, but extra-time strikes from Francisco Trincão and substitute Gonçalo Ramos secured Portugal’s passage into the last four, where they will face Germany.
The match began in dramatic fashion when Denmark’s Patrick Dorgu conceded an early penalty after bringing down Ronaldo inside the area. However, Kasper Schmeichel produced a brilliant save to deny the Portugal captain, diving low to his left to keep out the spot-kick.
Undeterred by the setback, Roberto Martínez’s men continued to dominate proceedings and took a deserved lead in the 38th minute. A corner delivery from Bruno Fernandes was inadvertently headed into his own net by Fulham defender Joachim Andersen, gifting Portugal the advantage on the night.
Ronaldo thought he had doubled the hosts’ lead just before half-time, but his close-range effort was ruled out for offside against Rafael Leão in the build-up. Moments later, Denmark struck back, with Rasmus Kristensen heading in at the back post to restore his team’s aggregate advantage.
The second half was equally eventful, with Portugal pushing forward in search of a goal. Their persistence paid off in the 72nd minute when Ronaldo slotted home from close range after Schmeichel had initially parried a shot from Fernandes.
However, Denmark responded almost immediately, as Christian Eriksen calmly converted Dorgu’s low cross to level the tie once more.
With time running out, Portugal found a crucial breakthrough in the 86th minute. Trincão, who had been introduced as a substitute, unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the box to finally beat Schmeichel, sending the match into extra time with the score at 3-3 on aggregate.
Just seconds into extra time, Trincão struck again, capitalizing on a rebound after Schmeichel had saved Gonçalo Ramos’ shot. The goal gave Portugal the advantage for the first time in the tie, and they sealed victory in the 115th minute when Ramos tapped in a square pass from Diogo Jota.
Before kick-off, Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva was honoured with a commemorative trophy for reaching 100 international appearances, becoming only the eighth player in Portugal’s history to achieve the milestone.
With this victory, Portugal now set their sights on a semi-final showdown against Germany, who advanced after a dramatic 5-4 aggregate win over Italy. Meanwhile, Denmark will shift their focus to World Cup qualifying, where they will face Scotland in Group C.
The thrilling encounter in Lisbon reaffirmed Portugal’s attacking strength and resilience under Martínez, while Denmark will rue their defensive lapses despite a commendable performance.