Sometimes football can be very funny. A team can have all the big names, talented players and experience, yet still struggle against a team many people never expected to defeat them. That was what happened when Portugal welcomed Denmark in their UEFA Nations League encounter yesterday evening.
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Honestly, I was not expecting Portugal to lose by such a huge margin, especially playing in front of their home supporters. But Denmark came into the game with a different mentality, and they showed they were ready for the challenge. They eventually walked away with an impressive 4-1 victory.
The match was quite disappointing for Portugal supporters. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg gave Denmark the lead from the penalty spot before Rasmus Højlund scored twice to put his country in a comfortable position. Joachim Andersen added another goal, while Bernardo Silva managed to get a late consolation goal for Portugal.
I think Rasmus Højlund deserves special praise for this performance. Scoring two goals against Portugal is not something you just overlook. He looked confident, made good movements and took his chances when they came. Hopefully, this performance will give him more confidence going forward.
Another thing that caught my attention was Portugal playing without Cristiano Ronaldo. This was their first international match since the legendary forward retired from international football. The players even paid tribute to him before the game by wearing shirts with his name and famous number seven.
Of course, Ronaldo has contributed so much to Portuguese football, but I don't think his absence should be the only excuse for this defeat. Portugal still have some very talented players, and they should be able to compete at a high level even in the absence of him.
For me, the biggest lesson from this match is that football is not played on paper. Having bigger names doesn't automatically make you the better team or guarantee you victory. Denmark came, did their job and deserved every bit of this victory.
Congratulations to Denmark!
Posted Using INLEO
