Winning streak for Portugal without Ronaldo, first success for Klopp

Winning streak for Portugal without Ronaldo, first success for Klopp

The Portuguese entered the match in Copenhagen without their main star, Cristiano Ronaldo. Bruno Fernandes took the field with the captain's armband, while Rafael Leão took the "number seven" shirt. This number had become vacant after the Portuguese football legend rebelled and left the national team's camp.

The visitors took the lead as early as the 13th minute. Gonçalo Ramos, who is filling in for Ronaldo, first hit the goalpost, reclaimed the rebounded ball, and provided João Cancelo with an assist.

The Danes responded with a beautiful goal — Mikkel Damsgaard precisely directed the ball into the far corner with an ideal shot. However, two minutes later, Gonçalo Ramos took center stage again, escaping the defenders and targeting the near corner. The Milan forward, who is starting while Ronaldo remains on the bench, has scored in his second consecutive match. For the remainder of the half, Danish goalkeeper Mads Hermansen kept the intrigue in the game alive by saving difficult shots from Leão and Ramos.

At the beginning of the second half, one of the most crucial episodes of the match occurred. The fans gathered at the stadium witnessed a Ronaldo-style goal celebration. However, it was not the Portuguese who scored, but the Danes. Rasmus Højlund met Damsgaard's cross into the penalty area and technically chipped the ball over the goalkeeper. After that, the striker, who has repeatedly admitted to being a fan of Ronaldo since childhood, repeated his goal celebration style, as if taking revenge on the Portuguese for his idol.