Portugal’s firepower overwhelms Denmark after the hosts fight back

Denmark twice fought back from behind, but Portugal left Parken Stadium with a 4-2 win after turning a level contest into a clear edge in the chances created. Portugal put 10 shots on target to Denmark’s three. The hosts had enough attacking moments to stay in the game, but not enough accurate attempts to match their visitors.

Portugal went ahead through João Cancelo in the 13th minute, but Denmark answered 10 minutes later when Damsgaard finished a move assisted by Joakim Mæhle. The response lasted only two minutes. Gonçalo Ramos restored Portugal’s lead, with Bruno Fernandes providing the assist, and Portugal went into the break 2-1 ahead. The early exchanges set the pattern: Denmark could find a way through, but Portugal were quick to punish them at the other end.

Rasmus Højlund levelled again in the 53rd minute, assisted by Damsgaard, making it 2-2. Portugal’s reply came through Vitinha in the 67th minute, once more with Bruno Fernandes the provider. That goal proved the turning point: Denmark did not find another equaliser, and João Félix made it 4-2 in the 87th minute after Diogo Dalot’s assist. Portugal’s advantage in shots on target helps explain why the hosts’ two goals did not lead to a sustained shift in control.

João Cancelo opened the scoring for Portugal in the 13th minute, finishing after Gonçalo Ramos set him up. Denmark’s equaliser came from a Damsgaard finish, with Joakim Mæhle supplying the assist. The pattern was striking: each side found a response, but Portugal’s next one arrived almost immediately. Gonçalo Ramos scored in the 25th minute, assisted by Bruno Fernandes, to put the visitors back in front at 2-1.

Damsgaard turned provider after the break, setting up Rasmus Højlund to make it 2-2 in the 53rd minute. Portugal’s 67th-minute goal restored their lead, with Bruno Fernandes again creating the chance for Vitinha. That assist was his second of the match. João Félix then finished a move from Diogo Dalot in the 87th minute, extending Portugal’s lead to two goals and closing off Denmark’s chance of another reply. The goals were spread across different scorers, but Bruno Fernandes’ role in the two Portugal strikes after the break gave the visitors a decisive route through.

Denmark’s 54 per cent possession was close to their average of 55.67 per cent and their second-highest figure across the three matches compared. They used that share to score twice, with Damsgaard involved in both goals, but their 12 shots were their fewest of those three matches. Only five came from inside the box, against an average of eight, and both figures were season lows in the comparison. Just three shots reached the target, also the lowest mark of the three.

There was useful work in the build-up. Denmark completed 447 of 517 passes, and Damsgaard paired his goal and assist with two key passes. But the shot profile shows the limit: seven attempts came from outside the box, while three were blocked. Hermansen made seven saves, a sign of the pressure Portugal put on him. Denmark’s six fouls were fewer than their average of 8.67 and the lowest of their three-match comparison, but a low foul count could not compensate for the gap in shots on target. The central question is how Denmark can make possession reach more dangerous areas.

Portugal had less of the ball, with 46 per cent possession against their average of 48.33 per cent. Yet their 19 shots were above an average of 18, and their 10 shots on target were their highest figure across the three matches compared. They also recorded 13 shots from inside the box, slightly above their average of 12.33. Those measures show a side that did not need to dominate possession to keep Denmark’s defence under pressure.

Portugal’s 19 attempts included five blocked shots, but 10 still tested the goalkeeper. Denmark’s seven saves underline the workload that Portugal’s attack created. Gonçalo Ramos scored and assisted, while Bruno Fernandes made two assists; Vitinha’s goal restored the lead after Denmark’s second equaliser. Portugal had seven corners, above their average of 6.33, and 12 fouls, matching their average exactly. Their two changes at 63 minutes came with the score at 2-2, before Vitinha scored four minutes later. The late finish added further proof that Portugal kept producing threats after the game’s second leveller.

Damsgaard was central to Denmark’s fightback. He scored once, assisted Højlund’s goal and created two key passes in 85 minutes. Højlund supplied the finish for Denmark’s second goal, while Mæhle assisted the first and created four key passes before leaving in the 80th minute. Hermansen’s seven saves stood out in a match where Portugal kept finding the target.

For Portugal, Gonçalo Ramos scored and assisted before coming off in the 81st minute. Bruno Fernandes created both Portugal goals after the break, and Vitinha scored the first of them. João Félix scored nine minutes after coming on, but his 7.39 rating was 0.78 below his own season average of 8.17. That is the one supplied player comparison: his goal made a major contribution, even as his rating sat below his usual level. Portugal’s decisive contributions came from several players, not one isolated performance.

The scoreline was close for long stretches, but the shot figures favour Portugal. They had 19 attempts and 10 on target; Denmark had 12 attempts and three on target. Portugal also had 13 shots from inside the box, compared with five for Denmark. That gap in attempts on target is a more persuasive account of the match than possession alone, which favoured Denmark by eight percentage points.

Expected goals and bookmaker prices do not form part of the evidence here, so there is no separate measure to set against the shot data. The evidence that is available points in one direction: Portugal created more attempts, tested the goalkeeper more often and found a fourth goal late on. Denmark’s two goals show that the contest was not one-sided, but their low total of shots on target makes the result harder to describe as bad luck.

Portugal sit first in League A - Group D with six points, while Denmark are third with three. The match showed why the gap is not simply about keeping the ball: Denmark had more possession, but Portugal generated far more accurate attempts. For Denmark, the clearest area to address is the distance between possession and danger. For Portugal, the challenge is to keep producing chances when opponents level the score, as Denmark did twice here.

The match gives three useful measures to follow from here:

• Whether Denmark can raise their shots on target above the three they managed here.
• Whether Denmark can create more than five shots from inside the box.
• Whether Portugal can repeat their 10 shots on target, their highest mark across the three matches compared.