Trincao strikes twice as Portugal overcome Denmark in extra-time thriller
LISBON: Francisco Trincão emerged as Portugal’s hero, scoring twice off the bench as they defeated Denmark 5-2 after extra time on Sunday, securing a 5-3 aggregate victory and a UEFA Nations League semi-final clash with Germany.
Cristiano Ronaldo played a crucial role despite a frustrating start, missing an early penalty before helping his team recover. Though he watched extra time from the sidelines, the Portuguese captain continued to rally the crowd as his team finally broke Denmark’s resilience.
Denmark entered the second leg in Lisbon with a 1-0 lead, thanks to Rasmus Højlund’s goal in Copenhagen. With Joakim Mæhle absent for personal reasons, his replacement, Patrick Dorgu, had a tough start, conceding a third-minute penalty after bringing down Ronaldo. However, Kasper Schmeichel denied the Portuguese star with a sharp save.
Ronaldo came close again in the 17th minute, but Schmeichel once more denied him. Portugal eventually broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Danish defender Joachim Andersen headed a corner into his own net.
The match exploded into extra time, where Trincão made the difference, scoring twice to seal Portugal’s triumph and set up a high-stakes showdown with Germany in the next round.
