Denmark were knocked out of the Nations League by Portugal on Sunday night while one Manchester United star impressed with his performance.
Rasmus Højlund gave Denmark the advantage heading into their second-leg clash against Portugal, with the Manchester United striker netting the only goal in last week’s first encounter.
The 22-year-old sparked debate with his celebration, which mimicked Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic pose. While some saw it as disrespectful to the United legend, Højlund insisted it was a tribute to his football idol.
However, Denmark couldn’t hold onto their lead as Portugal staged a thrilling comeback in the second leg, winning 5-2 after extra time.
Bruno Fernandes played a key role for Roberto Martínez’s side, while Ronaldo found the net despite missing an early penalty.
Portugal will now prepare for a Nations League semi-final showdown against Germany, while Denmark shifts focus to their World Cup qualification campaign.
Dorgu receives ultimate praise from Portuguese media
Patrick Dorgu started this encounter for Denmark after coming off the bench in the first-leg and the United wingback impressed.
Despite giving away an early penalty, which was questionable to say the least, Dorgu showcased solid defensive and offensive abilities throughout.
The 20-year-old won 10 duels in the game but it was his well-timed assist for Christian Eriksen which was the most impressive moment.
This display earned praise from Portuguese outlets, with A Bola highlighting him as the standout Danish player, with a 7/10 rating.
“He is a teammate of Dalot and Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United,” they began when writing about Dorgu’s performance.
“But, contrary to the song, he was not a good teammate for the Portuguese team, as he did everything he could to change the result.
“In defensive terms, he did not give Francisco Conceição any respite or space and in offensive terms he greatly expanded the horizons of Riemer’s team, having assisted the second goal.”
Dorgu looking to end season strongly
Despite only making a handful of appearances for United since his January move, it is clear that Dorgu is physically ready to compete in the Premier League.
That is definitely one half of the battle, but if the 20-year-old is able to display more of the attacking play which saw him set Eriksen up perfectly, that would make him a dangerous prospect.
It is quite obvious that Dorgu is not the finished product and his final ball for United has been patchy in the games we’ve seen so far.
Now that his domestic suspension is over, the wingback will be hoping to have a strong end to the season for the Reds.
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