Manchester United star Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu has explained one moment which “hurt” him during Denmark’s defeat in the Nations League against Portugal.
Rasmus Højlund, the Manchester United striker, gave Denmark the edge in their first-leg clash against Portugal, scoring the only goal in last week’s opener.
The 22-year-old sparked debate with his celebration, mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic pose. While some saw it as disrespectful, Højlund insisted it was a tribute to his idol.
Denmark couldn’t hold their lead as Portugal mounted a comeback in the second-leg, winning 5-2 after extra time. Bruno Fernandes played a key role, while Ronaldo scored despite an earlier penalty miss.
Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu and Christian Eriksen did give Roberto Martínez’s side a scare late in the second-half of that game when they combined to score a goal to put the Danes into the lead on aggregate, but Portugal responded excellently and secured the victory.
Dorgu unhappy with controversial moment during Denmark defeat
Dorgu started the second-leg clash for Denmark and looked bright despite the result, with Portuguese media even praising the 20-year-old’s efforts.
His assist for Eriksen was excellent, putting it on a plate for his teammate of club and country, while he also looked extremely strong in his duels on the night.
One moment early on, however, saw Dorgu penalised for fouling Ronaldo inside the box and a penalty was awarded to Portugal. The legendary forward had his effort from the spot saved by Kasper Schmeichel, sparing Dorgu’s blushes.
The penalty incident saw Ronaldo looking to receive a cross inside the box and go down after minimal pressure from Dorgu, who admitted he was “hurt” with the controversial decision but happy with how he reacted across the game.
“I find that Ronaldo is the smart one. He knows how to take a penalty. I don’t feel like I’m holding him for very long, and I feel like there was more contact in other situations in the game,” Dorgu told reporters.
“I just manage to put my hand on his arm, and then he throws himself. It’s a good play by him
“Of course it hurts a little, but we play 90 minutes, and I actually think I’ll get a good response. I’m not going to let a penalty kick affect me so early.
“I need to be a little more careful in the field and learn from it.”
Dorgu to focus on impressing for United
It is now time for Dorgu and the rest of the international Reds to return to Carrington ahead of the return to action with United.
A Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest awaits next Tuesday and Ruben Amorim will want to continue the positive form he saw before the international break.
Importantly, Dorgu is now back available for league fixtures after his three-game ban and he will be hoping to put that national team upset behind him and focus on impressing for his club.
It still feels like United fans haven’t seen much of Dorgu, partly because of that red card against Ipswich Town, but the signs so far have been positive and it seems like there’s more to come.
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