Portugal triumphs in Nations League without Ronaldo; Klopp wins as Germany coach

In the Nations League, Portugal secured a 4-2 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen, demonstrating that they could prevail without Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal maintained their perfect start in Group A4 under coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo, aged 41, departed from the camp prior to the match, reportedly after a dispute with Jesus, as he had remained on the bench during a previous win against Norway.

Portugal took the lead in the 13th minute through João Cancelo, but Mikkel Damsgaard equalized for Denmark shortly after. Gonçalo Ramos quickly restored Portugal's lead, scoring in the 25th minute, though Rasmus Højlund levelled the score at 2-2 early in the second half with a rapid counter-attack. The match saw Portugal ultimately pull ahead with a header from Vitinha, marking his first international goal, and a late strike from João Félix.

"A victory of the highest quality," Jesus remarked post-match, emphasizing the performance level of the team. "This Portugal team scored four goals and put in a performance which, in my opinion, was of a very high standard – and that cannot be overlooked. Of course, this is more important than anything else that has happened."

Meanwhile, in Munich, Jürgen Klopp celebrated his first win as head coach of Germany with a 2-0 success against Serbia in Group A2. Tom Bischof, a midfielder from Bayern Munich, scored his first senior international goal, followed by a second goal from Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz in the 61st minute. Germany’s display was characterized by a disciplined, high-pressure style that Klopp aims to instill.

Speaking to ZDF, Klopp expressed satisfaction with the players' performance, noting, "The mix of football and attitude was top level today. I told the boys that this has to be our benchmark." Wirtz echoed this sentiment, stating, "It was important to win again, just for the spirit in the team, and to send a signal out that we’re good football players and also a good football nation. Definitely a step in the right direction."

In another match in the same group, the Netherlands managed to draw 2-2 with Greece, with Tijjani Reijnders scoring a late equalizer. Greece went into halftime with a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Fotis Ioannidis and Giorgos Masouras. A header from Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk pulled one back for the Dutch, while an offside ruling had denied Denzel Dumfries a goal before Reijnders found the net in the final minutes of the game.

In Group B3, Israel and Kosovo played to a goalless draw in Debrecen, Hungary, while Malta and Gibraltar finished 1-1 in Group D1, and Azerbaijan drew 0-0 with Liechtenstein in Baku in Group D2.