NORWAY - Portugal shrugged off the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and turned on the style to win 4-2 in Denmark in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday, while Germany beat Serbia 2-0 to give Jurgen Klopp his first win as coach.
The controversy surrounding Ronaldo's departure from the Portugal squad on Wednesday overshadowed the match in Copenhagen, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's future in international football now in serious doubt.
Coach Jorge Jesus said before kick-off that he just wanted his side "to focus on the match", and they did not appear distracted as they scored some superb goals to win the Group A4 clash at the Parken Stadium.
AC Milan striker Goncalo Ramos scored Portugal's winner in Norway on Sunday after being preferred to Ronaldo in attack, and here he set up Joao Cancelo for Portugal's early opener before getting their second goal on 25 minutes.
Mikkel Damsgaard curled in a fine goal in between for Denmark, and Rasmus Hojlund scored their second equaliser shortly after half-time.
However, Vitinha headed in a superb Bruno Fernandes cross to put Portugal back in front midway through the second half, and Joao Felix, a club colleague of Ronaldo's at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, finished off a superb move to seal Portugal's victory.
"A victory of the highest quality," said Jesus. "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."
Wales beat Norway 2-1 in the same group in Cardiff, despite Fulham's Oscar Bobb giving the visitors an early lead.
Goals by Daniel James and Neco Williams turned the game around for Wales, while Norway had Torbjorn Heggem sent off at the start of the second half.
- AFP