It was a night of high and lows for 40-year old Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal secured a semi-final spot in seven-goal thriller against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal had to toil for a dramatic extra-time victory over Denmark in Lisbon, overturning a first-leg deficit to book their spot in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
Before kickoff at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, reports by Goal.com indicate Ronaldo was honored with a Guinness World Record for the most wins in international football (132).
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The 40-year-old received a standing ovation from the home crowd, but his evening got off to a frustrating start.
Just six minutes in, he missed a penalty, failing to capitalize on an early opportunity to level the tie.
Despite the setback, Portugal found their breakthrough in the 38th minute when Denmark’s Joachim Andersen turned the ball into his own net while attempting to clear a dangerous cross, leveling the tie on aggregate.
Denmark regrouped in the second half, and Rasmus Kristensen struck in the 56th minute, putting the visitors ahead 2-1 on aggregate.
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But Portugal restored parity as Ronaldo made amends for his earlier penalty miss, converting in the 72nd minute to make it 2-1 on the night.
The tie was still in the balance, and Christian Eriksen delivered what seemed to be the decisive blow in the 76th minute, firing home to restore Denmark’s aggregate lead (3-2). Portugal were staring at elimination, needing at least one more goal to force extra time.
Portugal found their savior in Francisco Trincao, who came off the bench to force extra time with a clinical finish in the 86th minute.
Just five minutes into added time, he struck again, completing his brace and giving Portugal the lead in the tie for the first time.
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Denmark pushed forward desperately, but Portugal sealed the result in the 115th minute when Goncalo Ramos slotted home, securing a 5-2 victory on the night (5-3 on aggregate).
It was a night of highs and lows for Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed a penalty but still played a crucial role in his team’s comeback.
Portugal’s resilience ensured they advanced to the Nations League semi-finals, keeping alive their hopes of lifting the trophy once again.
