Denmark will travel to Lisbon on Sunday with a narrow advantage after Rasmus Højlund guided in a 78th-minute winner in the first leg of their quarter-final tie with Portugal.

Key moments

24′ Diogo Costa keeps out powerful Eriksen penalty

43′ Dalot blocks Eriksen’s goalbound shot

78′ Højlund converts Skov Olsen’s low cross

Match in brief: Højlund edges Denmark to victory

Two of Brian Riemer’s substitutes linked up to ensure a determined Denmark performance ended in victory at Parken.

The hosts had the better of a thrilling first half, only kept goalless by superb goalkeeping at either end. Diogo Costa and Kasper Schmeichel set the tone early, the former recovering well to deny Denmark debutant Mika Biereth in the second minute while Schmeichel stretched to divert Pedro Neto’s long-range curler.

The hosts then started to assert themselves and produced two standout chances for Christian Eriksen, but last-ditch Portugal interventions kept the scores level.

A Renato Veiga foul gave the home side a 24th-minute penalty but Eriksen’s powerful kick was pushed away by Diogo Costa, who dived low to his right to further enhance his stellar penalty reputation after three shoot-out saves against Slovenia at UEFA EURO 2024.

The Denmark midfielder did have the beating of the Portugal goalkeeper when he guided a low shot towards goal late in the half, but a well-positioned Diogo Dalot prevented it from crossing the line.

As it happened: Denmark 1-0 Portugal

The second period largely followed the pattern of the first, but with 12 minutes remaining Denmark finally got their reward as Andreas Skov Olsen directed a low cross to the back post, where Rasmus Højlund directed it back across goal to give his side an advantage for Sunday’s second leg in Lisbon.

Sture Sando, match reporter

What a fantastic way to open the quarter-finals! While the scoreboard stayed blank long into the match, the entertainment value was high as both sides approached the match with clear intent, each pushing to take an advantage in to Sunday’s decisive second leg. Goalkeepers Schmeichel and Diogo Costa were standout performers, producing heroic saves until Højlund’s 78th-minute finish. The result leaves everything to play for, setting up a thrilling finale in three days’ time. If the return leg matches the intensity and quality on display tonight, fans are in for a real treat. This tie remains wide open — and far from over.

Reaction

Brian Riemer, Denmark coach: “We wanted to show bravery and energy, and we came out on the pitch with that. The plan was carried out to perfection by the players.”

Roberto Martínez, Portugal coach: “It’s the worst match we’ve played in a very long time. Denmark were simply better than us in every aspect. They executed their gameplan because we allowed them to. We lacked rhythm and failed to control the ball, so there is a lot we need to improve.”

Joakim Mæhle, Denmark defender: “I’m very happy with the performance and the result, but also a bit disappointed that we did not win by two or three goals. I think we had the chances and played really well.”

Rúben Dias, Portugal defender: “I feel like we lacked intensity and aggression, and those values are everything to us. These are the ones that normally allow us to be who we are.”

Key stats

• Portugal were unbeaten in the 2024/25 Nations League until defeat in Denmark, which was also Brian Riemer’s first victory as home coach.
• Denmark have lost only four of their last 23 international matches (W12 D7).
• This was the first international knockout tie between these teams, after 15 friendly or group/league matches.

Line-ups

Denmark: Schmeichel; Kristensen, Vestergaard, Andersen; Isaksen (Dorgu 87), Hjulmand, Eriksen (Wind 86), Nørgaard, Mæhle; Biereth (Højlund 69), Lindstrøm (Skov Olsen 69)

Portugal: Diogo Costa; Dalot (Nélson Semedo 66), Renato Veiga (Gonçalo Inácio 76), Rúben Dias, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Fernandes, João Neves (Bernardo Silva 86); Pedro Neto, Ronaldo, Rafael Leão (Rúben Neves 76)

How do the Nations League quarter-finals work?

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The group winners and runners-up from League A have reached the quarter-final stage of the Nations League.

Ties will take place across two legs, each side playing home and away, with the winners progressing to the Final Four in June.

The semi-finals will be played on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June to decide who contests the final and the third-place match on Sunday 8 June.