Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 as Klopp earns first Germany win against Serbia

Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen on 1 October 2026 to maintain its perfect start to Nations League Group A4, while Germany defeated Serbia 2-0 in Munich for Jürgen Klopp’s first win as national coach. Denmark twice drew level before Portugal pulled away; Germany’s result gave it four points from three Group A2 matches.

How Portugal overcame Denmark’s two equalizers

Portugal arrived at a sold-out Parken Stadium for its third group match without Cristiano Ronaldo. João Cancelo put the visitors ahead in the 13th minute after combining with Gonçalo Ramos, but Mikkel Damsgaard equalized for Denmark in the 23rd after a pass from Joakim Mæhle. The scores were level for only two minutes: Bruno Fernandes then supplied Ramos for Portugal’s second goal.

Denmark went into halftime 2-1 down and responded again in the 53rd minute. Damsgaard played Rasmus Højlund through, and the forward lifted his finish over Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa. It was Denmark’s second equalizer of the night, giving the home side another chance to take something from a match in which it had repeatedly answered Portugal’s goals.

Portugal restored its lead in the 67th minute when Vitinha headed in another Fernandes delivery. Denmark sought a third equalizer, but substitute João Félix finished a counterattack in the 87th minute after Diogo Dalot’s pass. The final two Portugal goals both came after halftime, turning a 2-2 contest into a 4-2 away victory.

What is known about Ronaldo’s absence

Ronaldo did not play against Denmark. A Press Association report published by The Guardian said he had left Portugal’s camp before the match. Neither that report nor the cited match accounts establishes why he left. Reports of a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus have not been verified by the sources used for this account.

Jesus focused on the team’s performance after the win. The Press Association quoted him calling it ‘a victory of the highest quality’ and saying Portugal had scored four goals in a display he considered of a very high standard. Four different players scored for Portugal: Cancelo, Ramos, Vitinha and Félix.

How Klopp’s Germany earned its first win

In Munich, Germany’s 2-0 victory over Serbia was Klopp’s first as national coach in his third attempt. His side had drawn 1-1 with the Netherlands and lost 1-0 to Greece in its first two matches. UEFA described the performance against Serbia as convincing, while Sportschau reported a more forceful display from a team seeking its first win under the new coach.

Tom Bischof opened the scoring in the 39th minute. Florian Wirtz struck the post, and Bischof converted the rebound. Serbia had threatened shortly beforehand, Sportschau reported, but Germany reached halftime ahead. Bischof later told the broadcaster that his side had created many chances and could have scored another one or two goals.

Germany continued to create openings after the break. Wirtz added the second goal in the 61st minute after Maximilian Mittelstädt set him up, securing the result. Speaking to Sportschau, Klopp said his players had given everything from the first minute and praised their work both with and without the ball. He said that manner of playing should be the benchmark for the team.

The win left Germany third in Group A2 on four points, according to Sportschau’s post-match standings. Greece led on seven, the Netherlands had five and Serbia was last with none. Germany’s next scheduled Nations League match was away to Greece in Thessaloniki on 4 October, giving Klopp’s side an immediate meeting with the group leader after its first victory.