Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 as Germany claim first Nations League win under Klopp

Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen and Germany beat Serbia 2-0 on Thursday, 1 October, in the UEFA Nations League. Portugal maintained its winning start to the league phase, while Germany recorded its first victory under Jürgen Klopp after a draw and a defeat. The two results leave both sides with a different immediate task: Portugal must protect a run of three wins, and Germany must build on its first.

How Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen

Portugal's four goals came from four players: João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and João Félix. Denmark twice recovered from a goal behind, through Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Højlund, but could not answer Portugal's final two goals. Cadena SER's match account describes a contest in which Denmark remained competitive even as Portugal repeatedly retook the lead.

Cancelo opened the scoring after combining with Ramos and advancing through the Danish defence, according to Cadena SER. Damsgaard then levelled for the hosts with a shot from the edge of the area. The first half turned again when Ramos ran behind the defence and finished to restore Portugal's advantage before the interval. That sequence left Denmark chasing the game for a second time.

Denmark equalised again in the second half. Cadena SER says Højlund made it 2-2 in the 55th minute after Denmark played through Portugal's pressure. It was the second time the hosts had cancelled out a Portugal lead, and the score remained level until Vitinha found space to head in a delivery from Bruno Fernandes. Portugal had gone ahead for the third time.

What Portugal's third win establishes

UEFA's results show Portugal had already beaten Wales 1-0 and Norway 2-1 before visiting Denmark. Thursday's win therefore made it three victories from three Nations League matches. That is the established record at this stage of the league phase; the published results alone do not settle the group's final order.

Denmark had begun with a 3-2 loss to Norway, then beat Wales 2-0. Its defeat to Portugal leaves it with one win from its first three fixtures. Portugal's next scheduled match is at home to Norway on 4 October, according to UEFA. Denmark's next listed fixture is a visit to Wales on the same day, giving both teams another group match soon after their meeting in Copenhagen.

How Germany earned Klopp's first win

Germany's 2-0 victory over Serbia was Jürgen Klopp's first win as national team coach, AS reports. The result also ended Germany's winless start to this Nations League campaign. UEFA's record shows a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands followed by a 1-0 defeat to Greece before Thursday's home win over Serbia.

AS reports that Florian Wirtz struck the woodwork in the 39th minute and Tom Bischof converted the rebound to put Germany ahead. The opening goal came after Germany had failed to win either of its first two group games. It also gave Klopp's side a lead it kept through the remainder of the match.

Wirtz added the second goal in the 61st minute, according to AS, controlling a delivery from Maximilian Mittelstädt with his heel before finishing. The Guardian's live report also recorded Wirtz's 61st-minute goal, and UEFA lists the final score as Germany 2-0 Serbia. The two goals turned a difficult start to the campaign into Germany's first three-point result.

The next Nations League fixtures

Germany are scheduled to visit Greece on 4 October. That fixture follows the earlier 1-0 home defeat to Greece, while Portugal's meeting with Norway follows its 2-1 away win there on 27 September. UEFA says the league phase began on 24 September and runs through 17 November, so Thursday's results are part of an ongoing group schedule rather than a completed campaign.

The verified scores establish Portugal's perfect three-match start and Germany's first win under Klopp. They do not establish qualification or final group placings. For now, Portugal can point to three wins and four different scorers against Denmark; Germany can point to a clean-sheet victory before its return fixture with Greece.