UEFA Nations League – Hoylen scores twice as Denmark thrashes Portugal 4-1 away.

In the fifth round of Group A4 of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, Portugal hosted Denmark. They ultimately suffered a surprising 1-4 defeat, but maintained their top spot in the group with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss.

Portugal and Denmark traded attacks early on, but few of their strikes were truly threatening. In the 19th minute, Bruno Fernandes made a long pass down the left flank, and Pedro Neto's low shot from outside the box was saved by Mas Hermansen. In the 28th minute, Fernandes' corner kick from the right was headed on by Renato Vega inside the box, but Hermansen again made the save. In the 35th minute, Gustav Isakson and Mikel Damsgaard combined to break into the box, but his low shot was saved by Diogo Costa.

In the 38th minute, Rasmus Hojlen and Joachim Andersen combined for a header, but the goal was disallowed for offside. In the 40th minute, Isaksen's cross from the right wing resulted in a handball by Ruben Dias. After reviewing the VAR replay, the referee awarded a penalty. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg converted the penalty, giving Denmark a 1-0 lead before halftime.

In the second half, Denmark played with increasing ease. In the 49th minute, Damsgaard delivered a cross from the right side of the penalty area, and Rasmus Hoylen poked the ball into the net. In the 57th minute, Højbjerg sent a diagonal pass from the left, and Hoylen cut inside, evaded Vega, and curled a shot into the net to complete his brace. In the 75th minute, Matthias Jensen took a short corner from the right, and Anderson headed the ball into the net at the near post, extending the lead to 4-0.

Following this, Portugal launched several threatening attacks. In the 77th minute, Carlos Forbes delivered a cutback pass from outside the penalty area, and Bruno Fernandes' follow-up shot was blocked by Hermansen. In the first minute of stoppage time in the second half, Forbes crossed from the right, and Alberto Costa's long-range shot was again saved by Hermansen. In the third minute of stoppage time, Forbes crossed from the right wing, and João Neves' close-range volley was parried by Hermansen but not far enough. Bernardo Silva saw this and promptly tapped in the rebound, and the goal was confirmed after VAR review. The match ended with Denmark defeating Portugal 4-1.

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