Denmark vs Portugal Prediction & Preview - UEFA Nations League
Portugal have won their last two Nations League matches without missing a beat, while Denmark are working through the worst injury list their coach says he has ever had to manage. That is the question Thursday's game in Copenhagen actually poses: whether a patched-together Denmark side can hold out against a Portugal team that has not lost since the summer.
- Fixture: Denmark vs Portugal
- Competition: UEFA Nations League
- Date: Thursday, 1 October 2026
- Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Full details, including how to get involved, are on the Denmark vs Portugal match page.
Denmark's defence in pieces
Brian Riemer has said he has "never experienced anything like" the list of absences he is dealing with this week. Patrick Dorgu and Albert Grønbæk were both sent home with muscle injuries in the past few days, joining Andreas Christensen, Alexander Bah and Kasper Dolberg on the sidelines. That is five senior internationals missing before Riemer has picked a team, several of them from the back line he would otherwise start.
Why Ronaldo was on the bench against Norway
Cristiano Ronaldo did not play a single minute of Portugal's last Nations League win over Norway, only the third time in his international career he has been an unused substitute. Coach Jorge Jesus framed it as game management rather than a drop in form, saying "Cris isn't like João Neves, who is 20 and can play every three days." Portuguese reports described a tense conversation between the two afterwards, but both have since played it down, with Jesus calling Ronaldo "an important figure for Portugal, playing or not."
Denmark's recent form
Denmark's two most recent matches went in opposite directions: a 3-2 defeat away to Norway on 24 September, followed three days later by a 2-0 home win over Wales. The Wales result shows there is a decent team underneath the current injury list, but it was played before Dorgu and Grønbæk followed Christensen and Bah out of the squad.
Portugal's recent form
Portugal have won their last two Nations League outings, beating Wales 1-0 on 24 September before following up with a 2-1 win away to Norway three days later. Both results came either side of the Ronaldo situation, which suggests the squad has coped with it on the pitch regardless of what was said off it. It continues a strong year for Jesus's side, who reached the World Cup in the summer, beating Uzbekistan 5-0 and Croatia 2-1 before a narrow 1-0 defeat to Spain.
Denmark vs Portugal prediction
Portugal should have enough to win this UEFA Nations League meeting in Copenhagen, with Denmark missing too much of their defence for the call to go any other way. Riemer's side showed they can still win games against Wales, but five senior absences against a Portugal team on a two-game winning run is a lot to ask. The Ronaldo situation looks like noise rather than a genuine disruption, given Portugal won without him in the side.
Our prediction: Denmark 1-2 Portugal
Make your prediction
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