Eriksen scores as five Reds start in Portugal

Eriksen scores as five Reds start in Portugal

All five Manchester United representatives started in Portugal’s exciting UEFA Nations League quarter-final win over Denmark.

There was an instance of a Reds man assisting another, as Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu set up Christian Eriksen for the visitors, with the match going to extra time.

However, Roberto Martinez’s side came out on top, eventually winning 5-2 on the night, and 5-3 on aggregate.

Rasmus Hojlund’s goal had decided the first leg in Copenhagen and he worked hard in attack again, managing to force Diogo Costa into a save.

However, the first moment of note came at the other end, with Dorgu shoving Cristiano Ronaldo inside the box to concede a penalty. After a pause for a VAR review, Ronaldo stuttered in his run-up and Kasper Schmeichel, son of Reds legend Peter, dived to his left to pull off a smart save.

Dorgu certainly recovered well from that incident and looked bright throughout, although Portugal went ahead in the 38th minute of a thrilling contest.

Joachim Andersen headed into his own net, with Ronaldo leaping prodigiously in front of him in an attempt to reach Bruno Fernandes’s corner.

The Danes equalised in similar circumstances, although Rasmus Kristensen got there first to an Erikson corner to make it 1-1, but 2-1 on aggregate to the Scandinavians.

With 18 minutes left, Fernandes let fly from outside the box to force a fine save out of Schmeichel, but the keeper’s parry was squeezed home from a tight angle by the ever-alert Ronaldo, who notched his 135th international goal.

Only four minutes later, and there appeared to be a key intervention, forged by United’s players. Dorgu suddenly found himself in space and provided a perfect low centre for Eriksen to adjust his body on the run to find the empty net and level the scores on the evening at 2-2.

The Danes celebrated what they must have felt could have been a goal to take them through – it was Eriksen’s 43rd for his country, after he had a penalty saved by Costa in the first leg.

With Diogo Dalot making a couple of crunching challenges, and playing with plenty of aggression, there was much to admire from each of the five Reds involved, although Hojlund was withdrawn in the 73rd minute and appeared to put an ice-pack on his leg, while sitting on the bench.

Francisco Trincao, who came on for Dalot in the 81st minute, would prove to be the difference, expertly finishing only three minutes later to force extra time.

The Sporting winger then nudged Portugal ahead with his second goal, moments into the additional period, after Schmeichel pushed out an effort by substitute Goncalo Ramos, who had replaced Ronaldo at the end of normal time.

The Paris-Saint Germain striker killed off the Danes’ hopes, when finishing a pass by Diogo Jota, to make it 5-2 late on, 5-3 on aggregate.

Meanwhile, Matthijs de Ligt was an unused substitute, as the Netherlands drew 3-3, after extra time, in Spain, but lost 5-4 on a penalty shootout.

Hence, our only representatives in the competition will be Portugal, at the semi-final stage, as they face Germany, while Spain take on France.

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