Portugal vs Denmark: Preview, Kick-Off Time and How to Watch
Portugal against Denmark is the headline match of Saturday's Nations League programme, and it marks the start of a new era for the hosts. The two sides meet in Braga, kicking off at 02:45 WIB on Sunday 15 November (20:45 CET on Saturday), in Portugal's first match since Cristiano Ronaldo announced his international retirement. Bernardo Silva wears the captain's armband now, and a new generation takes centre stage.
Ronaldo's retirement, announced on Thursday 5 November, closed one of the great international careers in football history: 234 caps and a world-record 146 goals. His final appearance came in the 1-0 win over Wales on 24 September. Portugal move on under head coach Jorge Jesus, and the early signs are encouraging — Gonçalo Ramos and João Félix have become the key attacking players, with three goals each through four matches, and both were on target in October's 4-2 win in Copenhagen.
Photo by El gringo photo on Pexels. This is a stock illustration, not a photo from either team.
Portugal's position in Group A4 is already secure. They sit top on 12 points and have confirmed their place in the quarter-finals, and a single point against Denmark would be enough to guarantee first place in the group. Denmark, second on six points, need a result of their own to keep their hopes of joining them alive. It is the kind of match where both sides have something real at stake, even if the hosts' qualification is already in the bag.
There are absences to deal with. Nuno Mendes is out injured, João Cancelo is suspended for this game, and Francisco Conceição is suspended too. That tests the depth of a squad that has plenty of it, with Vitinha pulling the strings in midfield and João Félix leading the line. Denmark, meanwhile, will lean on Rasmus Højlund, who has scored three of their seven goals in this campaign and netted the winner in their victory over Wales on Matchday 4.
Coach Brian Riemer has called Portugal world class, and he is not wrong — but Denmark have shown before that they can trouble the best teams in Europe when they are organised and disciplined. Their task in Braga is to stay in the game, frustrate the home crowd, and take whatever chances come their way on the break.
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For viewers in the UK, the match is available on Prime Video, which carries the Nations League ties that do not involve a home nation. Kick-off is at 20:45 CET on Saturday, which is 02:45 WIB on Sunday morning — another late night for fans in Indonesia, and another one worth setting an alarm for. The full list of kick-off times and official ways to watch is on the Games Indigo LIVE page.
Saturday's programme offers plenty beyond Braga. Norway host Wales at 00:00 WIB on Sunday, with Erling Haaland leading the line for the hosts, while Georgia face Hungary, Northern Ireland meet Ukraine, Austria play the Republic of Ireland, Romania take on Poland, and Sweden host Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kosovo against Israel opens the day at 21:00 WIB on Saturday.
The post-Ronaldo era is the story of the night, but the football matters just as much. Portugal want to finish the group stage as winners, Denmark want to keep their quarter-final hopes alive, and the 90 minutes in Braga will decide both. For Bernardo Silva, leading his country out for the first time as captain, it is a night he will remember — and for the fans in the stadium, it is the first glimpse of what Portugal look like without the greatest player in their history.
Set your alarm for 02:45 WIB on Sunday. Portugal against Denmark is a match about the past and the future at the same time, and it deserves a late night.
Source: Sports Mole — Portugal vs Denmark predicted lineups: debut for 23-year-old, how Portugal could line up against Denmark — https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/portugal/uefa-nations-league/predicted-lineups/debut-for-23-year-old-how-portugal-could-line-up-against-denmark_608972.html
