Portugal swept aside Denmark with a 4-2 scoreline in the third matchday of Group 4 in the UEFA Nations League.
Portugal's four goals were scored by João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha, and João Félix, while Denmark's two goals came from Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Højlund.
Portugal raised their tally to 9 points at the top of the group with a perfect record of three wins.
Portugal scored four away goals in a competitive match without Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since September 6, 2008, when they also netted four against Malta.
Vitinha scored his first goal for Portugal in his 46th international appearance.
Ramos has scored 12 of his 13 goals for Portugal in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch, and he reached his 100th career goal across national team and club competitions.
Lineup
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus deployed an attacking lineup led by Gonçalo Ramos and Rafael Leão, who wore the number 7 shirt following Ronaldo's departure from the squad camp, alongside Pedro Neto, while Bruno Fernandes was given the captain's armband.
Portugal played their first match without Cristiano Ronaldo after he left the team camp on Wednesday following Jesus' comments in the press conference.
Match Summary
João Cancelo opened the scoring in the 13th minute after exchanging passes with Gonçalo Ramos; through individual effort, he dribbled past the Danish defender and slotted the ball into the net.
Damsgaard equalized with a curled shot that found the back of Portugal's net in the 23rd minute.
Bruno Fernandes delivered a superb pass to Gonçalo Ramos, who broke clear of the Danish goalkeeper and finished in the 25th minute, quickly restoring Portugal's lead.
Højlund broke through on goal in the 53rd minute to score the equalizer, celebrating in Cristiano Ronaldo's style against Portugal.
With a precise header, Vitinha scored Portugal's third goal against Denmark following a cross from Bruno Fernandes in the 67th minute.
João Félix completed Portugal's quartet of goals in the 87th minute after receiving a pass from Diogo Dalot in front of goal and putting it into the net.
Jesus won the first battle against Cristiano Ronaldo by securing a big victory without the captain as the national team embarks on building a new generation.
