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Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu was brilliant yet again, even as Denmark came crashing out of the UEFA Nations League at the hands of Portugal on Sunday evening.
Dorgu was handed a start by Brian Riemer as Joakim Maehle was unavailable for selection due to personal reasons.
Denmark headed into the game with a one-goal aggregate lead, secured last week thanks to Rasmus Højlund’s impact off the bench. However, Portugal overcame them 5-3 on aggregate after extra time.
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his 219th international cap with a weak penalty attempt that was saved by Kasper Schmeichel, having won the spot-kick himself. However, it didn’t matter too much as Danish defender Joachim Andersen headed into the back of his own net from a Portugal corner.
With just over 30 minutes remaining, Rasmus Kristensen rose at the back post to head in a Christian Eriksen corner. Moments later, a powerful Bruno Fernandes strike rattled off the post and fell perfectly for Ronaldo, who slotted it in from a tight angle. Denmark regained the lead after Ruben Dias was dispossessed, allowing the ball to reach Dorgu, who expertly found his United teammate Eriksen. Eriksen made no mistake, calmly converting to put Denmark back in front.
Franciso Tricao made all the difference for the Selecao, scoring in the 86th minute to force proceedings into extra time before netting again in the 91st minute. The Sporting CP winger was also involved in an excellent move that resulted in Goncalo Ramos finding a fifth for Portugal.
Despite the flurry of goals, Dorgu stood out as one of Denmark’s top performers at Estádio José Alvalade.
Dorgu was on the pitch for 97 minutes before he was taken off and replaced by Conrad Harder. During the time he was on the pitch, Dorgu made an astonishing five clearances and three interceptions.
He put in five tackles. It was Dorgu who conceded the Ronaldo penalty in the closing stages of the first half.
The former Bologna man won nine of the 16 ground duels he delved into and came out on top in two of the three aerial challenges he contested.
Since joining United in January, Dorgu has demonstrated an ability to win fouls and this was on show against Portugal, drawing four fouls.
The 20-year-old touched the ball 62 times and managed to find his countrymen with 25 of the 31 passes he attempted. Two of his passes were key passes.
Dorgu embarked on three dribbles, completing two. He came close to scoring with a header but he couldn’t direct his effort to be on target.
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
Dorgu has been in excellent form since joining United, and it’s encouraging to see him carry that momentum onto the international stage. His focus now shifts to the clash against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on April 1.
Featured image Carlos Rodrigues via Getty Images
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