Rasmus Højlund pushes Jorge Jesus after Denmark’s Nations League defeat

Rasmus Højlund appeared to push Portugal manager Jorge Jesus during the post-match handshakes after Denmark’s 4-2 defeat by Portugal in the Nations League.

The Napoli striker was filmed making light contact with Jesus’ chest as the two teams exchanged greetings following Thursday’s match at Parken in Copenhagen.

The incident came after Højlund had celebrated Denmark’s equaliser in the style of Cristiano Ronaldo. The forward made it 2-2 in the 53rd minute before jumping and shouting “Siuuu”, the celebration closely associated with the Portugal captain.

Højlund’s celebration drew attention during an already heated contest, particularly given Ronaldo’s absence from the Portugal squad for the match.

Portugal took the lead after 12 minutes when Joao Cancelo converted, but Denmark levelled through Mikkel Damsgaard in the 23rd minute.

The visitors restored their advantage two minutes later. Goncalo Ramos finished after being played in by Bruno Fernandes, but Højlund’s second-half goal brought Denmark back on level terms.

Vitinha put Portugal ahead for a third time with a header in the 67th minute, before Joao Felix completed the scoring in the 87th minute.

The result gave Jesus’ side a third consecutive victory in the group and maintained their perfect record with nine points.

The game had added significance because Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp a day before the match. Tension had followed Jesus’ decision not to play him against Norway in the previous fixture, as well as the subsequent notification that he would not start against Denmark.

Despite the defeat, Højlund’s equaliser briefly offered Denmark the chance to recover from Portugal’s early goals. However, Portugal regained control in the closing stages, with Vitinha and Joao Felix securing the win.