Ronaldo ends his career in Portugal after 23 years, with a men's record of 234 appearances and 146 goals. The 41-year-old attacker made the announcement via Twitter on Thursday.Now, for Portugal fans, the question is, what will they look like without him? The next test comes on Saturday 14 November, when Portugal host Denmark in the Nations League.
Form and Key Statistics
Portugal top Nations League Group A4 with four wins from four and 12 points. They had beaten Wales 1-0, beaten Norway 2-1 and Denmark 4-2, before beating Norway at home 2-1. That’s nine goals scored and four conceded, with a goal conceded during three of the four games.
Ronaldo came off the bench in the victory at Norway and since then he has been a non-issue for Portugal, so the previous two games of victory were his last two at Camp. Gonçalo Ramos scored in both wins over Norway, Félix scored against Wales and in Oslo, and Cancelo added a goal in the home game, so the attack is not short of options.
Match Analysis
Denmark will be a test, and the first meeting points to an open game. Portugal defeated Denmark 4-2 in a game, a six-goal match. Denmark have scored in all four of their group games but have conceded seven in those four, so neither side is used to playing with the ball at their feet.
Without a 41-year-old centre-forward, Ramos and Félix should give Jesus more movement across the front line than a traditional target man would. Whether Portugal press harder without Ronaldo is a fair question rather than a settled fact, and one win in Denmark is thin evidence either way. Home advantage helps: Portugal have won both of their home group games so far.
Rooted Predict Verdict
From a prediction standpoint, the Ronaldo news probably changes less than the headlines suggest. Portugal won both games after he left the camp, scoring six and conceding three.
Our main angle is goals. More than 1.5 goals has been scored in three of Portugal's four group games, with both teams finding the net in each of those three games. Add the 4-2 first meeting and Denmark’s record of scoring in every group game, and over 1.5 goals and Both Teams to Score are the markets the numbers support. We’d steer clear of under goals, which landed only once in four.
Our Portugal vs Denmark prediction is a Portugal win, at medium-low confidence. Whether any of these markets is good value depends on the price, so check the odds before you bet. No prediction is guaranteed, and two games without Ronaldo is too small a sample to build on. If betting stops being fun, BeGambleAware (UK) offers free support.
Conclusion
The days of Cristiano Ronaldo representing the national team are in the past, but the early signs indicate that it's a team that will allow goals to slip by without fear. That means there's a chance that the game will be an open one on Saturday and it's a reminder not to take any one-sided prediction lightly.