COPENHAGEN, Denmark, October 1, 2026: Portugal walked into one of the harder away tests of UEFA Nations League Matchday 3 and left with four goals, nine points from three matches and a growing sense that the defending champions are becoming less dependent on one generation to carry them.
João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and João Félix scored as Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen, while Jürgen Klopp finally collected his first victory as Germany coach with a 2-0 win over Serbia.
Elsewhere, Wales recovered from conceding first to beat Norway 2-1, Greece surrendered a two-goal lead as the Netherlands fought back for a 2-2 draw, and the Republic of Ireland saw a 2-0 halftime advantage disappear in a 2-2 draw with Austria.
Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein finished 0-0 in League D, while Malta and Gibraltar shared the points in a 1-1 draw.
The result with the largest immediate consequence came in Copenhagen.
Portugal had already beaten Wales and Norway. Their third straight victory now gives Jorge Jesus’ side control of League A Group 4 before the competition reaches its midpoint.
UEFA Nations League October 1 Results
| League | Group | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| League D | D2 | Azerbaijan vs Liechtenstein | 0-0 |
| League A | A2 | Germany vs Serbia | 2-0 |
| League A | A2 | Greece vs Netherlands | 2-2 |
| League A | A4 | Denmark vs Portugal | 2-4 |
| League A | A4 | Wales vs Norway | 2-1 |
| League B | B3 | Republic of Ireland vs Austria | 2-2 |
| League D | D1 | Malta vs Gibraltar | 1-1 |
The full competition schedule is available through UEFA’s official Nations League fixture and results page.
Portugal Turn Copenhagen Into Their Strongest Statement Yet
Portugal had already shown they could win close matches.
Their first two Nations League games produced a 1-0 victory over Wales and a 2-1 away win in Norway. The Sports Encounter’s analysis of the Norway victory focused on how João Félix and Gonçalo Ramos carried the attack without requiring Cristiano Ronaldo to start.
Copenhagen pushed that idea further.
Cancelo opened the scoring in the 13th minute after combining with Ramos, but Denmark answered through Mikkel Damsgaard 10 minutes later.
Portugal’s response came almost immediately.
Ramos restored the lead in the 25th minute, taking Portugal into halftime at 2-1.
Denmark found another equalizer through Rasmus Højlund early in the second half, threatening to turn the night into a genuine contest for control of Group A4.
Portugal did not blink.
Vitinha made it 3-2 in the 67th minute before João Félix added the fourth late in the game.
Four different scorers produced Portugal’s four goals.
That is the most important attacking detail.
The defending Nations League champions are beginning to demonstrate that their threat does not have to come through one player, one pattern or one phase of possession.
That evolution had already begun in Oslo, where Félix and Ramos answered Erling Haaland. It looked more complete in Copenhagen.
Portugal Now Have Nine Points From Nine
Portugal entered Matchday 3 already leading Group A4 after beating both Wales and Norway.
Their third straight victory gives them nine points and puts immediate pressure on everybody behind them.
Before the round, TSE’s full Nations League standings review showed Portugal on six points, with Denmark and Norway both on three.
Thursday widened that gap.
| Group A4 Team | Played | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 3 | 9 |
| Wales | 3 | 3 |
| Norway | 3 | 3 |
| Denmark | 3 | 3 |
The exact order among the three teams on three points is subject to UEFA’s group tiebreak criteria, but the larger picture is already obvious.
Portugal have separated themselves.
Klopp Gets the Germany Win He Needed
Germany’s 2-0 victory over Serbia was not simply another home result.
It was Jürgen Klopp’s first win as national-team coach.
His opening two games had produced a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands and a damaging 1-0 home defeat against Greece. That left Germany with one point from six and immediate pressure around a managerial era that had barely begun.
TSE’s Matchday 2 standings analysis identified Germany’s position as one of League A’s biggest early problems.
Against Serbia, the response finally arrived.
Tom Bischof opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Florian Wirtz doubled the lead in the 61st.
The significance went beyond the scorers.
Germany played with more aggression, pressed Serbia higher and created enough pressure to make the two-goal margin feel more representative of the game than flattering.
For Klopp, the result changes the conversation without ending it.
One victory does not repair Germany’s opening defeat to Greece or suddenly make the transition complete.
It does give the team four points and a route back into the Group A2 race.
Serbia Are Already Running Out of Space
Serbia entered Munich having already lost to Greece and the Netherlands.
A third consecutive defeat leaves them without a point.
That is particularly damaging because the Netherlands and Greece have already accumulated enough points to create separation.
Germany still have work to do.
Serbia now have considerably more.
Greece Lose Their Perfect Record but Not Their Authority
Greece entered Thursday as one of the biggest surprises of the new Nations League campaign.
They had beaten Serbia 2-1 and then stunned Germany 1-0.
The Sports Encounter’s Matchday 2 report described their victory in Germany as the round’s biggest upset.
For much of Thursday’s game, Greece looked ready to make it three wins from three.
Fotis Ioannidis scored in the 23rd minute before Greece doubled the advantage shortly before halftime.
The Netherlands responded after the break.
Virgil van Dijk made it 2-1 in the 59th minute, giving Xavi Hernández’s side more than half an hour to chase the match.
The equalizer arrived in the 89th minute through Tijjani Reijnders.
It was a painful way for Greece to lose two points, but the draw does not erase the quality of their opening three matches.
They have now taken seven points from games against Serbia, Germany and the Netherlands.
That is no longer a curiosity.
It is a real qualification challenge.
The Netherlands Rescue a Point That Could Matter Later
The Dutch contribution to the 2-2 draw may ultimately prove as important as Greece’s frustration.
Xavi’s Netherlands had already demonstrated late resilience in the opening round when Cody Gakpo scored in stoppage time to rescue a 1-1 draw with Germany.
They followed that by beating Serbia 2-1, with Mexx Meerdink scoring twice.
TSE examined the broader direction of the national team when Xavi Hernández was appointed Netherlands coach through 2030.
Three matches into the new cycle, one pattern is becoming difficult to ignore.
The Netherlands are not always controlling the scoreline, but they are refusing to let difficult matches disappear.
Van Dijk and Reijnders turned a 2-0 deficit into a point.
In a six-match group, that recovery may become significant later.
Wales Finally Score, Then Beat Norway
Wales entered Thursday in the worst position in Group A4.
They had lost 1-0 to Portugal and 2-0 to Denmark.
Two matches, zero points, zero goals.
Norway appeared ready to make that start even worse when Oscar Bobb scored in the 11th minute.
Instead, Wales responded with their best half of the competition.
Daniel James equalized before halftime, and Neco Williams completed the turnaround shortly after the restart.
The 2-1 victory gives Wales their first points and first goals of the campaign.
More importantly, it prevents Group A4 from turning into a two-team chase behind Portugal.
Before Matchday 3, TSE’s league-wide standings breakdown showed Wales alone at the bottom with zero points.
They are no longer isolated.
Norway Waste Another Haaland Night
The most striking part of Norway’s defeat is what did not happen.
Erling Haaland entered the game with three Nations League goals already, including two against Denmark and another against Portugal.
He had become Norway’s clearest route to decisive moments.
Against Wales, the goal came from Bobb instead.
Norway still could not protect the lead.
That reinforces the question raised after Portugal beat them in Oslo: how much can Norway create when opponents survive Haaland’s biggest moments or prevent him from deciding the match?
Two straight defeats have now followed their opening victory over Denmark.
Ireland Let Austria Escape From 2-0 Down
The Republic of Ireland looked ready to produce one of their strongest performances of the international window when Troy Parrott scored twice before halftime.
The first goal arrived in the 13th minute.
By the interval, Ireland were 2-0 ahead and in position to hand Austria their first defeat after two wins from two.
The second half completely changed the match.
Alexander Prass and Michael Gregoritsch scored within a five-minute spell as Austria recovered to 2-2.
For Ireland, the frustration is obvious.
For Austria, the point may carry the emotional value of a win.
Ralf Rangnick’s side entered Matchday 3 with six points and had been one of League B’s cleanest early performers, a trend TSE highlighted in its previous Nations League roundup.
They leave Dublin still unbeaten.
League D Produces Two More Tight Games
Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein finished 0-0 in Group D2.
The draw follows Azerbaijan’s 1-1 result against Lithuania, meaning their opening three-match sequence has produced very little separation.
Malta and Gibraltar also shared the points in Group D1, finishing 1-1.
The lower leagues rarely produce the same global headlines as Portugal, Germany or the Netherlands, but the Nations League structure makes these results meaningful because promotion races are determined over only six matches.
The wider competition context is available in TSE’s opening Nations League weekend guide, which explains the league structure and promotion stakes across Europe.
What Did Nations League Matchday 3 Change?
Portugal created the clearest separation.
Three matches have produced three wins, nine points and an attack increasingly distributed across Félix, Ramos, Cancelo, Vitinha and others.
Germany finally have evidence that Klopp’s reset can produce a result, although Greece and the Netherlands remain ahead in Group A2.
Greece lost their perfect record but strengthened the argument that their opening wins were not isolated surprises.
The Netherlands again showed the value of late resilience.
Wales turned a campaign that looked close to collapsing into a three-way fight behind Portugal.
Austria protected their unbeaten start by recovering from two goals down.
UEFA’s official Matchday 3 preview had identified Portugal, Greece, Klopp’s Germany and Norway among the major stories entering Thursday.
By full time, each storyline had changed.
What Comes Next in the UEFA Nations League?
Matchday 3 continues on October 2 and October 3.
Friday’s League A schedule includes Belgium against Türkiye and France against Italy, while Saturday brings Croatia against England and Spain against Czechia.
The entire league phase runs through November 17, according to UEFA.
The competition therefore has plenty of time left.
Thursday still produced one conclusion that already feels difficult to avoid.
Portugal are no longer simply leading Group A4.
Everybody else is chasing them.
UEFA Nations League October 1 FAQs
What Was the Denmark vs Portugal Score?
Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen on October 1, 2026.
Who Scored for Portugal Against Denmark?
João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and João Félix scored Portugal’s four goals.
Did Germany Win Under Jürgen Klopp?
Yes. Germany beat Serbia 2-0, giving Klopp his first victory as national-team coach.
Who Scored for Germany Against Serbia?
Tom Bischof scored in the first half and Florian Wirtz added Germany’s second after halftime.
What Was the Greece vs Netherlands Score?
Greece and the Netherlands drew 2-2 after the Dutch recovered from a 2-0 deficit.
Did Wales Beat Norway?
Yes. Wales came from behind to beat Norway 2-1 through goals from Daniel James and Neco Williams after Oscar Bobb had given Norway the lead.
Did Erling Haaland Score Against Wales?
No. Norway’s goal was scored by Oscar Bobb.
What Was the Republic of Ireland vs Austria Score?
The match finished 2-2 after Ireland led 2-0 at halftime through two Troy Parrott goals.
How Many Points Do Portugal Have in Nations League Group A4?
Portugal have nine points from three matches after victories over Wales, Norway and Denmark.
When Does Nations League Matchday 3 Continue?
Matchday 3 continues on October 2 and October 3, with more League A, B and C fixtures across Europe.