Fulham star Joachim Andersen spent Thursday night impressing with his national side.
Fulham star Joachim Andersen enjoyed a night to remember on Thursday night when he and his teammates toppled a European giant in Portugal. Denmark hosted Portugal in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final, and they seized the advantage ahead of the second leg in Lisbon this weekend.
Rasmus Hojlund scored the all-important winner, but it was a mammoth performance from Denmark, who were aided by the debut of former Arsenal striker Mika Biereth.
Denmark dominated Portugal in terms of chances and defended well out of possession to ensure they take an advantage into the second leg and give themselves a solid chance of progressing to the semi-finals.
A big part of that was Fulham defender Andersen, who spent the night taking care of footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo, keeping the former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker quiet.
Danish outlet B.T. rated the players after the memorable win, and they gave Andersen five out of six stars, writing: “When Joachim Andersen empties his pockets at Hotel Marienlyst tonight, there's a good chance a Portuguese football icon will fall to the floor. The Dane kept Cristiano Ronaldo in a tight bind – and was supreme in most of what he did.”
Fulham spent big to re-sign Andersen from Crystal Palace in the summer, committing £30million to the deal, with Marco Silva predicting last summer that the Dane would bring something “really important” to his squad. He wasn’t wrong, with the centre-back performing consistently across this season.
Andersen has posted an average WhoScored rating of 6.9 and is one of the most consistent performers for the Cottagers this season, aiding what has been a very solid campaign for Silva’s men. He will be hoping to continue his good form into the Nations League quarter-finals second leg before taking his good form into Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with former club Crystal Palace, a game that will hold extra significance for the defender.
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