Roberto Martinez responds when asked why Cristiano Ronaldo played 90 mins but Goncalo Ramos didn't feature vs Denmark

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has defended his decision to play Cristiano Ronaldo for the full 90 minutes against Denmark despite having Goncalo Ramos on the bench. The two teams faced off at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on Thursday, March 20, in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal first leg.

Unfortunately, Portugal succumbed to a 1-0 defeat, courtesy of a 78th minute Rasmus Hojlund goal. Ronaldo played the entire 90 minutes but failed to muster a shot on target.

Cristiano Ronaldo struggled to influence the game, registering just 30 touches and two shots. It was a suprise that Martinez opted not to replace the 40-year-old with Ramos, who was available on the bench.

Speaking after the game, the Portugal manager insisted that the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker remains an important player for the team.

“I believe in everyone. Francisco came from injury and can only play one game. Gonçalo Ramos, it is the first time he has arrived at our squad in the League of Nations. Gonçalo is a very important player for us. It is not a question of who is left out and inside," said Martinez.

He continued:

"The stop from November to March, there are times when the intensity, pace and synchronization is not there and it was not Cristiano as spearhead, it was in the areas that we expected and it was not the problem of the spearhead.”

Ramos has registered 13 goals and five assists from 27 games for PSG this season.

---

How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the UEFA Nations League?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is the third-highest goalscorer in UEFA Nations League, with 12 goals from 17 games so far. Only Erling Haaland and Aleksandar Mitrovic have scored more goals than the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in the history of the tournament.

This season, CR7 has registered five goals and one assist from six games so far. Despite drawing a blank against Denmark, the veteran superstar remains Portugal's most potent striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo won the UEFA Nations League in 2019, which remains the second international trophy of his career. The Portuguese also won Euro 2016 with his nation.

Ronaldo has been in fine form with Al-Nassr this season, registering 28 goals from 33 games across competitions. He is likely to be in the starting XI when Portugal face Denmark in the second leg on Sunday, March 23, at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.