Rasmus Højlund seemed to add salt to Cristiano Ronaldo’s wounds when he scored against the Portuguese national team and celebrated with the iconic “Siuuu” move.

The Manchester United forward netted the only goal that secured Denmark’s victory in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals. Just nine minutes after coming on the pitch, Højlund wrapped up a smooth attacking play with a close-range finish.

After scoring, the 22-year-old performed Ronaldo’s famous “Siuuu” celebration, turning towards the corner flag. Højlund was quickly surrounded by his teammates, while the crowd at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen erupted in joy. However, his celebration wasn’t meant to mock Ronaldo; earlier, Højlund had expressed his admiration for the Portuguese legend.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Højlund said, “I don’t want to exaggerate, but Cristiano Ronaldo means everything to me. I love football because of Ronaldo; I became a Manchester United fan because of him. I started training on my own because of Ronaldo; I began doing push-ups and sit-ups every night before bed because of him, because I want to be like him.”

After the match, Højlund clarified that he didn’t intend to offend CR7: “That celebration was for my idol. I meant no disrespect. Ronaldo has had a tremendous impact on me and my football career. It might sound contradictory, but scoring against him and the Portuguese national team is a huge deal for me.”

“I remember Ronaldo scoring from a free kick in 2011 when I watched the game, and from that moment, I became a huge fan of CR7.”

Højlund’s goal was decisive, as Portugal couldn’t find an equalizer in the final 12 minutes of the match. Denmark will look to protect this slim advantage in the return leg in Lisbon on March 24. If they win, they will advance to the semi-finals in June, where they will face either Italy or Germany.

Before Højlund entered the game, Denmark almost scored from a penalty taken by Christian Eriksen. However, Portugal’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa made an excellent save, despite Eriksen having successfully converted his last 15 penalty attempts for Denmark.

Fortunately, Højlund, Eriksen’s teammate at Manchester United, saved the day, helping Denmark maintain their lead ahead of the return leg.