Portugal Defeats Wales
Portugal secures a Nations League opening win over Wales with João Félix strike.
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Portugal opened its Nations League title defence with a 1-0 win over Wales in Lisbon, settled by João Félix’s deflected strike. Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside, and Wales threatened late as Brennan Johnson hit the crossbar and Lewis Koumas also came close. Wales coach Craig Bellamy praised his injury-hit team’s resilience but said they needed to make more of their possession. Portugal coach Jorge Jesus said Ronaldo was substituted for tactical and physical reasons and would be assessed in training before a decision on whether he starts against Norway; Bruno Fernandes will miss Sunday’s match with a minor injury, João Neves is expected to start, and Nuno Mendes is available again.
Key Points
1
Jorge Jesus said he took Cristiano Ronaldo off to add a faster player to Portugal’s first defensive line, explaining that he wanted someone who could press Wales’ two central defenders; Jesus also said Ronaldo was physically unable to continue.
2
Ronaldo had a clear chance to extend Portugal’s lead after a pass from Rúben Neves but did not convert it.
3
João Neves had arrived at Portugal’s camp with a slight injury and underwent an MRI; the coaching staff rested him against Wales to prepare him to start against Norway.
4
Craig Bellamy said Wales’s Nations League campaign carried a qualification incentive: a third-place finish could give them a strong chance of being among the top 12 seeds for the Euro qualifiers.
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