Felix decides it in Lisbon
Portugal opened their Nations League campaign with a narrow win. The match was played on Thursday, September 24 at Estadio Jose Alvalade. Joao Felix scored the only goal of the night in the 22nd minute. His right-footed strike took a deflection off Ben Davies before beating Danny Ward. Final score: 1-0.
Portugal were in control for long spells. The home side racked up 22 shots to Wales’ five. Bruno Fernandes pulled the strings in attack. Joao Neves and Vitinha shut down the middle of the pitch. Craig Bellamy’s Wales hung on as best they could, with Danny Ward keeping them in it through a string of saves.
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Ronaldo blanks despite seven efforts
Cristiano Ronaldo made his 234th appearance for Portugal. The captain had seven attempts, more than anyone else on the pitch. None of them found the net. In the second half, he thought he had scored, only for VAR to rule it out for offside. He later missed a clear chance, almost one on one with the goal at his mercy.
Portugal have been building their attack around the Felix-Ronaldo partnership for several camps now. The former is backing up his strong recent form. The latter, now 40, is still chasing a landmark goal: 1,000 career strikes in all competitions. He spoke about it in the mixed zone, saying a goal like that “would be the icing on the cake”.
A solid platform for what comes next
This win gives Portugal the perfect start in this new group stage. Craig Bellamy, for his part, took the result without any drama. “The Nations League is a great format. We got promoted, we earned our place here,” said the Wales boss after the game. Both sides are back in action in a few days, with a chance to build on it or bounce back.
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