Portugal became the first two-time UEFA Nations League winners after beating holders Spain via a penalty shootout in Munich this evening.
Luis de la Fuente’s men were twice pegged back, with Nuno Mendes and Cristiano Ronaldo respectively cancelling out Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Oyarzabal’s go-ahead goals. Nothing separated the Iberian rivals, forcing extra time.
With the additional period yielding a goalless stalemate, it swiftly moved to a dreaded shootout, which saw Roberto Martinez’s side come out on top, winning 5-3. Alvaro Morata, who came on in the final minutes, squandered the all-important kick. His effort was denied by Diogo Costa, who enhanced his reputation for stopping penalties.
The anticipation surrounding this match was primarily centred on the clash between Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or recipient, and Lamine Yamal, a promising talent 22 years and 168 days his junior, who is widely regarded as a future multiple winner for the prestigious award.
This encounter may mark a unique moment, as it could be the only occasion these two generational players compete against each other in a competitive setting. While Ronaldo approaches the end of his illustrious career, Yamal is just beginning his journey.
In a match anticipated to be fiercely contested, the stalemate was broken after 21 minutes of play. After driving forward to engineer Spain’s latest attack, Martin Zubimendi’s glancing header from Yamal’s right-channel cross was blocked by Ruben Dias, but the rebound dropped to the Real Sociedad midfielder for a tap-in.
However, that lead was short-lived as Paris Saint-Germain full-back Nuno Mendes netted Portugal’s equaliser, with Pedro Neto picking him out from the left. He then skillfully manoeuvred past Oscar Mingueza before firing a ferocious low shot across Unai Simon and inside the far post.
On the stroke of half-time, however, Euro 2024 hero Mikel Oyarzabal restored Spain’s lead with a clever finish. Pedri fed the Real Sociedad “false nine” with a perfectly weighted through ball, and he found himself between Dias and Goncalo Inacio to nudge the ball past Costa, subsequently altering both managers’ team talks going into the second half.
- Enhanced Offers
- Request A Bet Feature
- Vast selection of sports markets
#AD 18+ New customers only. First single & E/W bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 X £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.New customers only. First single & E/W bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 X £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.
- Excellent Football Betting Options
- Extensive Bet-Builder
- Multi-Award Winning Bookmaker
New customers only. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration Required.
- Enhanced Offers
- Exceptional Mobile App
- Fun Social Media Content
#AD 18+ New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on Football on odds of min 1.5 (1/2), get £50 in Free Bet Builders after the qualifying bet has been settled. Rewards valid for 90 days. Only deposits via cards & Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
From a head-to-head standpoint, Ronaldo, who as usual led Roberto Martinez’s attack before coming off with a suspected injury two minutes from the end of regulation time, had one important shot on goal. Until that successful effort, Spain had done a good job of nullifying Portugal’s supply chain, while Yamal posted three efforts, one on target.
Yamal, given license to drift from whichever flank he was stationed on and consequently double or triple-marked, understandably had more touches (72 to Ronaldo’s 22) when both were on the pitch together, completed one take-on to Ronaldo’s none, while creating one chance to Ronaldo’s none—but the caveat is the instructions both players received from their coaches. One needs to be constantly proactive, which his exuberance allows, while the other conserves energy and was made for that one moment, which came just after the hour mark.
Seven years after last finding the net against Spain, Ronaldo restored parity once again. Mendes was the architect down the left, and although his cutback was deflected up into the air, Portugal’s captain reacted quickest, adjusting his feet and getting ahead of Marc Cucurella to volley in from close range, netting international goal number 138.
Ronaldo could only watch from the sidelines as his teammates bested Spain on penalties. Rúben Neves hammered into the bottom-left corner to spark big celebrations in Bavaria.
But a word on embattled head coach Martinez, who saw his team come out after halftime determined to change the course of the match. After equalising through Ronaldo, they managed to hold off Spain’s attacks and created some scoring opportunities of their own.
Portugal could have secured victory during the extra 30 minutes, but they ultimately did what was necessary by winning the penalty shootout, claiming their second title thanks to Costa’s big save.