Portugal, the reigning UEFA Nations League champions, clinched a spot in the quarter-finals today, extending their perfect record with a wild 2-1 comeback victory over Norway in Porto. The Seleção das Quinas proved that all the chatter around Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t affecting them on the pitch one bit, punching their ticket after just four rounds of play.
Ramos Steps Up, Drama Ensues, And Portugal Keeps Rolling
These guys looked sharp for most of the first half against Norway, controlling the ball and creating chances. But then, in the 35th minute, towering Ajer, the Brentford defender, scored a stunner off a free-kick, leaving his own teammates in disbelief. Talk about a wake-up call! Portugal’s response didn’t take long, though. Just four minutes later, in the 39th minute, João Cancelo found acres of space from a throw-in and fired home a superb first-time finish. Game on.
Haaland, Norway’s main man, didn’t get his first real scoring chance until the 60th minute, and he finished poorly after being set up by Berg. He eventually got subbed out in the 69th minute without ever really standing out. Portugal, looking way more capable with the ball, pressed for the winner. It came in the 79th minute when João Félix received the ball from Vitinha and perfectly teed up Gonçalo Ramos. That was Ramos’s third straight goal, cementing his place as the No. 9, CR7’s replacement. The drama wasn’t quite over, though. Late in the game, Maurizio Mariani decided Francisco Conceição had simulated a foul for a penalty, showing him a yellow card. Conceição responded with a sarcastic thumbs-up and was promptly sent off. Still, Portugal moved to an impressive 12 points, while Haaland & Co. remain stuck on three.
Germany Stumbles Again, While The Netherlands Makes A Statement
It wasn’t a perfect day for everyone in League A. Germany continued their struggles with another stumble, playing Greece to a 0-0 draw. Klopp’s side was utterly dominant in the first half, even scoring through Burkardt, but it was ruled out due to a handball by Bischof at the start of the move. They pushed even harder after the break but just couldn’t find the net. Germany is now on five points, sitting in third place, and frankly, they aren’t inspiring much confidence in this current cycle. As things stand, they’d be in a playoff to avoid relegation from the league. Yikes.
Meanwhile, Denmark secured a 1-0 away win against Wales thanks to a Hojlund penalty. That result took Denmark to six points, good for second place, with Wales also on three. The Netherlands snatched a 2-1 victory over Serbia. Koopmeiners put the hosts ahead with a free-kick in the 30th minute. Serbia quickly responded in the 35th with Mihajlo Cvetkovic’s header, the 19-year-old’s first national team goal. But the win went to Xavi’s side after Zirkzee tapped in a goal almost on the line in the 72nd minute. The Netherlands moved to eight points and lead their group because they’ve scored more goals than Greece. Serbia, sadly, remains pointless. In League B action, Ireland and Israel, after their controversial match hosted by Israel in Hungary, ended in a 1-1 draw, with Parrott moving to four goals in the Nations League.
Portugal is clearly the team to beat right now, setting the pace in the Nations League. With Ramos firing on all cylinders and that perfect record, it’s going to be wild to see if anyone can slow them down as we head deeper into the knockout stages. On the other side, Germany has a lot of work to do to turn things around in this current cycle. This Nations League just keeps delivering the drama, doesn’t it?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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