Alvaro Morata’s late goal was enough to get Spain the last spot in the UEFA Nations League final four. Netherlands, Croatia, and Italy all qualified, leaving Portugal and Spain to battle for the final spot.
Portugal hosted Spain on an entertaining night in Braga in which the away team took all the spoils. The hosts needed just a draw to get through to the finals following their win over Czech Republic and their opponent’s loss to Switzerland last time out, looking good value for it for much of the game.
Christiano Ronaldo lost a couple of chances to put the home side in front, ahead of their rivals. He also lost two one-on-one with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Following the introduction of Nico Williams, the visitors exploited gaps in the home side’s backline, and in the 87th minute, Alvaro Morata fired into the post from the 6-yard-box after a scramble in Portugal’s penalty box.
Nuno Mendez also got opportunities to display his dribbling skills, as he had some incredible moments in the thrilling match, especially when he went past three defenders, squeezing through the right side of Spain’s half.
Dani Carvajal also had some good moments and help his team’s defense, but he also got a yellow card for a clumsy foul on the opposition.
Ronaldo seemed a little rusty, but it might be due to the lack of playtime at Manchester United, as the player seemed to go down easily and could not convert most of the opportunities given to him.
