PORTUGAL tasted Nations League glory for a second time with Cristiano Ronaldo playing a starring role – and Chelsea flop Alvaro Morata the villain.
After winning the inaugural 2019 edition, Roberto Martinez’s men are champions once more in a thrilling finale in Munich, fighting back twice to draw level against reigning European champions Spain.
Alvaro Morata misses from the spot
Ruben Neves scores from the spot
Portugal are Uefa Nations League winners! pic.twitter.com/2WqXRg1DQv
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Ronaldo netted an ingenious equalising 61st minute volley to make it 2-2 for his 938th career goal and 138th for his country – but the 40-year-old watched the penalties from the bench, along with 17-year-old teenage superstar Lamine Yamal.
And Spain’s Morata missed his spot-kick for Ruben Neves to slot home the winner.
Both nations were vying to become the first to lift the Nations League twice.
A slow start was thrust into life by a Nico Williams whipped curler that just cleared the bar after 17 minutes – and four minutes later the Spaniards were ahead.
Yamal at the heart of it, his delicious cross was made a mess of by a scrambling Portugal defence, allowing soon-to-be Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi to score just his second international goal.
Spain were 4-0 up after 55 minutes in their 5-4 semi thriller against France last week, but Ronaldo was not about to let that happen again as he burst in behind to spark an attack.
It ended with Mendes firing low into the bottom corner in the 26th minute, but not before a VAR check that judged Ronaldo to have timed his run to perfection.
The final say of the first half was Spain’s. Pedri with a superb reverse pass to tee up Mikel Oyarzabal in injury time – the man who broke English hearts in the Euros final in Berlin last summer producing another big goal in Munich.
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Martinez responded by bringing on Neves and Nelson Semedo at the break, and it almost had an instant impact as Bruno Fernandes had a 49th minute strike ruled out for offside.
An equaliser was coming and Ronaldo reacted first to a deflected looped cross that bamboozled Marc Cucurella for his eighth Nations League of the campaign.
He hobbled off with a muscular injury in the 88th minute, while Yamal was subbed in the 106th minute, as the game became niggly with a VAR red-check following a mass melee.
Goncalo Ramos, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Nuno Mendes all slotted home their penalties before Neves became the hero.
