Yesterday’s match between Spain and Portugal was nothing short of spectacular. It was a clash of titans in itself. But in the end, it is Portugal who have prevailed and taken the prestigious trophy home after a dramatic penalty shootout.
Overview:
Both teams had really strong lineups with superstars like Ronaldo, Vitinha, Lamine Yamal, and Marc Cucurella on either side. Both teams entered the Allianz Arena with the mentality to win.
1st Half:
The first half began with the Spanish team putting pressure on the Portuguese team, and indeed it was the Spanish midfielder Zubimendi who opened the scoring with a really clumsy goal caused by a mistake in clearing the ball by Portuguese midfielder João Neves.
But the Portuguese team was quick to respond as left-back Nuno Mendes tied the score with a really powerful shot that beat the keeper easily, just 5 minutes after Spain had taken the lead.
2nd Half:
As the score was tied at 1-1, it was the Spanish forward Mikel Oyarzabal who scored a fabulous goal and took the lead back, but the game was far from over as Portuguese striker and often regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo scored to make the score 2-2 for Portugal.
But then came horror for the Portuguese fans as their star striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, went down injured at the 85th minute and had to be subbed off for PSG’s striker Goncalo Ramos. Many fans thought that Ronaldo’s departure from the game could affect the game and put the game in Spain’s favour, but that was not the case.
Extra Time and Penalties:
As extra time began, both teams tried their best to win the game and not to go into a penalty shootout, but as the score remained equal, the penalty shootout was inevitable.
In the penalty shootout, Portugal were victorious in the end as Alvaro Morata missed his penalty and Portugal won the shootout by the score of 5-3
Nuno Mendes’s Masterclass:
The best player of the match was Nuno Mendes, as he scored the first goal and assisted the second. His impact on the game was immaculate. Another job that Mendes completed successfully was to completely lock Lamine Yamal and not let him have any impact in the match whatsoever.
Ronaldo bursts into tears after winning:
One moment that almost all fans will remember for decades to come will be the scene when Portugal won the shootout and Cristiano Ronaldo, who watched the game from the sidelines as he was injured, burst into tears of joy while falling on his knees.
Many believe that Portugal winning the Nations League for the second time has cemented Ronaldo’s legacy as a Portuguese icon.
Do you think the same? Share your opinion in the comments