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PSG imprint on Portugal’s Nations League triumph
Mendes, Vitinha, Neves and Ramos played important roles in the country’s second title in this continental tournament
Kolkata: It was in the media room of Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in December 2022 that Roberto Martinez said his time with Belgium was over. One month later, he was named Portugal coach which meant moving from one team whose performance had not matched potential to another. After Sunday’s Nations League title that may be changing.
Portugal did not have outspoken players such as Kevin de Bruyne but they did have a Cristiano Ronaldo-sized problem when Martinez took charge. Martinez’s predecessor Fernando Santos, in whose eight-year reign Portugal had won the 2016 European Championship and the 2018-19 Nations League, did not start Ronaldo in the knockout rounds of the Qatar World Cup. It led to Goncalo Ramos scoring a hattrick against Switzerland. But Morocco beat them and Ronaldo exited in tears.
In Munich on Sunday, Ronaldo was in tears again, this time in joy after Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties after open play had ended at 2-2. At 40 years and four months, he had scored to make it 2-2 in the 61st minute. It was his 138th goal in 221st international and he had lasted nearly all of the regulation 90 minutes before Ramos replaced him. The roles have been reversed. Martinez had ensured that by announcing on joining that Ronaldo would be part of his plans.
It is unlikely to change anytime soon. “A captain with the kind of experience he has is essential to create the values and to show personality,” Martinez said after his first trophy since the FA Cup with Wigan in 2013.
Ronaldo had no shot on target till he scored and looked a step slower than the rest on the pitch. But twice he stole from Lamine Yamal, once tracking back to dispossess the Spaniard who was born when Ronaldo was 46 internationals old. Ronaldo had scored against Germany in the semi-final and has eight goals in the last nine Nations League matches.
Spain, the reigning European champions, were fluent with the ball and capable of going direct. They did in the 15th through a long ball from central defender Dean Huijsen which split Portugal and found Nico Williams who released to Pedri whose shot didn’t bend enough. Their first goal in the 21st minute though came from a collective effort that involved Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal, the move starting and finishing through Martin Zubimendi. With half-time looming, Spain scored again by surging forward through Pedri, Oyarzabal timing his run to perfection to finish the move.
Spain have been thrilling going forward but France and now Portugal have shown their defence can leak goals. They have conceded 15 in their last six matches. “We struggled more in the second half, we were tired,” said Oyarzabal. “Our fighting spirit and togetherness were decisive today,” Bruno Fernandes told the media group RTL. “When we stay together like this, we’re very difficult to beat.”
Nuno Mendes was at the front and centre of both Portugal goals, scoring the first in the 25th minute with a screamer and setting up Ronaldo, albeit off a deflection from Robin le Normand, after leaving Yamal trailing in his wake for the second.
Mendes is a left-back who, at times, was Portugal’s most advanced player. He had the most number of successful dribbles for Portugal (4), most entries in the opposition box and played 16 passes in the final third.
He also neutralised Yamal and ghosted past him in ways few dare to against the 18-year-old prodigy. Mendes won five tackles and seven duels. From shielding Pedri, making a crucial block to deny him in the 63rd minute, linking with Vitinha, running at Spain’s defence with Rafael Leao, adding numbers in the midfield, finding Bernardo Silva with a raking pass and converting his penalty, Mendes had the perfect end to a season where he had won four titles with Paris St-Germain (PSG), including the Champions League one week ago also in Munich.
The PSG imprint on Portugal’s triumph was evident in the ease with which Vitinha would drop into defence when Mendes bombed up and in the way Joao Neves would jump into midfield. As it did when Mendes and his fellow full-back Nestor Semedo nearly combined to score in the 92nd minute. Defensively, playing Neves, a midfielder, as right-back did not work but Portugal managed to keep Williams in check.
The World Cup is one summer away but Portugal have shown steel and skill to be one of the favourites. Mendes is 22, Neves is 20, Vitinha is 25, Ramos 23 and the PSG quartet is not the only young ones on the roster. Add the experience of Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, a bench where Joao Felix and Diogo Dalot cannot get minutes, Leao is introduced in the 74th minute, Diogo Jota even later and it is not difficult to see why things could get hot for Portugal’s opponents in the USA.
