Portugal began their UEFA Nations League with a narrow 1-0 victory over Wales at the Estádio José Alvalade on Thursday night, with João Félix scoring the decisive goal in a match that also featured a disallowed Cristiano Ronaldo strike and a late Wales effort against the crossbar.
The victory gave new Portugal manager Jorge Jesus a winning start to his tenure, while Wales were left frustrated after producing a spirited performance against Portugal.
Portugal controlled much of the contest and created the better opportunities, eventually finishing with 19 shots compared with Wales’ four. However, the hosts were made to work until the final whistle after Wales came agonisingly close to finding an equaliser late in the second half.
The opening stages were dominated by Portugal, although Wales initially defended with discipline and attempted to frustrate the hosts’ attacking players.
Cristiano Ronaldo was at the centre of the attention as usual, with the 41-year-old receiving a huge reception whenever he came close to the Welsh penalty area.
Portugal eventually broke through in the 22nd minute.
The move developed down the left before Nuno Mendes played a low pass towards João Félix. The forward collected the ball outside the penalty area before unleashing a low right-footed effort towards the far corner.
The shot took a slight deflection off Wales captain Ben Davies, changing its trajectory and leaving goalkeeper Danny Ward unable to keep it out.
The ball nestled inside the far post to give Portugal a 1-0 lead.
It was a fortunate touch for Portugal, but Félix’s strike rewarded the hosts for their dominance and gave Jorge Jesus the perfect start to his competitive reign.
Portugal continued to control possession after taking the lead, while Ronaldo repeatedly searched for an opportunity to add his name to the scoresheet.
The veteran forward came close on several occasions but struggled to convert his chances. He sent one attempt into the side netting before later failing to make clean contact with another promising opportunity.
Ronaldo then appeared to have finally found the breakthrough.
After the hour mark, the Portugal captain put the ball into the back of the net, sparking celebrations inside the stadium. However, the celebrations were short-lived as the goal was ruled out for offside following a review.
Ronaldo’s frustration was clear, and the forward was substituted in the 67th minute, bringing an end to another eventful international appearance. He finished the match without a goal despite having seven shots, more than any other player on the pitch.
Wales, meanwhile, began to find more space as Portugal made changes and the match entered its final stages.
The visitors’ biggest opportunity arrived in the 74th minute.
Brennan Johnson spotted goalkeeper Diogo Costa off his line and attempted a delicate lob from a difficult angle. The ball sailed over the stranded Portuguese goalkeeper but crashed against the crossbar.
Wales immediately attacked the rebound, with Lewis Koumas and Dan James both attempting to reach the loose ball.
Koumas eventually got the opportunity to shoot, but his effort was blocked on the goal line by Rúben Dias, who produced a crucial defensive intervention to preserve Portugal’s advantage.
It was arguably Wales’ best opportunity of the entire match and a moment that could have completely changed the outcome.
Portugal survived the scare and attempted to regain control during the closing stages.
The hosts continued to threaten on the counterattack, but Wales defended resolutely and ensured Portugal could not add a second goal.
Despite the narrow margin, Portugal’s overall dominance was reflected in the statistics. The European champions had significantly more possession and registered 19 attempts compared with Wales’ four, although their failure to convert several chances meant the visitors remained in the contest until the final whistle.
When the referee finally brought the contest to an end, Portugal had secured a 1-0 victory and three valuable points in their opening Nations League fixture.
For João Félix, it was a night to remember. His 22nd-minute effort proved enough to settle the contest and give Portugal the perfect beginning to their title defence.
For Jorge Jesus, meanwhile, the result represented an ideal competitive introduction as Portugal manager.
But while the Portuguese celebrated, there will also be questions about their wastefulness in front of goal. Ronaldo had several opportunities and even briefly celebrated a goal before VAR intervened, while Wales demonstrated that Portugal could have been punished had Johnson’s late effort not struck the crossbar.
Ultimately, however, Portugal had done enough.
João Félix provided the breakthrough, Nuno Mendes supplied the assist, Rúben Dias produced a vital goal-line intervention and the crossbar denied Wales a dramatic equaliser.
Portugal’s Nations League journey has therefore begun with three points, while Wales leave Lisbon knowing they pushed the reigning champions much closer to the edge than the final score suggests.
The next challenge now awaits Portugal, with the holders set to face Norway in Oslo on September 27, while Wales will look to respond in their next Group A4 fixture.
