Portugal beat Netherlands to win inaugural UEFA Nations League title
There was joy for European champions Portugal as they won the inaugural UEFA Nations League title thanks to a 1-0 victory against the Netherlands in Porto.
A second-half strike from the edge of the box by Goncalo Guedes was enough to separate the two sides, as the Dutch failed to cap their impressive recent resurgence with a title.
Instead, managed by Fernando Santos and captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal added to the European title they won in France in 2016 with more silverware.
A largely forgettable first half at Estadio do Dragao saw the Netherlands have more of the ball but fail to register a single shot, while the hosts had 12 efforts but failed to convert any of them.
Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum saw his effort saved by Rui Patrício when played in one-on-one in the second half, but the deadlock was broken when 22-year-old Valencia winger Guedes rifled home from the edge of the box on 60 minutes.
The Dutch team, led by defensive colossus Virgil van Dijk and containing young stars Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong, labored but managed just one shot on target as the hosts ran out deserved winners.
ENGLAND SEAL THIRD
Earlier in the day at Estadio D Afonso Henriques in Guimarães, England had sealed third place after beating Switzerland on penalties following a goalless 120 minutes of action.
Three Lions goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was the hero, scoring a penalty before saving from Josip Drmic to clinch the shootout for his team 6-5.
⏲️ RESULT! ⏲️🇨🇭 Switzerland 0-0 England (England win 6-5 on penalties) 🏴 ℹ️ Three Lions finish third in the Nations League! #NationsLeague
— UEFA Nations League (@UEFAEURO) June 9, 2019
