A goal from Álvaro Morata, two minutes from time, gave Braga victory by the minimum, which rewarded the intention of the Hispanics and punished the meanness of the Portuguese. The Red Fury thus joins Croatia, Italy and the Netherlands to define the title, in June 2023, in the latter country.
Spain complete the Final Four table of the UEFA Nations League . The cast of Luis Enrique won by the minimum count in Portugal, in order to eliminate the locals, for whom only a tie was enough in the standings.
The wayward match faced the two Iberian powerhouses on the final day of the group stage. The Hispanics arrived with an unexpected defeat on their backs, in their own home and at the hands of Switzerland.
On the other side, those led by Fernando Santos, the same DT that the Portuguese team had when it was measured in Chile in the Confederations 2017 were playing at home and knew that the draw left them in the final phase.
And so the duel was faced. Coach Luis Enrique’s team had the ball, but the Lusitano’s verticality created the main chances. So much so that the Hispanic goalkeeper was a character in the first half, after avoiding two clear chances: from Ruben Neves (24th) and Diogo Jota (33rd).
The minutes passed and the local felt more comfortable with the equality that classified him. In the last half hour, the Spanish team tightened up the Portuguese start and started to generate chances.
Warning Alvaro Morata at 77 minutes, but the good reaction of goalkeeper Diogo Costa sent the ball to the corner.
Two minutes from the end of the match, the Atlético de Madrid striker did not fail. A long cross from Carvajal ended in the head of Nico Williams, who headed in the middle for Morata to score the game’s only goal.
On the next shot, Cristiano Ronaldo almost scored the equalizer. And although his shot had direction, goalkeeper Unai Simón’s fine reaction at the near post kept his arc from falling.
Spain improved their face and won 1-0 to add 11 points in Group 2 of the highest category, one more than the meager Lusitanian side. In the other duel in this zone, Switzerland beat the Czech Republic 2-1 and sent them to the second division of the tournament.
The cast of Red Fury thus joins Croatia , Italy and the Netherlands, the four teams that will define the title in the latter country, between June 14 and 18 next year.
rest of date
In Category B, Scotland were promoted from Group 1 after a goalless draw with Ukraine. Armenia sealed their relegation after losing 3-2 to the Republic of Ireland.
In Tier 2 Group 4, Serbia earned promotion after their 2-0 win in Norway. In this same area, Sweden confirmed their relegation after drawing 1-1 at home to Slovenia.
In the third division Greece Uruguayan coach Gustavo Poyet confirmed his promotion to Group 2 after beating relegated Northern Ireland 3-1. In the other match, Kosovo beat Cyprus 5-1.
Jock
Source: Latercera
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
