Cristiano Ronaldo remained unmarked in the first game of the new era of Portugal under the orders of Jorge Jesus, but the Lithuanian team began defending their League of Nations title with a 1-0 victory over Wales.
The man in charge of resolving the match was João Félix, who appeared with a shot from outside the area to score the only goal of the match and give Portugal his first points in the competition.
? ?? @joaofelix70 #NationsLeague███ #PORWAL pic.twitter.com/7PKmXwQCIJ
Cristiano had some opportunities to increase his goal count and even sent the ball to the bottom of the goal in the first half, but the goal was invalidated by out of play.
Jorge Jesus began his stage as a Portuguese coach with a different approach to what Roberto Martínez had used. Portugal sought to have greater presence in the center of the field and found precisely that way the goal of the victory.
At minute 11, Nuno Mendes surpassed a rival in the central area and met João Félix.The attacker received and took a shot from outside the area that ended in the left corner of the Wales goal.
João Félix opens up the scoring from outside the box ?? pic.twitter.com/XysOVkRqka
The connection between João Félix and Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the highlights of Jorge Jesus’ approach. The coach knows Felix well after he led him in the Al Nassr and gave him freedom to move behind the frontman.
The strategy allowed Felix to have greater protagonism and end up being the player who decided the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo sought the goal during the match and was close to getting it in the first half.
The Portuguese forward even held a score, but the referee determined that he was in advanced position and the goal was invalidated.
Ronaldo finally finds the back of the net but he was called offside pic.twitter.com/sSknFHM129
Cristiano ended up being replaced in the 67th minute, still 21 goals out of the 1,000 goals he intends to score during the final stage of his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo subs off for Portugal after a frustrating night pic.twitter.com/vOIYntAP0d
The Portuguese had already indicated before the match that he wants to reach that number and that he would like to get it with the selection.
“I want to get there and I’m going to get there, but it’s not an obsession, I never do things out of obsession because when it’s done out of obsession, it doesn’t come out like we want,” he said at a news conference a day before the match.
He also explained what it would mean to reach that amount with Portugal: “For me it would be the cherry cake. Marking my goal number a thousand with the selection would be the culmination of a beautiful story.
The team led by Craig Bellamy found some opportunities to match the scoring in the second half.
The clearest occasion came at the 75th minute, when a touch from Brennan Johnson ended up hitting the deck.The ball surprised the players of both teams, who initially thought it would leave the field.
The entry of Sorba Thomas, a Hull City player, also brought greater dynamism to the Welsh attack.
Portugal, without generating too much danger in the final minutes, managed to contain the attacks of its rival and retain the advantage until the final slash.
With the triumph over Wales, Portugal began with the right foot the defense of its title of the League of Nations.
The next commitment will arrive on September 27, when Jorge Jesus’ team visits Norway.
Portugal will play again as a visitor on October 1, against Denmark, and four days later will receive Norway again at the Stadium do Dragão.
