Guedes Lead Portugal To Win Inaugural UEFA Nations League

Goncalo Guedes scored a spectacular second half winner as Euro champions, Portugal made history by winning the inaugural UEFA Nations League against a Van Dijk’s Netherlands team.

The stands were populated with Portugal fans cheering to their team to a dominant win. The hosts create the best chances of the game with Guedes finally tucking the goal in a tidy finish with Bernardo Silva turning provider.

Portugal asked lots of questions of the visitors in the first half but couldn’t quite hit the mark despite registering 11 shots as compared to Netherland’s one.

The Dutch started the second half on the front foot, playing some beautiful football in central areas but couldn’t quite find their feet in the final third where they struggled for the most parts.

It was the reigning champions, Portugal who looked the likeliest to score and the winning goal came on the hour mark when Guedes who was given the nod over Benfica sensation, Joao Felix, zipped it pass a helpless Jasper Cielessen on receiving a pass from Bernardo Silva after the City midfielder had come off defenders with a mazy run.

Balon D’Or contender, Cristiano Ronaldo was frustrated for the most parts of the game having failed to make a mark on the game, three years after he limped off the pitch in the Euro 2016 finals but that wouldn’t matter much to Fernando Santos or his side who have just been crowned the winners of the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations Cup having come out of a group which boasts two football power houses in France and Germany.

The centre of attraction was supposed to be a battle between two Balon D’Or contenders in Ronaldo and Van Dijk but it was the duo of Silva and Guedes who stole the show.

The Dutch side looked fatigued, perhaps due to the physicality they had to put in their game against England on Thursday night.

Whatever the case might be, Portugal are the winners of the UEFA Nations League.