The victory over France in the semi-finals showed the formidable strength of Spain. No matter who the opponent is, they can still overcome. The form of the "Bulls" at this time can "gouge" any obstacle. Possessing a dynamic and flexible attack with the brilliance of Lamine Yamal , Nico Williams or Mikel Oyarzabal, La Roja's goals can come from any situation. The synchronous connection of the lines in the squad, along with the determination to win of the "Bulls" is truly amazing, helping Luis de la Fuente's army to be "invincible". However, what affirms strength is victory along with the title. However, in this final match, Spain could not materialize that when they lost to Portugal in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.
As for Portugal, they were crowned champions of the first season of the Nations League and are hopeful of winning the tournament again. The “Selecao” did not have easy victories like Spain, but the Portuguese warriors showed remarkable “toughness” in the decisive moments to win the final. On the journey to the final, Ronaldo and his teammates showed their mettle and never-give-up spirit. The two comebacks in the quarter-finals and semi-finals against Denmark and Germany were clear proof of the mettle of the “Selecao”. These results brought confidence and motivated Portugal to be able to create a “miracle” in the final against Spain. And despite having to play against a perfect “Bull”, with confidence and mettle in big matches, the “ Selecao” continued to win the way they used to: spectacular comebacks.
As expected by fans, with a star-studded lineup, most notably Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Spain's Lamine Yamal, both in top form, and determined to win, the "Bulls" and "Selecao" gave football fans a thrilling match. Right after the opening whistle, both teams increased their speed with the intention of "preemptively attacking" their opponents. Thanks to the aggressiveness of the Yamal - Nico Williams duo on both wings, Spain repeatedly made the Portuguese defense falter. In the 21st minute, the "Bulls" scored when Zubimendi seized the opportunity to score the opening goal of the match from Yamal's precise cross. Just 5 minutes later, Portugal equalized when defender Nuno Mendes broke through and fired a tricky shot that defeated goalkeeper Unai Simon. Before the end of the first half, the "Bulls" once again re-established the lead. This time it was Pedri's turn to make his mark when the midfielder made a "set-up" pass for Oyarzabal to raise the score to 2-1.
Entering the second half, Portugal established an attacking game right from the first minutes. In the 48th minute, Bruno Fernandes scored, but the goal was disallowed due to offside. However, in the 61st minute, Cristiano Ronaldo - the biggest hope of the " Selecao" - spoke up. Receiving a pass from his teammate, CR7 tapped the ball close to the goal to equalize 2-2 for Portugal. The 2-2 score was maintained for the rest of the official match time and both extra periods. Entering the nerve-wracking penalty shootout, Portugal was the more courageous team with 5 successful shots. Spain also only had 1 failed shot, but that was enough to turn the "Bulls" into former champions.
With the victory over Spain in the final, Portugal won the Nations League for the second time. The Iberian team overcame the fear of a disastrous EURO to affirm its position on the world football map. With this championship, "Old Man" Cristiano Ronaldo had a personal victory over " Boy" Lamine Yama. Messi's "successor" still has to try harder to reach the top.
Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/ban-linh-selecao-130867.html
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