Portugal has effectively secured their place in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals with a disciplined 0-0 draw against Scotland on Tuesday. This result marks the first points dropped by Roberto Martinez's side in their four-game campaign.
Leading Group A1 with a commanding 10 points, Portugal sits three points ahead of Croatia, who recently battled to a 3-3 draw against Poland. Scotland finds themselves at the bottom of the group with just one point, while Poland holds the third spot with four points. Only the top two teams from the group will advance to the last eight.
Martinez acknowledged the team's performance, citing a missing element of creativity. \"We had a lot of desire, we worked very well without the ball,\" he shared with Sport TV. \"It was a dangerous game because we could have had possession, but Scotland needed very little to score a goal. We showed freshness, but we lacked freshness in the final third.\"
Portugal dominated much of the match but failed to capitalize on several key opportunities. Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been on a scoring streak in the previous three games, missed a crucial diving header over the bar early in the second half. The 39-year-old earned another nod from Scotland's "Tartan Army" when his bicycle kick sailed wide.
When questioned about the team's strategy, Martinez emphasized depth and adaptability. \"Our talent, our players, is plan A, B, C, D, E. We have players on the inside, on the outside, we're talking about a team that didn't take risks, that defended very well. We're talking about a team that got into the final third 53 times. We have to give credit to Scotland, and to ourselves, for managing to keep a clean sheet.\"
Despite Portugal's strong performance, Scotland had their moments but were ultimately unable to break through. Early in the match, Scott McTominay narrowly missed with a header, and later, Ben Doak's assist to Andy Robertson led to another missed opportunity as McTominay's header was saved by Portugal's goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Craig Gordon, Scotland's keeper, made several crucial saves in the closing minutes to preserve the draw.
With this result, Portugal moves one step closer to their quarterfinal ambitions, showcasing a blend of defensive solidity and attacking intent, even as they look to refine their finishing in upcoming matches.
Reference(s):
Portugal close in on Nations League quarterfinals with Scotland draw
cgtn.com
