Portugal defeated Netherlands 1-0 to win the inaugural UEFA Nations League tournament on Sunday’s final making it the second trophy in three years.
Gonçalo Guedes scored the winner early in the second half to give Portugal its first trophy since the 2016 European Championship.
Cristiano Ronaldo, coming off a hat trick in the semifinals had a quit game but Guedes could not be stopped when he hit a powerful right-footed shot from outside the area in the 60th minute at the Estádio do Dragão.
Portugal deserved their victory as they dominated the opening 45 minutes and created more chances to score.
The hosts’ victory in UEFA’s newest competition denied the Netherlands its first trophy since the 1988 European Championship. The revamped Dutch team was seeking some redemption after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and the 2016 European Championship.
Winning the UEFA Nations League adds to Portugal’s triumph at Euro 2016, where Ronaldo was forced to go off injured and Eder scored a 109th-minute winner.
Anthony Nlebem
