Felix strike wins it for Portugal as Ronaldo goal is ruled out

Joao Felix scored the only goal with a long-range shot as reigning Nations League champions Portugal opened their campaign with a 1-0 home win over Wales in Lisbon on Thursday 24 September.

Portugal, who have won two of the four finals since the competition was launched in 2018, dominated possession and outshot Wales 19-4 but squandered a string of chances in Jorge Jesus's first match in charge.

Felix's deflected shot settles it

Their only goal came after 22 minutes when a low scuffed shot by Felix from the edge of the box took a slight deflection off Wales captain Ben Davies and skipped inside the far post beyond Danny Ward's desperate dive.

Nuno Mendes had done brilliantly to win the ball back with a challenge in the Wales half, with the ball breaking to Felix, who took aim from 20 yards. Mendes's teasing cross had been narrowly missed by Ronaldo and Pedro Neto in the moments before, and the left-back was highly influential throughout the first half.

Wales had begun brightly, pressing high and stringing passes together, with Lewis Koumas volleying over from close range in the sixth minute, though the offside flag had already gone up. Neco Williams was effective in winning the ball back twice in the opening exchanges.

Ronaldo denied his 980th career goal

As it has for some two decades, Portugal's attack revolved around Cristiano Ronaldo. Every time the 41-year-old, who made his national debut in 2003 and has since scored a record 146 international goals, touched the ball near the goal, the roar of the home crowd rose several octaves.

A foul by Davies on Felix just outside the box gave Ronaldo the chance of his 980th career goal in the 36th minute, but his blasted free-kick cannoned into the wall. He also peels away to the back post to meet a lofted cross and lashed a left-footed volley narrowly past the near post, before Ward gathered a tame low effort diving to his left.

Ronaldo found the side netting once and shinned an inviting volley high over from close range after the break, from five yards out with no defender near him.

After an hour he slid the ball into the Wales net but, to his evident disbelief, was ruled offside. He had latched on to a through ball beyond the last man and rolled the ball past Ward into the corner, only for the celebrations to be cut short by VAR.

He was still shaking his head when he was replaced seven minutes later, alongside Ruben Neves, with Joao Palhinha and Goncalo Ramos coming on. The number seven received a hero's reception nonetheless, handing the captain's armband to Bruno Fernandes as he left the field.

The crowd grew quieter, and Portugal's play drifted after Ronaldo's departure. He finished with seven shots, two of them on target.

Wales go agonisingly close twice

Wales came agonisingly close to equalising, twice, from their one good chance.

First, Brennan Johnson chipped goalkeeper Diogo Costa and hit the face of the bar in the 75th minute. With Costa stranded, Lewis Koumas and Dan James both went for the rebound. Koumas ended up shooting tamely straight at defender Ruben Dias on the line, and James then sliced into the arms of the keeper.

Johnson had earlier gone down in the box under pressure from Joao Cancelo in the 52nd minute, but appeals for a penalty were waved away and VAR were not interested. From the resulting Portugal attack, Veiga headed straight at Ward from a corner.

Wales pressed for a leveller in the closing stages. Kieffer Moore and Sorba Thomas came on in the 77th minute for Jordan James and Koumas, and a deep free kick was pumped into the box in the 88th, only for the defence to deal with it. Moore then had the chance to slide the ball across for Dan James after Ward caught a cross, but the Wrexham forward put too much on his delivery.

Ben Cabango had gone off in the 71st minute with an injury, replaced by Chris Mepham, and was booked for delaying his departure. Goncalo Ramos was denied by Ward at his near post in the 84th after muscling past Mepham, and there were five added minutes, with Diogo Dalot and Joao Neves sent on by Jesus.

Of the 23 shots in the match, only five were on target for the hosts.

Reaction from Fernandes and Ampadu

Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes told BBC Sport: "I think it was a very good game. We controlled it and had a lot of chances but were not capable of scoring more. We wanted the three points and got that.

"We always have a point to prove. The expectations are high on ourselves. It's a positive win for us.

"We knew they were good. If they play in the Premier League, they need to be at a high level. We knew they could cause us problems. We scored one, and we didn't concede. That's the big thing."

Wales midfielder Ethan Ampadu said: "We knew it was going to be a tough game against very good opposition with a lot of quality, which they showed at times.

"They've shown why they compete for the best trophies, because with half a chance, they put it in the back of the net.

"We knew we were going to have to suffer, but we wanted to come here and make a real statement and impact. We wanted to show what we can do on the ball, which at times we did. But we can do a little bit more.

"We're always going to work hard, as we've shown over a countless number of years now. There were a couple chances at the end where maybe we could have got a goal, and then that makes it a better feeling. It's never nice to lose."

Group A4 and what comes next

Portugal will head to Norway for their second group game on Sunday at 18:45 GMT, after Erling Haaland scored twice in a 3-2 win over Denmark.

Wales travel to Copenhagen at 16:00 GMT on Sunday, with Denmark and Norway the other two sides in Group A4.

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