07.10.2020 » Portugal 0-0 Spain. Two old friends clash in a goalless draw
For the first time in the last 7 months, a big game in Portugal had the chance to receive fans in the stands, 2.500 fans to be more precise, but unfortunately none of them had opportunity to jumpo from their seats and celebrate a goal. Portugal and Spain couldn't go beyond a 0-0 draw in a match hosted at the Estádio de Alvalade, in Lisbon, as the two teams prepare their upcoming games in the UEFA Nations League, scheduled for this weekend. Cristiano Ronaldo started in Fernando Santos' lineup, but would end being replaced near the 73rd minute of the game, as the European champions will face France this Sunday night in Paris.
Cristiano Ronaldo game photos in Portugal vs Spain
Portugal 0-0 Spain - Goals and highlights:
All Cristiano Ronaldo actions vs Spain:
A first half dominated by Spain...
Like most of the friendlies, this one between Portugal and Spain was mainly useful for managers to understand what dynamics are working and test a few players in their tactical schemes. For Portugal, it was obvious that the first half didn't go the way their manager was expecting, as Spain managed to dominate possession and create more shooting chances.
The Portuguese Team started the game with several players that usually sit on the bench. A few examples are Rúben Semedo, who paired in the centre with Pepe, Renato Sanches, who haven't played on a regular basis with the Portuguese colors since his formidable campaign in the EURO 2016, or even Francisco Tricão upfront, one of Barcelona's most recent signings.
The Spanish side, or "La Roja" as they call it, were clearly the better side in the first 45 minutes and even though they didn't score during that time, they did expose Portugal's weaknesses and that's something Fernando Santos needs to address quickly before his team steps onto the Stade de France in Paris, next Sunday night. What's even more worrying is that just like Portugal, Spain wasn't also playing their stronger lineup tonight, but they still managed to make their opponent look lost on the pitch.
Portugal showed their better face in the second half...
In the second half we had the chance to see a way more positive game from the Portuguese Team. The half-time talk, together with a few changes introduced in the team by the Portuguese manager, seem to have produced the desired effect in the European champions and the game ended up being a lot more even. Pepe, Moutinho and André Silva came off during the break, allowing Rúben Dias, William Carvalho and Bernardo Silva to come in and correct a few tactical nuances.
On the other hand, Spain's substitutions seem to have had the opposite effect, as the Spaniards' game got a bit more disconnected and their capability to press high wasn't as effective as before. Portugal started creating a few more opportunities to Kepa and they ended up hitting the crossbar twice, first on a left-footed strike from Cristiano Ronaldo and a few minutes later it was Renato Sanches who saw his shot hitting the crossbar again.
At the end of the day, even though Spain had a lot more possession than Portugal and collected a lot more shooting opportunities, the truth is that the best chances to score belonged to the Portuguese Team. Spain will now play Switzerland next Saturday, while Portugal visits France for a highly anticipated duel with their longtime rivals.
Portugal line-up vs Spain:
Goalkeeper: Rui Patrício
Defenders: Guerreiro, Pepe, Rúben Semedo, João Cancelo
Midfielders: Renato Sanches, João Moutinho, Rúben Neves
Attackers: Trincão, Cristiano Ronaldo, André Silva.
Match stats provided by www.ronaldo7.net
|
||
|---|---|---|
Portugal
|
vs
|
Spain
|
0 |
Goals |
0 |
7 |
Shots |
14 |
1 |
Shots on goal |
6 |
5 |
Corner kicks |
3 |
11 |
Fouls commited |
12 |
1 |
Yellow cards |
1 |
0 |
Red cards |
0 |
36% |
Ball possession |
64% |
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Portugal in the UEFA Nations League is on October 11, against France. You can watch France vs Portugal, Argentina vs Ecuador, Uruguay vs Chile, England vs Wales, Belgium vs Ivory Coast, and Russia vs Sweden, all matches provided from our footy and soccer game pages.
Juventus next game:
France vs Portugal kick-off time (11-10-2020):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 02:45
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 01:45
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 00:15
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:45
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 19:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 15:45
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 14:45
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 11:45
Sources: ronaldo7.net / bbc.com / goal.com / sportskeeda.com
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