The UEFA Nations League 2020/2021 Discussion Thread

[snipie]

That is exactly what happened, Portugal came with draw mindset, they knew that draw will qualify them for the next round and they were clued to the worse case scenario draw mentality. Portugal actually played better than Spain and had alot of good chances. Ronaldo's sharpness has reduced, no one can cheat nature. I don't know if Portugal will sti rely on him for this world Cup outing.

While Messi dropped in performance the previous year when he moved to PSG, CR7 remained fine then dropped badly this season although staying with the same team..
I don't expect much from him and from Portugal in Qatar. I mean they can pass groups stage since their opponents aren't top but they will not continue further.

[hashrateproducts]

That is exactly what happened, Portugal came with draw mindset, they knew that draw will qualify them for the next round and they were clued to the worse case scenario draw mentality. Portugal actually played better than Spain and had alot of good chances. Ronaldo's sharpness has reduced, no one can cheat nature. I don't know if Portugal will sti rely on him for this world Cup outing.

Portugal defeats was their fault instead of coming out and playing a balance game rather they stock in their box and kept on defending. Spain kept the pressure on and they break the deadlock in the 88th minutes which william gave a flying header to Alvaro Morata, he finishes with a stunning kick. Portugal was currently down at the moment and they couldn't do anything rather they pressure in the extra time to levelled the game but Spain univaded defense were able to tied them down. Talking about Cristiano Ronaldo, he's not longer that strong as before, the CR7 I know wouldn't pass the ball or relent on the pitch when given a big scoring opportunity, he needs to rests because all I see is weakbones.

[Harkorede]

That is exactly what happened, Portugal came with draw mindset, they knew that draw will qualify them for the next round and they were clued to the worse case scenario draw mentality. Portugal actually played better than Spain and had alot of good chances. Ronaldo's sharpness has reduced, no one can cheat nature. I don't know if Portugal will sti rely on him for this world Cup outing.

While Messi dropped in performance the previous year when he moved to PSG, CR7 remained fine then dropped badly this season although staying with the same team..
I don't expect much from him and from Portugal in Qatar. I mean they can pass groups stage since their opponents aren't top but they will not continue further.

The actual truth is that no one stays in form when they're not playing very often, even as Messi and Ronaldo have been phenomenal over the past decade, they're also bound to lose consistency with time and age catching up on them, especially when they not playing always, Ronaldo seemed to going to through what Messi similarly encountered last season after a new move and being injury plagued for a while, which is lost of confidence, Ronaldo clearly seemed to have lost a bit of his magical touch and confidence, I think the best way to get better now is not to be solely focused on goals he just should try well enough to impact the game in other aspects, like contributing to goals and general game plays while he goes through the phase, I'm pretty sure he'll get past this too.

[Sithara007]

While Messi dropped in performance the previous year when he moved to PSG, CR7 remained fine then dropped badly this season although staying with the same team..
I don't expect much from him and from Portugal in Qatar. I mean they can pass groups stage since their opponents aren't top but they will not continue further.

I am not much bothered about their current form with the clubs. Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the top-3 players in global football at this moment (other being Neymar) and this is going to be their last world cup. And for both the players, they are yet to lift the trophy in their career and therefore Qatar 2022 is going to be very important for them. They will try their best to win the world cup this time. Club football is something entirely different and we should not focus too much in to the recent performances of these players with Paris Saint-Germain   or Manchester United.   

[hahay]

If I look at the goal that was created for Spain in the 88th minute, at least it proves that Portugal is only targeting a draw. But unfortunately, their plan failed because Morata managed to score at least towards the end of the match, with this goal it would be difficult for Portugal to score in a match with only a few minutes remaining. If Portugal manage to score early then it will be a definite result for Portugal to qualify, I bet for Portugal to win and also both teams to score and it is a mistake that keeps repeating.

[Vaskiy]

0-0 between Spain and Portugal in the 1st half.
Not so many chances for scoring a goal.

The game however looks fun, anyone can win at this point.

In terms of ball possession and pass Spain takes the lead with whereas Portugal have made two shots on the target and Spain haven't made any shots on the target. This is one among the much expected match and I believe there is more chances for Spain to win the match.

If I look at the goal that was created for Spain in the 88th minute, at least it proves that Portugal is only targeting a draw. But unfortunately, their plan failed because Morata managed to score at least towards the end of the match, with this goal it would be difficult for Portugal to score in a match with only a few minutes remaining. If Portugal manage to score early then it will be a definite result for Portugal to qualify, I bet for Portugal to win and also both teams to score and it is a mistake that keeps repeating.

I had a thought it to be a win for Spain, till the last minutes of the match it went 0-0. During the 88th minute a goal from Morata changed the game. I haven't placed any bets, but I predicted the win based on the ball possession that increase the chance of hitting on the target.

[nara1892]

If I look at the goal that was created for Spain in the 88th minute, at least it proves that Portugal is only targeting a draw. But unfortunately, their plan failed because Morata managed to score at least towards the end of the match, with this goal it would be difficult for Portugal to score in a match with only a few minutes remaining. If Portugal manage to score early then it will be a definite result for Portugal to qualify, I bet for Portugal to win and also both teams to score and it is a mistake that keeps repeating.

Same thing happened to me, I bet for Portugal win and the result was quite disappointing. Looking at the game, Spain came to win the game and completely dominated the match. In the first half Portugal was able to overcome that, but in the second half their hopes were dashed after Morata managed to record his name on the scoreboard. And it was an absolute victory for Spain.
The strategy adopted by Portugal, I think, is a big mistake, because actually they are able to play more than that. However they chose to hang on and wait, the result was that they failed to maintain their position in the table.

[CryptocurencyKing]

Although both teams have excellent players and attack, very little happens in the match between Portugal and Spain, 73 minutes played and still 0-0. There is a good chance that no goal will be scored at all. Too bad, we also saw this match at the 2018 World Cup and then there were no fewer than 6 goals and the final score also became 3-3. That won't happen anymore. It doesn't matter who goes to the final 4, both countries have their sights on the World Cup. They see it as a good practice match.

The match is almost over and the situation still continues with a 0-0 draw. Although both Spain and Portugal had their own strong squads, they could not score. This match looks like it will end in a draw. I think both teams could have won, but a draw was the most likely possibility. It's like it's going to end.

Spain later won the match surprisingly with a goal from Morata at the 88th munites, even with top players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Cancelo and Dias etc on the pitch. On paper, Spain have a weaker team but when you have a good coach like that of Luis Enrique, any surprise can be expected. Spain had more targets and ball possession than Portugal.

Big names in a do not win trophies. What pushes the team far is team work and good team work. Take a look at Croatia for example, they have few experienced players and their team work got them to the World Cup finals in 2018. Portugal were the better team on paper but Spain played like a team. They took control of the game even though they struggled defensively. Portugal were supposed to have scored early in the game but were not clinical in front of goal. They have a difficult task ahead of them.

[onecall123]

A goalless draw with Ukraine has promoted Scotland to Nations League A. Unfortunately, it doesn't really matter, at the end of the day, it's just a friendlies. A World Cup qualification or a Euro qualification is what counts. Every team should strive to win every game, regardless of the competition though. It is now important for them to focus on qualifying for the Euros and World Cup, for which they will be considered.

[hichamito37]

Although both teams have excellent players and attack, very little happens in the match between Portugal and Spain, 73 minutes played and still 0-0. There is a good chance that no goal will be scored at all. Too bad, we also saw this match at the 2018 World Cup and then there were no fewer than 6 goals and the final score also became 3-3. That won't happen anymore. It doesn't matter who goes to the final 4, both countries have their sights on the World Cup. They see it as a good practice match.

The match is almost over and the situation still continues with a 0-0 draw. Although both Spain and Portugal had their own strong squads, they could not score. This match looks like it will end in a draw. I think both teams could have won, but a draw was the most likely possibility. It's like it's going to end.

Spain later won the match surprisingly with a goal from Morata at the 88th munites, even with top players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Cancelo and Dias etc on the pitch. On paper, Spain have a weaker team but when you have a good coach like that of Luis Enrique, any surprise can be expected. Spain had more targets and ball possession than Portugal.

Big names in a do not win trophies. What pushes the team far is team work and good team work. Take a look at Croatia for example, they have few experienced players and their team work got them to the World Cup finals in 2018. Portugal were the better team on paper but Spain played like a team. They took control of the game even though they struggled defensively. Portugal were supposed to have scored early in the game but were not clinical in front of goal. They have a difficult task ahead of them.

In the World Cup, mediocre teams often make quite a surprise. and qualify for the semi-finals or finals. These teams perform well because of the strong bonding between team players. On the other hand, despite having many star players, the renowned teams cannot play well, because the bonding between the team players is not good. Even in the upcoming World Cup, there are many teams who are capable of qualifying for the semi-finals despite being of mediocre quality.

[joker_josue]

While Messi dropped in performance the previous year when he moved to PSG, CR7 remained fine then dropped badly this season although staying with the same team..
I don't expect much from him and from Portugal in Qatar. I mean they can pass groups stage since their opponents aren't top but they will not continue further.

I am not much bothered about their current form with the clubs. Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the top-3 players in global football at this moment (other being Neymar) and this is going to be their last world cup. And for both the players, they are yet to lift the trophy in their career and therefore Qatar 2022 is going to be very important for them. They will try their best to win the world cup this time. Club football is something entirely different and we should not focus too much in to the recent performances of these players with Paris Saint-Germain   or Manchester United.   

I agree that playing for a club and for a national team are different situations. In the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, I believe he will still be able to give beautiful things to football. But he needs to mentally reorganize himself in order to adapt to his current physical abilities. If he does that, he will certainly be able to show a lot more. But the beginning of this era was troubled, perhaps because he was misguided, so he now has to make up for some lost time. I hope he achieves that by the World Cup, to make a good contribution to Portugal.

[Oluwa-btc]

That is exactly what happened, Portugal came with draw mindset, they knew that draw will qualify them for the next round and they were clued to the worse case scenario draw mentality. Portugal actually played better than Spain and had alot of good chances. Ronaldo's sharpness has reduced, no one can cheat nature. I don't know if Portugal will sti rely on him for this world Cup outing.

While Messi dropped in performance the previous year when he moved to PSG, CR7 remained fine then dropped badly this season although staying with the same team..
I don't expect much from him and from Portugal in Qatar. I mean they can pass groups stage since their opponents aren't top but they will not continue further.

It's never over until it's over as I don't think both Lionel Messi and Ronaldo are finished player's already. Portugal are my biggest country to take the World Cup. If hard way is the best way then, I believe in the hard way.
You don't write a teams off completely. And also, it hasn't been all about Ronaldo lately, how many goals has he scored? It has been all round the club and team, I think he is still not fit completely since he missed out on the pre season game's.

They shouldn't have defended too much but the pressure from Spain was just too high, immediately I saw the cross to Williams the Athletico Bilbao player I knew it was going goal, Morata was clearly onside as he slotted the ball in.

[jakdanyel]

I really can't believe how Portugal lost this match 1-0. They found so many goal opportunities. Jota's attempt was saved by the goalkeeper superbly. Especially Ronaldo wasted very big opportunities. If we had the young Ronaldo he would score at least one of them. After keeping Spain under pressure with their attacks for a long time the thing they were afraid of the most happened. They conceded a very simple goal. There was nobody marking Morata and he easily scored.

Portugal just gave their two-point advantage to Spain this easy and lost the lead on the final week of the group matches. This was a match they could have won if they didn't waste so many chances.

[bct_ail]

If I look at the goal that was created for Spain in the 88th minute, at least it proves that Portugal is only targeting a draw. But unfortunately, their plan failed because Morata managed to score at least towards the end of the match, with this goal it would be difficult for Portugal to score in a match with only a few minutes remaining. If Portugal manage to score early then it will be a definite result for Portugal to qualify, I bet for Portugal to win and also both teams to score and it is a mistake that keeps repeating.

But only towards the end would it make sense to want such a result (a drwa). It was clear that Spain would reach the semifinal by a win. Portugal was too passive towards the end and Spain took advantage of it. It also looked to me like Portugal was hoping for a draw. But that was a big mistake from Portugal.

[swogerino]

If I look at the goal that was created for Spain in the 88th minute, at least it proves that Portugal is only targeting a draw. But unfortunately, their plan failed because Morata managed to score at least towards the end of the match, with this goal it would be difficult for Portugal to score in a match with only a few minutes remaining. If Portugal manage to score early then it will be a definite result for Portugal to qualify, I bet for Portugal to win and also both teams to score and it is a mistake that keeps repeating.

But only towards the end would it make sense to want such a result (a drwa). It was clear that Spain would reach the semifinal by a win. Portugal was too passive towards the end and Spain took advantage of it. It also looked to me like Portugal was hoping for a draw. But that was a big mistake from Portugal.

That was a mistake that costed dearly to Portugal,near the end of the game they sure thought let's not overdo it and keep the draw which would saw us in the semi finals.This is an error many teams make in such situation but 99.99% a team in such situation has retreated in order to keep the draw they have lost their game.Spain just took profit from this mistake of the Portugal team and got all in in the last minutes of the game which converted into a goal who gave them the qualification for the play offs,their win yesterday was unexpected but in the end deserved.

[Docnaster]

If I look at the goal that was created for Spain in the 88th minute, at least it proves that Portugal is only targeting a draw. But unfortunately, their plan failed because Morata managed to score at least towards the end of the match, with this goal it would be difficult for Portugal to score in a match with only a few minutes remaining. If Portugal manage to score early then it will be a definite result for Portugal to qualify, I bet for Portugal to win and also both teams to score and it is a mistake that keeps repeating.

But only towards the end would it make sense to want such a result (a drwa). It was clear that Spain would reach the semifinal by a win. Portugal was too passive towards the end and Spain took advantage of it. It also looked to me like Portugal was hoping for a draw. But that was a big mistake from Portugal.

On a good day, Portugal team is a team that is always very difficult to score against. Even when they play big teams, you cannot score them more than 2goals easily and even very difficult to get a goal. This would have been an advantage and confident for them to put more attacking force against Spain.
Things are falling apart, I remember when Ronaldo single handedly dealt with Spain by equalising matches they almost won with a hatrick.

[Minor Miner]

England came out of nowhere to give the fans a show, after Germany scored the first, i thought that England were done, and when they scored the 2nd i thought England are dead and how are they going to compete in the world cup with such terrible performance, but with this comeback, i can see that they can do something against big teams and i should not underestimate them.

The two goals for England weren't created from the 'right hand side of England's defence. I also noticed that James wasn't out of position, while also standing there and watching when they took the shots. On the other hand, I think the German team have to regain their form, their players are talented, but they are not working hard enough, look how sloppy and effortless they were in the 1st half.

England's players scored three goals in just 12 minutes. After going 2-0 up, the German players probably thought they were going to win the match easily. But England is an experienced team. They took advantage of Germany's carelessness and scored three goals in a row to lead 3-2. After going 2-0 up, if the German players had tried to keep it tight, they might have won the match. Germany needs to strengthen its defense.

England played much better during the whole game as I saw the game carefully.The bad luck of England was McGuire making two errors which as a consequence was one penalty and one lost ball that both converted to goals from Germany.The third goal was an error from their goalkeeper and Germany had no merit for me,they played really badly yesterday.I am happy that I saw England scoring goals and playing that well yesterday after a terrible performance in their Nations League they had this year.

England played well. But unfortunately, due to some mistakes, they could not get full points. England's defense was not strong enough. Maguire's performance in particular was worse. If the England team is not able to strengthen their defense, then it seems that we will not get a good performance from them in the next World Cup. England coach Gareth Southgate should continue to strengthen his defense and midfield. England's attack is still quite strong.

[savetheFORUM]

If I look at the goal that was created for Spain in the 88th minute, at least it proves that Portugal is only targeting a draw. But unfortunately, their plan failed because Morata managed to score at least towards the end of the match, with this goal it would be difficult for Portugal to score in a match with only a few minutes remaining. If Portugal manage to score early then it will be a definite result for Portugal to qualify, I bet for Portugal to win and also both teams to score and it is a mistake that keeps repeating.

Same thing happened to me, I bet for Portugal win and the result was quite disappointing. Looking at the game, Spain came to win the game and completely dominated the match. In the first half Portugal was able to overcome that, but in the second half their hopes were dashed after Morata managed to record his name on the scoreboard. And it was an absolute victory for Spain.
The strategy adopted by Portugal, I think, is a big mistake, because actually they are able to play more than that. However they chose to hang on and wait, the result was that they failed to maintain their position in the table.

Poor strategy from Portugal give them this stunning defeat with the help of a late goal from Morata which happen in 88th minute of the game as I was relaxed this is going to be drawn because from start Portugal strategy was going with draw, but sadly they fail and Spaniard give them shocking defeat no doubt Spain was playing like a mature team, and they were on attack, but solid defence helps home team in first half, but sadly they were not good in second half and having stunner from Morata who is also having good time in last few weeks with his skills and quality.
 
With this win now Spain going into play-offs and Portugal have to stay in this group with Switzerland is also having good three wins which are giving them stay into this group.

[Rruchi man]

I really can't believe how Portugal lost this match 1-0. They found so many goal opportunities. Jota's attempt was saved by the goalkeeper superbly. Especially Ronaldo wasted very big opportunities. If we had the young Ronaldo he would score at least one of them.

I still don't understand why the Portuguese coaches choose to start Ronaldo when they can give better opportunities to the younger players in the squad who are hungry in front to prove themselves before the world cup to boost their confidence. Ronaldo is still a great player but we all know that he's not in his prime and for Portugal, it will not be in their best interest to depend on him during the world cup. Ronaldo should still be in the squad but should have reduced playing time to give opportunity to other younger players especially since he's going into retirement soon and they will need younger players to carry the National team forward.

[nullama]

~snip~
I still don't understand why the Portuguese coaches choose to start Ronaldo when they can give better opportunities to the younger players in the squad who are hungry in front to prove themselves before the world cup to boost their confidence. Ronaldo is still a great player but we all know that he's not in his prime and for Portugal, it will not be in their best interest to depend on him during the world cup. Ronaldo should still be in the squad but should have reduced playing time to give opportunity to other younger players especially since he's going into retirement soon and they will need younger players to carry the National team forward.

There's no chance that Ronaldo will not play the entire 90 minutes really. There's so much pressure from everyone to see him play. I don't think they will put any younger player instead of him, specially since this will probably be his last appearance in the world cup.