In the debut final stage of the UEFA Nations League, Portugal faced the Netherlands looking to become the first winner of the competition having overcome Switzerland and England respectively to reach the final.
Fernando Santos and Ronald Koeman came face to face but it was Gonçalo Guedes goal which decided the tie on the hour mark, racing through to fire in from the edge of the box after being teed up by Bernardo Silva. In a game of few chances, the Portugal side repeated their impressive feat of 2016 and once again lifted silverware at a European level.
This tactical analysis considers how Portugal saw off the threat of a young and rising Netherlands team which included the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Mathijs de Lijt and Champions League winners Georgino Wijnaldum and Virgil van Dijk.
Line-Ups
Portugal made two changes to the team which saw off Switzerland with Rúben Neves and João Félix replaced by Danilo Pereira and Guedes, the latter in particularly coming as a surprise to many given Félixs meteoric rise and Guedes struggles for form. However, Guedes remains a favourite of Santos and provided the width which would prove to be crucial.
The Netherlansds on the other hand remained with the same starting XI as faced England. Some had hoped that Donny van de Beek or Quincy Promes could come into the side on either of the flanks after they impressed against the Three Lions, but Koeman stuck with his guns and it was former Liverpool and Fulham man Ryan Babel and PSV Eindhovens Steven Bergwijn who got the nod.
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