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Nations League Roundup: Haaland Injury Scare, Jesus Opens Door for Ronaldo, Yamal Shines for Spain
Erling Haaland limped off during Norway's 2-1 defeat to Portugal, while Jorge Jesus offered Cristiano Ronaldo a way back. Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal scored as Spain beat the Czech Republic 3-1.
Norway suffered a 2-1 defeat against Portugal in their UEFA Nations League Group A4 fixture at the Estádio do Dragão, but the main talking point surrounding Manchester City was Erling Haaland. Kristoffer Ajer opened the scoring for Norway in the 36th minute before João Cancelo equalized in the 38th minute, with Gonçalo Ramos netting the winning goal for Portugal in the 79th minute. Concerns arose for Manchester City in the 67th minute when Haaland gestured to the bench and limped off to be substituted by Jörgen Strand Larsen ahead of City's upcoming blockbuster clash with Liverpool. After the match, Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken clarified the situation, stating: "We agreed that Haaland would play, that he couldn't contribute more than 60-odd minutes. Haaland knew this and I think he had an excellent performance in relation to the first half and the work he did."
Portugal's victory over Norway secured their qualification for the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, but attention also focused on Cristiano Ronaldo. Following the match, Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus addressed Ronaldo's recent walkout from the squad's training camp after the 41-year-old forward was left on the bench as an unused substitute against Norway. Jesus described the incident as a misunderstanding and left the door open for Ronaldo to return to the national team. Speaking to reporters after the win at Estádio do Dragão, Jesus stated: "If he wants to, he'll return to the national team… we can talk before the next call-up, but Cris is the one who's going to decide."
Elsewhere in the UEFA Nations League, Spain maintained their perfect record in Group A3 with a 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic at the Carlos Tartiere Stadium. Lamine Yamal gave Spain the lead in the 6th minute with a curling strike, and Rodri doubled the advantage in the 35th minute. After Jiří Sláma pulled a goal back for the Czech Republic in the 69th minute, Mikel Merino rounded out the win for Spain. Midfielder Rodri reflected on the tough test, saying: "They are well-drilled; I thought it would be one of the hardest games, and that's how it was... It was tricky but we got some chances." Following the match, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente praised teenage forward Yamal's rapid rise, remarking that he is "on his way to become an absolute football legend."
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Nations League · Haaland · Cristiano Ronaldo · Spain · Portugal
Competition: UEFA Nations League