Putri Anggraini
Portugal began their UEFA Nations League title defence with a 2-1 win over Norway in Oslo on Sunday, Goncalo Ramos scoring the decisive goal after being handed a start in place of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The victory at Ullevaal Stadion gives Portugal back-to-back wins to open the campaign, a welcome return to form after a disappointing World Cup run. The holders had gone out in the last 16 to Spain and followed that up with a narrow 1-0 victory over Wales in Group A4 on Thursday. Sunday's success therefore represents a measure of stability restored in quick succession.
Much of that stability appears to have come from the appointment of Jorge Jesus, whose early tenure Ramos was quick to praise. The Portuguese coach has used the expanded international break to rotate his squad carefully, and the decision to leave the 41-year-old Ronaldo on the bench for the entire match was the clearest expression of that policy.
For Ronaldo, being named among the substitutes marked the first time he has started a match on the sidelines for Portugal since a Nations League encounter with Scotland in September 2024. He was never called upon as Jesus oversaw an evening in which Portugal's attacking duties were shared more evenly and less symbolically.
Norway, fresh from a 3-2 opening win over Denmark and having reached the World Cup quarterfinals, will point to the volume of chances they failed to take. Their hosts were dominant in territory at times and repeatedly looked capable of overturning the deficit, but finishing proved elusive.
The first significant opening arrived when Martin Odegaard picked out Erling Haaland, only for the Manchester City striker to mishit an attempted volley. Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa reacted well to make the save and preserve his side's clean sheet when it mattered most.
The visitors punished Norway almost immediately. Joao Felix found space at the edge of the penalty area and stroked a composed finish into the bottom corner in the 17th minute, a goal that gave Portugal a lead they would spend much of the match defending.
Haaland responded with an attempt that threatened to produce an instant equaliser. Costa spilled the ball at an awkward angle, but the loose ball was cleared by a superbly timed block from Ruben Dias, the Haaland's City teammate. The goalkeeper then produced a second excellent stop ten minutes before half-time, denying the Norway talisman from a downward header.
Haaland finally ended his frustration six minutes into the second half, tapping the ball in from a Patrick Berg header delivered across the goalmouth. The strike briefly put the hosts level, and Ullevaal Stadium was soon treated to a frantic, end-to-end contest in which neither side could hold onto control for long.
Norway surrendered the advantage just as quickly. Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland attempted to play the ball out from the back and passed it straight to Ramos, who remained composed to chip it into the unguarded net. It was an unforced error, but one that proved decisive in a tight fixture.
Ramos might have scored again had the afternoon gone differently for him. Rafael Leao had a shot deflected onto the crossbar as Portugal pushed to make the game safe, and a later Ramos effort was ruled out by the video assistant referee for the tightest of offsides, allowing Nyland to escape without conceding a third.
The Norway goalkeeper took risks in search of a rescue mission, waiting for a long pass over the top before swiping at thin air as Ramos reached the ball first and rolled it into an empty net. His blushes were spared, however, and Norway's increasingly desperate push — which at one stage involved the goalkeeper joining the attack — failed to produce a second equaliser.
Ramos, who ended the evening as the hero of a match he arguably should never have been needed in, was optimistic when reflecting on the result. Speaking to Sport TV, he called it a valuable win on a demanding away trip and praised the start made by Jesus, saying the squad is taking the manager's instructions on board well. He also acknowledged that the performance still requires refinement, stressing that the aim is to win every game and that the focus on victory remains constant.
The broader picture suggests a Portugal side in transition but capable of pragmatism. A forward line featuring Ramos and Felix delivered enough to secure three points, while the defensive unit — particularly Costa and Dias — absorbed the pressure of a home crowd that pushed for a turnaround throughout. For Jesus, the challenge now is to convert such hard-fought results into a more fluent, controlled style over the course of the Nations League.
Norway's difficulty was less about creating chances than converting them, and the cost of Nyland's distribution error may weigh heavily in the days ahead. The hosts, who travel next, will know that a single moment of goalkeeping indecision undid a determined performance.
For Portugal, the immediate significance of the win is psychological as much as statistical. Two wins from two, a settled starting attack, and a managed workload for their ageing talisman — a solid platform on which to build a defence of their trophy.
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