Spain played as the European champion in Geneva and despite having a numerical disadvantage for 70 minutes, they swept Switzerland with a score of 4-1. Ronaldo saved Portugal against Scotland, while Croatia secured three points with a stunning goal from Modrić.
The law of the favorites was confirmed on Sunday night (September 8) during the second round of the Nations League, with Spain, Portugal, and Croatia taking valuable wins. The European champions triumphed 4-1 away against Switzerland, even though they faced a numerical disadvantage from the 21st minute; the Iberians clinched a 2-1 victory over Scotland thanks to a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo just before the end, while the Balkans knocked Poland down with a stunning goal by Luka Modrić.
In the match in Lisbon for Group A of League A, Scotland stunned the “Luz” in the 7th minute with a powerful header from McTominay and went into the locker room leading. However, in the second half (which began with Cristiano Ronaldo coming on as a substitute), Portugal was explosive and achieved a completely deserved comeback.
Bruno Fernandes celebrates his goal for Portugal against Scotland in the Nations League | September 8, 2024
@2024 ARMANDO FRANCA/AP IMAGES
Bruno Fernandes equalized the match in the 54th minute with a shot from the semicircle, and from then on, Roberto Martínez’s players besieged their opponent and missed one opportunity after another. Ronaldo had two headers that hit the crossbar, and goalkeeper Gunn made crucial saves, but the relief for the Iberians came in the 88th minute.
That’s when Semedo made a cross from the left, and CR7 jumped at the height of the small area to push the ball into the net with a diving volley, marking “2 out of 2” for Portugal, with goal No. 901 in his career causing a delirium of excitement among both him and the crowd.
At the same time, Croatia was celebrating its first three points in the group, as the 1-0 victory over Poland allowed them to level with their opponent in second place. The winning goal was a sight to behold, as the evergreen Luka Modrić sent the ball into the net in the 52nd minute with a masterpiece direct free-kick.
- Croatia – Poland 1-0 (52′ Modrić)
- Portugal – Scotland 2-1 (54′ Fernandes, 88′ Ronaldo / 7′ McTominay)
In Group A of League A, Denmark is at the top with 2 wins in as many matches, but the result of the night belongs to Spain, with the European champions triumphing 4-1 away against Switzerland despite playing with 10 players for over 70 minutes.
Luis de la Fuente’s team came into the match in Geneva with great intensity, and before the first quarter was complete, they had a two-goal lead with goals from Joselu and Fabián Ruiz. However, in the 21st minute, they were left with 10 players due to a straight red card shown to Le Normand.
With the numerical balance disrupted, Switzerland gained ground on the pitch and, in the 41st minute, re-entered the hunt for a positive result with a goal from Ameydouni, but Spain showed their class in the second half.
This was because they not only absorbed all the pressure applied by the team of Yakin but also struck back like a… cobra through counter-attacks, with Ruiz bringing the curtain down on the match in the 77th minute and Ferran Torres adding the cherry on top by writing the final score of 4-1 in the 80th minute.
- Denmark – Serbia 2-0 (36′ Grønbaek, 61′ Poulsen)
- Switzerland – Spain 1-4 (41′ Ameydouni / 4′ Joselu, 13′ 77′ Fabián Ruiz, 80′ Torres)
- Slovakia – Azerbaijan 2-0 (23′ pen. Duda, 26′ Suslov)
- Sweden – Estonia 3-0 (30′ 44′ Gyökeres, 40′ Isak)
- Luxembourg – Belarus 0-1 (76′ Gromiko)
- Bulgaria – Northern Ireland 1-0 (40′ Despondov)
- Gibraltar – Liechtenstein 2-2 (8′ Walker, 90+7′ Scanlon / 53′ Saglam, 90+14′ Hasler)