Not a single player from the Spanish team, not even from the technical staff, had been born the last time that Spain had won on Portuguese soil in an official match. It was in 1934, a date that was buried this Tuesday after the last feat of Luis Enrique's team, which he always believes until the end. The Reds did not need to have a very inspired night, to which a furious final reaction, signed with a goal from Morata in minute 88, earned him to beat Portugal and qualify at the horn for the final four of the Nations League.
An outcome impossible to decipher in the first hour of the game. The staging of Luis Enrique's was, being generous, academic. True to his style, he tried to knead the ball and did not get tired of making it circulate, without too much speed, so that no one is fooled. But in a match whose only escape route was victory, an "academic" game was not nearly enough. He didn't even get to scratch Portugal.
Fernando Santos' men lived very calmly as they watched the ball go from side to side without leaving the Spanish field. They had everything under control. After the football nothing signed by the red, this Tuesday in blue, in La Romareda, a reaction was to be expected that did not appear in Braga.
Luis Enrique had tried to shake up his team from the start, trying to recover the path of good play, or just play, with an eleven that presented up to seven changes, including the entire midfield. But it didn't seem like a matter of names but of something deeper.
As happened in Zaragoza, Spain went into the break without having tested Diogo Costa. On the other hand, three passes or a run were enough for Portugal to put the Spanish defense in tension, which continued to overlook without giving too much security. In addition, the Portuguese had it much clearer: as soon as they glimpsed Unai Simón, he raised you. The Basque goalkeeper became the best of the night, keeping his team alive with actions of great merit. The hand that he took from Diogo Jota almost without time to see the ball is one of those to keep. Ruben Neves also ran into him with a long shot.
With less than two months to travel to Qatar, the sensations kept moving to the dark side. No one could be mistaken, the script was not even remotely what Spain needed to repeat its presence in the final four of the Nations. If it had been a movie more than one would have paraded before the end, bored and frustrated at what was happening on the screen. But the best would have been lost.
The entire second half remained to try to sign what already seemed like a real feat or, at least, to check if Diogo Costa was in Braga or had stayed at home. Luis Enrique sought even more control of the ball and pushed Rodri back into the center of defense before Busquets came on. Pedri and Gavi would follow after a few minutes, the coach confident that his most talented midfield would turn the tables. But Portugal followed his own. Luckily for Spain, Unai Simón too, the man from Vitoria decisive again against Cristiano Ronaldo on the clearest occasion of the night. The best times of the Funchal star are in the rear-view mirror.
The presence of Barça's trio of brains was noticeable on the field and Spain took a firm step forward, with no other way out than to survive as it were. I had to jump and there was no net. Although innocent, the improvement was reflected in the first shot on goal by the red team, the work of Morata (m71), confirming that Diogo Costa was on the field. The man from Madrid was followed by Nico Williams, brilliant as a shocker, who also ran into the goalkeeper. Something had changed and with more than a quarter of an hour to go, dreaming was free.
A vibrant, tired and visibly nervous ending was experienced in Braga for the Portuguese team, which was left out by a single goal from Spain... as it was. With the clock running out of air, a cross from Carvajal was given to Nico Williams with a header to Morata to break any pattern with a historic goal. Although before the end, Unai Simón had time to frustrate Cristiano again to finish sealing the passport.
The high was a fact. And now to the World Cup.
0 - Portugal: Diogo Costa; Cancelo, Rubén Dias, Danilo Pereira, Nuno Mendes; Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Neves (Joao Felix, min.89), Willian Carvalho (Rafael Leao, min.78); Bernando Silva (Joao Mario, min.72), Diogo Jota (Vitinha, min.77) and Cristiano Ronaldo.
1 - Spain: Unai Simon; Carvajal, Hugo (Busquets, min. 46), Pau Torres, Gayá; Rodri, Koke (Pedri, min.60), Carlos Soler (Gavi, min.60); Ferran Torres (Nico Williams, min.72), Morata, Sarabia (Yeremy Pino, min.60).
Goal: 0-1, m.87: Morata.
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italian). He admonished Hugo Guillamón (min.30) and Carvajal (min.54) by Spain, and Bernardo Silva (min.46) and Joao Felix (min.95) by Portugal.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the sixth day of the League of Nations played at the Municipal Stadium of Braga before 28,196 spectators
