Ronaldo Benched in Victory
Portugal Defeats Norway 2-1 as Cristiano Ronaldo Sits Out for First Time in 18 Years
Anonymous
Portugal beat Norway 2-1 in Oslo to record a second win from two in their Nations League title defence, with João Félix opening the scoring, Erling Haaland equalizing and Gonçalo Ramos scoring the winner. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, remained an unused substitute, his first time sitting out an official Portugal match entirely in 18 years. Coach Jorge Jesus said the decision was tactical, not related to Ronaldo’s fitness, and suggested he could feature against Denmark. Norway had more shots and expected goals, but Portugal held on for the victory.
Key Points
1
The last time Ronaldo sat out an entire competitive international was Portugal’s 2-0 group-stage defeat to Switzerland at Euro 2008.
2
Gonçalo Ramos said his goal was part of a broader effort to show what he could contribute: “not just goals, but everything I do on the pitch.” It was his 12th international goal.
3
Portugal had only 38% possession and recorded 1.04 expected goals, compared with Norway’s 2.52 xG from 22 shots. Erling Haaland accounted for 1.5 of Norway’s xG and led the match with eight shots.
4
João Félix has scored six goals in his last 11 starts for Portugal while playing under Jorge Jesus.
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