UEFA Nations League,
League A – 4

Portugal
POR

Norway
NOR

Estádio do Dragão

Maurizio Mariani

João Cancelo 38′
Gonçalo Ramos 79′

Kristoffer Ajer 36′

Portugal clinched their place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals as they came from behind to beat Norway 2-1 and maintain their 100 percent start under Jorge Jesus.

The defending champions fell behind to a stunning 36th-minute effort from Kristoffer Ajer, only for Joao Cancelo to restore parity with a rasping strike.

With the second half a more low-key affair, the game appeared to be meandering to a draw that would have also been sufficient for Portugal to progress courtesy of Denmark’s win over Wales.

But Ramos ensured Portugal’s perfect record under Jesus was preserved in a dramatic and fractious finale.

Ramos scored his third goal in as many games amid the saga surrounding Portugal’s record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from the camp, turning home after excellent build-up play from Vitinha and Joao Felix.

Yet there was more drama to follow after both sides had claims for penalties waved away. A Norway substitute was shown a red card for his part in their protestations, before Portugal’s Francisco Conceicao was shown two consecutive yellows four minutes from the end of normal time for dissent after he was rightly denied a spot-kick for a challenge by Leo Ostigard.

Norway could not take advantage of their brief period with an extra man, however, as they slipped to a third successive defeat, leaving them with plenty of work to do in the next international break to join Portugal in the last eight.

Both sides were restricted to efforts from range in the early going, with Antonio Nusa drawing a smart save from Diogo Costa before Egil Selvik turned around the post from Ramos.

There was nothing Costa could do to deny Ajer, though.

The Brentford pounced in spectacular fashion after Portugal failed to deal with Martin Odegaard’s free-kick delivery, unleashing a first-time strike from the edge of the area with the outside of his boot that flew into the far corner.

Cancelo’s response moments later was just as impressive, the Barcelona full-back beating Selvik with a thunderbolt as he ruthlessly punished Norway for allowing a long throw to bounce into his path.

Selvik was required to deny Cancelo a brace nine minutes into the second half, before an unusually quiet Erling Haaland spurned a chance to restore Norway’s lead as he fired across the face of goal.

Ramos showed no such profligacy as he was teed up for the winner, Felix doing brilliantly to turn Vitinha’s lofted pass back across goal for the AC Milan forward to bundle home.

Tempers frayed in the closing stages, with Conceicao’s show of dissent meaning he will miss the next match in November, but that will be a dead rubber for Portugal as their love affair with the Nations League continues.

The UEFA Nations League Table

Upcoming fixtures for Portugal and Norway