Portugal 1-0 Netherlands: 3 players who won the UEFA Nations League title for Portugal

Portugal finally clinched another European tournament following their hard-fought victory against the Netherlands. Fernando Santos's men struggled before their semifinal ties against Switzerland, failing to secure a win in 4 consecutive matches.

On the other hand, the Dutch were in-form after appointing Ronald Koeman as their new boss. The Oranje also had excellent records at the tournament, and the team consisted of highly-rated stars such as Matthijs de Ligt and Virgil van Dijk. However, Portugal quickly bounced back to claim their UEFA Nations League title.

Portugal were able to dominate the Netherlands throughout the game, as Koeman's men barely had a chance to score in the first half. They found several difficulties in breaking the Dutch's rock-solid defense, but Portugal managed to win by a close margin in the end.

Here, we will take a look at 3 Portugal players who won the UEFA Nations League title for the team.

---

#3 Goncalo Guedes

The attacker bagged the winning goal for his side

The former PSG star turned into a revelation in his debut season for Valencia after struggling to earn minutes at Ligue 1. Despite starting just half of 2018/19 La Liga campaign, Guedes was able to convince Fernando Santos and earned Portugal's call-up for the UEFA Nations League.

He booked an assist in the semifinal tie after coming from the bench. His impactful display at the semis won him more trust from the manager, as Santos started him in the final. Guedes struggled to make an impact throughout the game, registering no key passes and dispossessed once.

However, he made the most crucial contribution for his team after his powerful shot went in. All of Portugal's forwards barely registered a shot on target. Thus, the 22-year old's goal was decisive to win the game. Overall, Guedes had a somewhat sub-par game, but he deserves to be on this list due to his winning goal.

#2 Rui Patricio

Patricio put in a stellar effort between the sticks

The veteran goalkeeper was highly successful in his debut season for the newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers, as he led the Premier League team to an impressive 7th place finish. He was one of Sporting's most loyal superstars, but he eventually decided to leave after the club and fans went into a riot last year.

A regular for Portugal national team since 2012, Patricio had a tough task in the UEFA Nations League final. He would need to stop the Dutch's pacey forwards such as Memphis Depay and Steven Bergwijn from scoring. Fortunately, he paid Santos's trust by keeping a clean sheet.

The 31-year-old was barely tested throughout the first half, but he stepped up when his team needed him the most. He made several outstanding stops after Ronald Koeman's men started to get aggressive in the second half. Thanks to Patricio's excellent goalkeeping, Guedes's goal did not go in vain.

#1 Bernardo Silva

Silva provided the assist for Portugal's goal

The 24-year-old initially struggled to justify his massive €50 million transfer fee at Manchester City, as he made just 15 starting appearances throughout the 2017/18 campaign.

Fortunately, Pep Guardiola figured out Bernardo's best position for the tightly-packed City midfield and moved the former Monaco star into a more central role. Bernardo has blossomed since he switched his part, scoring 5 goals and 7 assists from his new position.

However, his reputation as a deadly attacker has not tarnished, as he consistently became one of Portugal's best players when playing in his natural position. He put a dominant display despite not throwing a single shot during the UEFA Nations League final.

He became the player with most dribble as well as most key passes in the game. He also displayed a perfect link-up play to assist Guedes for the winning goal. Overall, Bernardo had another impressive spell and surely deserved his player of the tournament award.