Portugal 1-0 Netherlands: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis | UEFA Nations League Final

Portugal got the better of Netherlands 1-0 in a pulsating encounter at the Estadio do Dragao to win the UEFA Nations League trophy. The slim margin of victory slightly flattered the visitors as the hosts were dominant all across the pitch.

The game started off with the Dutch controlling the early exchanges. However, as the match wore on, Portugal grew into the game with their attack in particular, causing the away side some grief.

The likes of Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva scythed through the Dutch defence on occasions, but were unable to apply the finishing touches.

Though the first half wasn’t short on the entertainment quotient, it failed to produce a goal and both teams went in level at the break.

After the restart, the Oranje tried to impose themselves on the game with a period of sustained possession.

Yet, they were caught by the perfect sucker punch when Goncalo Guedes and Bernardo cut them open with a clever one-two on the hour mark. The former then struck a powerful shot which proved too hot to handle for Jasper Cillessen.

The visitors tried to unlock the Portuguese defence thereafter but were unable to do so.

Here is a look at the talking points from the game:

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#5 Portugal suffocate Netherlands with their energy

Portugal's midfielders negated the threat of De Jong

Portugal started the match with a 4-3-3 system as Fernando Santos dropped Joao Felix in favour of Guedes.

In addition, Danilo Perreira and William Carvalho were fielded as the midfield pivots with Bruno Fernandes acting as the third and more attacking central midfielder.

Thus, the Portuguese, courtesy their team selection, had signalled that they intended to dominate the middle of the park physically and restrict Frenkie De Jong and Georginio Wijnaldum to bit-part roles.

Though the said tactic looked simple in theory, it was anything but that to execute. After all, they had seen the midfield duo dismantle England just a few nights ago.

However, Portugal boasted of the one quality the Three Lions lacked on the 6th of June: energy.

From the outset, the hosts’ midfielders harried the Dutch players and forced them to move backwards. Moreover, the Portuguese attackers also pressed superbly and consigned Cillessen to look for long balls.

With Netherlands not functioning with a target man, those up-field passes became easy fodder for the home side’s defence, who recycled the ball quickly and set in motion Portuguese attacks.

Thus, Santos’ men had reduced the visitors’ cutting edge considerably with a blend of intelligent and energetic pressing.

The current Dutch side comprises of numerous accomplished passers of the football and they are a nightmare to play against. Yet, there exists a formula to get under their skin and disrupt their play.

Though the extraordinary amount of energy Portugal displayed tonight might not be easy to replicate day in, day out, it certainly is a blueprint teams can follow, at least for the time being.

#4 Bernardo Silva produces another special night of football

Bernardo was outstanding again

Over the course of the 2018-19 season, there has been a growing consensus that Bernardo Silva is one of the world’s most valuable players. The Portuguese has been a consistent performer for his club, Manchester City, and has come up with the goods whenever called upon.

However, there remained a lingering feeling that he hadn’t been able to translate his club dominance onto the international stage. Yet, by the time the Nations League final ended, he had silenced those doubters as well.

The City midfielder started on the right flank but regularly cut in-field to occupy the Dutch centre backs and midfielders. Bernardo’s expert positioning sense also encouraged Semedo to march forward from right back and create a numerical advantage on the flank.

Additionally, he acted as a ball carrier whenever the hosts were under pressure. On countless occasions, he held onto the ball and dribbled past his opponents with ease. In the process, he relieved his side of any pressure.

In the second half, Bernardo capped off his performance with a sublime assist. After racing onto a pass, the Portuguese proceeded towards the Dutch goal, with his sights firmly set on testing the keeper. However, he deceived the defenders by cutting the ball back for Guedes. The latter did the rest and made the net bulge.

The assist in the final characterised Bernardo in a nutshell. A hardworking footballer willing to chase down every loose ball while also boasting of enough composure to pick the right pass in the attacking third.

The said combination is extremely hard to find these days and thus, it comes as no surprise that he is being talked about in the bracket of world class players.

#3 Portugal incessantly knock at the Dutch door and break it down

Guedes eventually got the crucial breakthrough

Portugal started off the game slightly cautiously as they allowed their visitors to get hold of the ball early and control the tempo. However, after the initial phase had passed, they got onto the front foot and rarely looked back.

As the clock ticked by, the hosts started to play out from the back with conviction and the above allowed their creative midfielders to get into the game. After the first quarter of the match, Bruno morphed into a constant attacking threat while Bernardo was also accorded more time and space on the right flank.

Additionally, Cristiano Ronaldo and Guedes’ movement up top caused the Dutch defence all sorts of problems.

Inevitably, the front four combined to put the away side under the cosh with a string of offensive moves. On many an occasion, one of the wingers found themselves running into space after a neat one-two.

However, despite the pressure they piled upon the Oranje, they were unable to conjure an adequate end product. Yet, the Portuguese stuck to their attacking guns and ensured they kept their foot on the visitors’ throat throughout.

The home side were ultimately rewarded for their endeavours in the 60th minute when Guedes’ low drive found its way past Cillessen.

After the goal went in, the Portuguese were understandably a little more circumspect. But, they resisted the temptation of retreating into their shell and instead proved to be a menace on the counter attack.

Over the past couple of years, Portugal has often been criticised for being a little too pragmatic despite boasting several talented ball-players. While the said observation has been apt on some days, on most others, it has just been an exaggeration.

And while their victory in the UEFA Nations League final would not be remembered as one of the great European performances, they certainly ensured that the theory of them being too defensive on the big stage was only a myth and not the truth.

#2 Van Dijk keeps Ronaldo quiet

Ronaldo was largely kept quiet by Van Dijk

As soon as Quincey Promes applied the gloss on the Oranje’s victory over England, all eyes quickly turned to the prospect of the world’s best centre back clashing swords with one of the world’s top two attackers.

Cristiano Ronaldo versus Virgil Van Dijk had failed to materialise through the 2018-19 club season. Hence, the contest was appealing enough to get the average fan off his seat.

To add another layer of intrigue, Ronaldo came into the final on the back of a hat-trick in the semi-final whereas Van Dijk continued his incredible record of not getting dribbled past for the entirety of the season. Thus, something had to give in the meeting of the two titans and as it turned out, it was the Portuguese who blinked first.

Throughout the game, Ronaldo tried to get goal-side of the defender but was unable to do so. Though he wasn’t allowed many opportunities to directly run at Van Dijk, the latter ensured the door was shut swiftly when the slightest chance presented itself.

Apart from the dribbling aspect, the Juventus forward also failed to get any change out of the Dutchman aerially. Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo started drifting towards the right side to target the more inexperienced duo of Denzel Dumfries and Matthijs De Ligt.

On Sunday evening, the clash between Ronaldo and Van Dijk was billed as that of an irresistible attacking force colliding with the immovable object.

As things panned out, the latter stood its ground and resisted all attempts to displace it.

#1 A vital learning curve for the Netherlands amongst all the positives

The Netherlands still have a long way to go in their journey to the top

Ever since Ronald Koeman took over from Dick Advocaat in February 2018, the Oranje have undergone a renaissance of sorts. After all, the Dutch had missed out on Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup quite convincingly. Thus, after that nadir, the only way for them seemed upwards.

However, under Koeman, they seem to be well ahead of schedule in their pursuit to be back among the world’s elite.

The introduction of the new manager has coincided with the Oranje returning to their attacking roots and embracing the Total Football that captured the imagination of the world in the 1970s and 80s.

While they are well short of the dream teams the late great Johan Cruyff was a part of, there are signs clearly indicating that they are reverting to their old philosophy.

The likes of De Jong, De Ligt, Donny Van de Beek and Marten de Roon embody the said ideology to the tee. Unsurprisingly, the Oranje, backed by their young brigade, has cast itself as one of the more offensive sides in Europe.

However, despite all the promising signs, the Nations League final also brought to light the fact that the Dutch are still quite far away from where they want to be.

While they were able to weave pretty patterns in midfield throughout, their lack of an end product became quite alarming in the knock-out phases. England handed them their goals on a platter while they did nothing of note against Portugal.

Thus, highlighting that the final third tactics might be the area bringing them down a touch. Maybe a bit of decisiveness and cold-bloodedness in clutch situations is what they need moving forward.

In one and a half years at the helm, Koeman has done everything asked of him. In fact, one could even argue that he has achieved more than what was initially envisaged.

Yet, as the Nations League finals drew to a close, one couldn’t help but feel that they still have a lot of distance to traverse before becoming a world force.

The journey under Koeman has been smooth so far but if they fail to learn from their shortcomings now, it could turn into a bumpy ride in a trice.