Wales began their Nations League campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat in Portugal, where a deflected Joao Felix strike proved enough to settle the opening fixture in Lisbon.
The win was a successful start to Portugal’s Nations League title defence and a winning beginning for their new manager, Jorge Jesus. Cristiano Ronaldo took the spotlight in the build-up at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, the ground where the 41-year-old began his professional career with Sporting in 2002, and he earned his 234th cap in the match. The forward missed a big opportunity and had a goal disallowed for offside — which would have been his 980th top-flight goal — before being substituted midway through the second half.
Despite spending long spells under pressure, Craig Bellamy’s side finished the game strongly, with Brennan Johnson and Lewis Koumas both going close to snatching a draw. Bellamy was candid about the difficulty of the evening. “It was a difficult game for us. We had to suffer a lot,” he said. “I think that’s the longest we’ve been in a game without the ball. We could have done more with the ball but I’m beyond proud as well.”
The Wales manager pointed to the absences he had to absorb, with Harry Wilson, Karl Darlow, Dylan Lawlor, Joe Rodon and Nathan Broadhead all missing through injury. “We have a lot of players who weren’t here. That’s OK, we can handle it,” he said. “A lot of players who don’t play, week-in, week-out. So for them to use the energy they were able to, we’ve got to have a big heart to be able to do that. They’ve always shown that and they showed that again.”
Bellamy believes his squad are capable of better as they prepare for a short turnaround, with a second League A fixture against Denmark in Copenhagen on Sunday (17:00 BST). “There’s more for us, so that’s something we always look at as a positive,” he said. “How can we improve? How can we get better?”
Ronaldo’s presence did little to unsettle the Wales boss, who expects to face the forward again when Portugal play the return match in Cardiff in November. “If you looked at everything that was going on, it’s a £1.4bn squad you’re up against, [but] I felt quite calm. The players give me that,” Bellamy added. “Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all generations, not just this generation. You have to plan for him because he’s beyond dangerous, even at his age. He’s a superstar and I’d love to think I’d have the opportunity to be up against him again, but I don’t know, maybe time is ticking.”