Razeen Gutta
The Uefa Nations League kicked off with a 1-1 draw between Spain and Portugal in Seville on Thursday with goals from Alvaro Morata and Ricardo Horta to get the competition underway.
The Estadio Benito Villamarin played host to the highly anticipated affair, while the Czech Republic defeated Switzerland 2-1 in the other Group A2 clash.
Spain looked the more promising of the sides in the early stages, with 17-year-old Gavi in particular looking lively. The breakthrough came 25 minutes in after a quick break led to a trademark Morata finish.
The hosts would have hoped to have been even more clinical in front of goal, however Luis Enrique’s side struggled to put the game to bed as time ticked on.
The introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo on the hour mark gave the travelling fans something to cheer about as Portugal’s quest for an equaliser reached the final stages.
When it finally came, João Cancelo’s ball was met by a touch from the unlikeliest of heroes, as Horta found the back of the net in what was his first Portugal appearance in over six years.
The result was the fourth consecutive draw in meetings between the two sides and meant that Czech Republic topped the group after the first round of fixtures. The Czechs will host Spain next while Portugal take on Switzerland this weekend.
Image source: @GettyImages
