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France handed defending Nations League champions Portugal a uncommon defeat on Saturday, profitable 1-Zero in Lisbon with N’Golo Kante’s second-half strike to reach the competitors’s final four on the expense of the holders.
Anthony Martial missed three clear-cut first half probabilities for France earlier than Kante scored solely his second worldwide aim within the 54th minute, and his first since 2016, to finish Portugal’s run of 5 successive clear sheets.
World champions France went prime of Group A3 with 13 factors from 5 video games, three forward of Portugal and with the higher head-to-head file to give them an unassailable lead. It was solely Portugal’s second defeat because the 2018 World Cup.
“Given the quality of the opposition, it’s of course one of our best performances of recent times,” France coach Didier Deschamps stated of Portugal, who’re the European champions.
🇫🇷 France are the primary group to qualify for the #NationsLeague finals after edging Portugal 1-0! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/Qu5YwXszHC
— UEFA Nations League (@EURO2020) November 14, 2020
“We deserved the win and we’ve fulfilled our objective of finishing top. I’m very proud of the players. They proved tonight that France are still a great team.”
Antoine Griezmann arrange Martial’s first probability within the 12th minute with a slide-rule move however Portugal’s wonderful goalkeeper Rui Patricio blocked it at point-blank vary.
Martial then diverted Adrien Rabiot’s acrobatic effort onto the bar together with his head and noticed one other effort brilliantly saved at shut vary by Patricio from Lucas Hernandez’s cross.
At the opposite finish, Cristiano Ronaldo pressured a diving save from France captain Hugo Lloris and in addition wasted a free kick which he drove straight into the wall.
France lastly broke by simply as Portugal appeared to be imposing themselves. Griezmann slipped one other ball by to Rabiot whose shot was parried by Patricio and Kante was readily available to rating from the rebound.
Portugal had three probabilities go begging in the identical assault, together with a Jose Fonte header in opposition to the submit, and Lloris made a one-handed save to parry a raking drive from Joao Moutinho, who then noticed his cross evade three forwards as France held out.
Sweden beat Croatia 2-1 to stave off relegation
Goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Marcus Danielsson snapped Sweden’s four-game shedding streak within the Nations League as they beat Croatia 2-1 in Stockholm on Saturday.
Needing a win to keep away from relegation from Group A3, the victory retains Sweden’s survival hopes alive as they head into their final group sport in opposition to France in Paris on Wednesday, regardless of nonetheless being backside of the group.
Sweden boss Janne Andersson had to watch the sport from residence following a constructive check for COVID-19 and 20-year-old ahead Kulusevksi was chosen to begin upfront with Marcus Berg.
The win leaves Sweden backside of the group on three factors, with the Croatians third on aim distinction.
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