Cancelo, Guedes score in Portugal’s win
Defender Joao Cancelo and winger Goncalo Guedes scored in five first-half minutes as Portugal secured a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in its Nations League clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade here on Thursday.
Cancelo put 2019 champion Portugal in front in the 33rd minute of the League A Group 2 contest, blasting the ball past Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek from a tight angle after good work on the right flank. In the 38th minute, Guedes found himself in space and tucked the ball in to double Portugal’s lead as Fernando Santos’s team tightened its grip on the top spot with seven points from three matches.
“I think that the result is more than fair. We controlled the game. We scored two goals and could have scored one or two more. We are first in our group; to be at the top is always great,” Portugal manager Santos said after the victory.
Spain edges out Switzerland
An early goal from Pablo Sarabia earned Spain a 1-0 win against Switzerland in Geneva, its first victory in this edition of the Nations League.
Spain dominated the match from the start but was able to score only once, when Sarabia struck from close range in the 12th minute following a low cross by Marcos Llorente. The Atletico Madrid winger found Sarabia ghosting in between two defenders inside the six-yard-box and the latter scored with a first-time shot.
Meanwhile, Switzerland has suffered three consecutive losses and is winless in its last five matches since qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar.
A2: Portugal 2 (J Cancelo 33, G Guedes 38) bt Czech Republic 0; Switzerland 0 lost to Spain 1 (P Sarabia 12)