Portugal beat Norway 2-1 to lead the UEFA Nations League group

Portugal moved to the top of its UEFA Nations League group with a 2-1 victory over Norway in Oslo, securing a second win in as many matches. João Félix opened the scoring in the first half, Erling Haaland equalised shortly after the interval, and Gonçalo Ramos restored the Portuguese lead three minutes later. Cristiano Ronaldo remained on the bench for the entire match.

The result settled a meeting between two teams that had both won their opening fixtures. Portugal had defeated Wales 1-0, while Norway had beaten Denmark 3-2 through a Haaland double. The match in Oslo therefore brought together the early leaders, with Portugal now alone at the summit. Norway remains second, ahead of Denmark on goal difference after Denmark’s victory over Wales.

Norway controlled more of the ball during the opening 45 minutes and produced almost twice as many attempts as Portugal. The hosts, however, struggled to turn that pressure into a goal. Portugal defended its penalty area with discipline and showed greater efficiency when opportunities appeared, taking the lead with its first major breakthrough in the 17th minute.

The move began with Portuguese pressure on the left. Nuno Mendes worked the ball forward before Pedro Neto was released into space. Neto then delivered a low ball back into the area, where Félix met it with a precise diagonal finish. The strike gave Portugal an advantage despite Norway’s stronger territorial start and forced the hosts to chase the match before half-time.

Haaland had already threatened during the opening period and continued to carry Norway’s main attacking threat after the restart. The equaliser arrived in the 51st minute following a free-kick from Martin Ødegaard. The delivery was not dealt with cleanly by the Portuguese defence and goalkeeper Diogo Costa, allowing Haaland to react first and finish from close range. It was the striker’s third goal in two Nations League appearances, taking his international tally to 57 goals in 65 matches.

Norway’s levelling goal lasted only three minutes. Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland attempted to play the ball out from the back but sent his pass directly towards Ramos. The Portugal forward seized possession and lifted a composed finish over the stranded goalkeeper to make it 2-1. The goal came after a quiet first half for Ramos, but his ability to punish the defensive error restored Portugal’s lead immediately.

Ramos came close to scoring again soon afterwards, although the episode ended in frustration for the visitors. A long ball caused another problem for Nyland, who misjudged its flight, and Ramos appeared to finish into an unguarded net. The video assistant referee ruled out the goal for a marginal offside earlier in the move. Rafael Leão also made an immediate impact after coming on, striking an effort that was deflected onto the crossbar, while Ramos missed the follow-up from close range.

Jorge Jesus introduced Leão and Vitinha during the second half as Portugal sought fresh energy, later bringing on Bernardo Silva for Neto. Norway made changes of its own and tried to build pressure through its wide players, but Portugal’s defensive shape held. The hosts continued to circulate the ball without creating a decisive opening, and the visitors managed the final stages to protect their narrow advantage. Portugal will next travel to Denmark on Thursday, while Norway will visit Wales on the same day.