Nuno Mendes And Vitinha Shine As Portugal Reach Nations League Quarter-Finals

At the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, the game initially shifted against the run of play. Kristoffer Ajer opened the scoring in the 36th minute from a free-kick to surprise Diogo Costa (0-1). Portugal struck back 2 minutes later. Set up by a quick throw-in from Nuno Mendes, João Cancelo equalised with a half-volley in the 38th minute (1-1).

On the pitch, the Portuguese side stepped up their pressure after the break to force the winner. In the 79th minute, Vitinha chipped a clever pass to João Félix, who provided the assist for Gonçalo Ramos to score (2-1). A tense finale saw Francisco Conceição sent off in the 86th minute following 2 yellow cards.

Deployed in a more advanced role under head coach Jorge Jesus, Vitinha controlled the Lusitanian midfield for 86 minutes. Handed a start before making way for Silva, the Paris Saint-Germain playmaker stood out with incisive distribution. His vision on the decisive sequence capped a technically flawless display against a deep defensive block.

Down the left flank, Nuno Mendes completed the full 90 minutes with an impressive work rate. The Parisian full-back gave nothing away in individual duels while constantly pushing forward with sharp runs out wide. This outing secured his second assist of the international break following his clever throw-in delivery on the equalising goal.

This hard-fought win before the home crowd in Porto keeps Portugal on a flawless run with 12 points collected across 4 matches in League A, Group 4 of the UEFA Nations League. Undefeated, Jorge Jesus‘s side have officially locked up their spot in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League, according to PSG.FR. That commanding cushion removes all pressure from November’s upcoming fixtures against Denmark and Wales.

The head coach also managed his squad’s energy, keeping João Neves on the bench for the entire match. Following a productive international break, the three Portuguese internationals now head back to the French capital with absolute confidence. Paris Saint-Germain turn their focus to key domestic and continental fixtures, hosting Le Mans at the Parc des Princes on Saturday, October 10, 2026, before a massive away test against Manchester City on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the Champions League.