June 02, (THEWILL) – Portugal and Spain drew 1-1 in their Nations League openers on Thursday, with Ricardo Horta scoring a late equaliser for the Portuguese.
Spain finished last year’s campaign with a final loss to France, although they qualified for the 2022 edition after four straight victories to boost their confidence as a fluid team bristling with talent and potential.
Morata gave Spain a first-half lead with his 26th goal in all competitions, making him the joint-seventh best goal-scorer in La Roja’s history. The goal had Spain coasting to victory and Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo was introduced to get a result for them.
However, it was substitute Horta, who scored eight minutes from time to salvage a draw in the Group A2 opening for Portugal. The substitute converted Joao Cancelo’s whipped cross to force a share of the points. Jordi Alba had an opportunity to win it for Spain late on, but the left defender headed agonisingly wide with the goal gaping.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.