Norway players claim injustice after Portugal snatch victory in Oslo
Portugal sit alone at the top of Group A4 in the UEFA Nations League after a 2-1 victory over Norway in Oslo, but the result sparked immediate recriminations from the defeated side, with several Norwegian players insisting they deserved more from the match.
João Félix opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a low drive from the edge of the area, and Gonçalo Ramos secured the three points with a 54th-minute winner, capitalising on a goalkeeping error. Erling Haaland had equalised three minutes earlier with a header from a Patrick Berg delivery. The match was played at Ullevaal Stadion before 25,953 spectators.
Divergent views on the fairness of the result
Norway manager Ståle Solbakken made his position clear after the final whistle: "I think we deserved to win today because we were, by far, the better team." He cited more goal opportunities and greater possession of the ball as the basis for his assessment. "We were the better team on the pitch, but we couldn't score enough goals to win the match. That happens sometimes. We made a huge error right after we equalised, but I consider that we were clearly the better team."
Midfielder Fredrik Aursnes, who plays his club football at Benfica, was equally emphatic: "I think it would have been fair if we had won, I think we played a good game. We didn't convert our opportunities and we could have made more goals."
Attacker Nusa Schjelderup, also of Benfica, added: "It wasn't fair. It should have been three points for us. The statistics showed we had a bit of bad luck."
The statistics support the Norwegian claim of territorial dominance: Norway held 62% possession against Portugal's 38%, with 569 passes to Portugal's 353. The hosts managed 20 shots to Portugal's 10, though Portugal were more clinical with 4 on target from 10 attempts, while Norway had 6 on target from 20. Haaland recorded 4 shots on target but missed two major chances.
Portuguese players focus on the result
While Norwegian voices questioned the justice of the outcome, Portuguese players emphasised the difficulty of away fixtures and the importance of the result.
Gonçalo Ramos, scorer of the winning goal, said: "More important was the victory, playing away is always difficult, even more against a team like Norway. It was a great victory."
Pedro Neto highlighted Portugal's resilience: "A very difficult pitch, a team with a lot of quality. They pressed very high, but we were well. We were resilient. It was a great collective exhibition."
João Félix, asked about his role in the team, was clear about his preferred position: "The fact that I play as a second striker favours me quite a lot. It's my position, it's not left winger, it's not on the line, it's there. It's where I feel best and where I can help the team." Jorge Jesus used a 4-2-3-1 formation with Félix operating centrally behind forward Ramos.
What the win means for Portugal
The victory gives Portugal six points from two matches in the defence of their Nations League title. Jorge Jesus, in his second match as national team manager, has now won both fixtures, following the 1-0 victory over Wales in his debut. Portugal had a goal disallowed by VAR for offside.
Cristiano Ronaldo was not in the squad for the match. The Portuguese Football Federation has not specified whether he will return for the upcoming fixtures. Renato Veiga, speaking before the match, had downplayed the threat of Haaland: "Facing Haaland doesn't take away my sleep. There are more important things in life."
For Norway, the path forward is complicated. Solbakken acknowledged: "Obviously, it will be even more complicated to win against Wales and Portugal away."
Late controversy over Bernardo Silva challenge
Norwegian captain Martin Ødegaard criticised Portugal's Bernardo Silva for a late challenge in stoppage time that earned the Portuguese midfielder a yellow card. According to reports, Ødegaard claimed Silva "lost his head" and that the challenge "has no place on a football pitch".
Portugal's attention now turns to their next fixture as they seek to maintain their position at the summit of Group A4.
