Portugal beat Norway 2-1 in Nations League as Erling Haaland limps off injured

Portugal kept their perfect record in the Nations League intact with a 2-1 win over Norway in Porto that secured a place in the March quarter-finals. Gonçalo Ramos delivered the decisive goal late in the second half. The most worrying sight came from Erling Haaland, who asked to come off in the 67th minute and walked away limping after feeling discomfort.

The Portuguese side continues to strengthen its reputation in the competition and is already thinking about the knockout rounds. The result keeps the focus away from Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the camp abruptly last week following a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus.

• Portugal defeated Norway 2-1 and sealed qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals.
• Erling Haaland limped off in the 67th minute, raising concerns for Norway and Manchester City.
• Gonçalo Ramos scored the winner with eleven minutes left after a cross from João Félix.
• Francisco Conceição picked up two yellow cards in four minutes and left Portugal with ten men late on.

Haaland injury scare against Portugal

The night produced a major scare for Norway and Manchester City. Erling Haaland asked to be substituted on his own in the 67th minute and left the pitch limping. The striker, the offensive reference for both his national team and the English club, could not complete the match in a scene that raises real concerns ahead of the upcoming fixtures.

Norway compete in Group A4 and need points to stay in the fight for the knockout rounds. Losing their biggest star for several matches would be a significant blow to their ambitions and to Pep Guardiola's plans in the Premier League.

Portugal come back with goals from Cancelo and Gonçalo Ramos

Norway struck first through Kristoffer Ajer. The centre-back connected with a dipping half-volley from the edge of the box in the 36th minute to put the visitors ahead during a strong spell of the game.

The Portuguese response came quickly. João Cancelo equalised just two minutes later with a thunderous strike that gave the Norwegian goalkeeper no chance. With the score level, the match opened up in the decisive stretch: João Félix nodded the ball across the face of goal and Gonçalo Ramos bundled it in off his calf for the 2-1 in the 79th minute.

The victory had a late blemish. Francisco Conceição received a yellow card for dissent and responded with a sarcastic gesture toward the referee, who immediately showed him a second yellow. Portugal held on for the final minutes with ten players.

What Portugal are playing for in the Nations League quarter-finals

With this result, Portugal now hold a six-point lead over Denmark, second in Group A4. The Portuguese head into the final matchday with first place all but secured and a ticket to the quarter-final round already in hand.

Portugal are defending the title they won in the previous edition. The team has won every match in this phase and once again presents itself as one of the leading candidates for the trophy.

Nations League matchday results around Europe

The matchday brought movement across several groups. The Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 in Eindhoven with Virgil van Dijk celebrating his 100th cap for the national team. Teun Koopmeiners opened the scoring with a free kick that crept into the corner after evading everyone in the penalty area.

Serbia levelled before the break through Mihajlo Cvetkovic, who headed in his first international goal after a cross from Aleksa Terzic. The deadlock lasted until the 72nd minute, when Joshua Zirkzee, called up late to the Dutch squad, tapped in after a low ball from Tijjani Reijnders.

Greece held Jürgen Klopp's Germany to a 0-0 draw in Thessaloniki. The Germans dominated proceedings but could not find the back of the net and have now won only one of their first four matches under the new coach. Denmark, meanwhile, beat Wales 0-1 with a 75th-minute penalty converted by Rasmus Hojlund.

In the lower groups, Azerbaijan climbed to the top of Group D2 with a 1-0 win over Lithuania thanks to a first-half goal from Abdulakh Khaybulayev. Malta defeated Andorra with a late goal from substitute Teddy Teuma. Austria drew 1-1 in Kosovo and remain three points clear at the top of Group B3.

Portugal keep winning without Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal went into the match still affected by Cristiano Ronaldo's abrupt exit from the squad the previous week. The striker's disagreement with Jorge Jesus opened a debate about the captain's future, but the team has responded with two straight wins without him.

The victory over Denmark and this 2-1 against Norway reinforce the idea that the Portuguese national team has more than enough resources to compete at the highest level while the situation involving their all-time leading scorer is resolved.

Portugal vs Norway frequently asked questions