French press praises Jorge Jesus's debut and criticises Ronaldo
The French press highlighted Jorge Jesus's debut as manager of the Portugal national team, while noting Cristiano Ronaldo's lack of luck, after Portugal's 1‑0 victory over Wales in the Nations League.
The French press reaction, represented by the newspaper L’Équipe, was praising Jorge Jesus's debut and criticizing Cristiano Ronaldo's performance. The article highlighted that the match was “a successful debut for Jorge Jesus with the Portugal national team against Wales in the Nations League; Cristiano Ronaldo unlucky”. The publication also noted that Portugal dominated most of the game before encountering difficulties in the final minutes.
Details of the win
Portugal opened the scoring at the 22nd minute, with João Félix finishing a beautiful shot after receiving a pass from Nuno Mendes in full stride. The goal was the only one of the match, securing the 1‑0 win. Jesus's team displayed pleasant football for most of the encounter.
Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of the national team at 41, was among the main chance creators but failed to score. The Al‑Nassr forward saw a goal disallowed for offside and missed several chances, keeping a record of zero goals in the match. According to L’Équipe, Ronaldo shot between four and six times, but his effort did not translate into a goal.
Ronaldo spared after disappointing Nations League duel against Wales
Reaction and next steps
In the last twenty minutes, Portugal lost momentum after the captain's departure at the 68th minute, allowing Wales to believe in a comeback. The Welsh side created a big chance at the 75th minute but failed to convert. Jesus's next assignment will be a trip to Norway in three days.
The phrase “Cristiano Ronaldo unlucky” summed up the French journalists' frustration, who saw the captain waste clear chances. L’Équipe also highlighted that, despite the shortcomings, Jesus's team showed defensive consistency by maintaining the lead until the end.
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The national team's next match, scheduled for three days from now, will be played in Norway, giving Jesus the opportunity to consolidate his style of play. The fixture will be crucial in determining Portugal's position in the Nations League.