2019 UEFA Nations League final explained

2019 UEFA Nations League final
Event:2019 UEFA Nations League Finals
Team1:Portugal
Team1score:1
Team2:Netherlands
Team2score:0
Stadium:Estádio do Dragão
City:Porto
Man Of The Match1a:Rúben Dias (Portugal)
Referee:Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain)
Attendance:43,199
Weather:Partly cloudy
16°C
56% humidity
Next:2021

The 2019 UEFA Nations League final was a football match that determined the winners of the final tournament of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. It was the inaugural final of the international football competition involving the men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA.[1] The match was held on 9 June 2019 at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal, and was contested by hosts Portugal and the Netherlands.[2]

Portugal won the final 1–0 to become the first champions of the UEFA Nations League.

Venue

The final was played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto—Portugal's second largest city.

The stadium is home to FC Porto.[3] [4]

Background

Ahead of the inaugural final, hosts Portugal held a World Ranking of 7, while opponents the Netherlands were ranked sixteenth.[5]

En route to the Nations League final, the Netherlands beat world champions France—who had won their world title approximately four months prior to their match.[6]

Portugal and the Netherlands beat Switzerland and England respectively in their semi-finals.[7] [8]

Route to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

PortugalRoundNetherlands
OpponentsResultLeague phaseOpponentsResult
1–0 (H)Match 11–2 (A)
3–2 (A)Match 23–0 (H)
0–0 (A)Match 32–0 (H)
1–1 (H)Match 42–2 (A)
Group A3 winnerFinal standingsGroup A1 winner
OpponentsResultNations League FinalsOpponentsResult
3–1Semi-finals

Pre-match

Officials

On 7 June 2019, UEFA announced the appointment of Spaniard Alberto Undiano Mallenco as referee for the final, in what would be his final match as a professional referee. He was joined by compatriots Roberto Alonso Fernández and Juan Yuste Jiménez as assistant referees, Antonio Mateu Lahoz as the fourth official, and Raúl Cabañero Martínez as the reserve official. Alejandro Hernández Hernández served as the video assistant referee and Juan Martínez Munuera as the assistant video assistant referee.

Match

Details

width=25!width=25
GK 1 Rui Patrício
RB 20Nélson Semedo
CB 4 Rúben Dias
CB 6 José Fonte
LB 5 Raphaël Guerreiro
CM 13Danilo Pereira
CM 14
CM 16
RW 7 Cristiano Ronaldo (c)
CF 17
LW 10Bernardo Silva
Substitutions:
MF 15
MF 8
MF 18
Manager:
Fernando Santos
width=25!width=25
GK 1 Jasper Cillessen
RB 22
CB 3 Matthijs de Ligt
CB 4 Virgil van Dijk (c)
LB 17Daley Blind
CM 15
CM 21Frenkie de Jong
CM 8 Georginio Wijnaldum
RW 7
CF 10Memphis Depay
LW 9
Substitutions:
FW 11
MF 20
FW 19
Manager:
Ronald Koeman
Man of the Match:
Rúben Dias (Portugal)[9]

Assistant referees

[10]
Roberto Alonso Fernández (Spain)
Juan Yuste Jiménez (Spain)
Fourth official


Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
Reserve assistant referee


Raúl Cabañero Martínez (Spain)
Video assistant referee


Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain)
Assistant video assistant referee


Juan Martínez Munuera (Spain)

|style="width:60%; vertical-align:top;"|Match rules[11]
  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Maximum of twelve named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions, with a fourth allowed in extra time.

|}

Statistics

First half[12]
StatisticPortugalNetherlands
scope=rowGoals scored00
scope=rowTotal shots121
scope=rowShots on target40
scope=rowSaves04
scope=rowBall possession41%59%
scope=rowCorner kicks61
scope=rowFouls committed46
scope=rowOffsides10
scope=rowYellow cards00
scope=rowRed cards00
Second half
StatisticPortugalNetherlands
scope=rowGoals scored10
scope=rowTotal shots74
scope=rowShots on target31
scope=rowSaves32
scope=rowBall possession50%50%
scope=rowCorner kicks43
scope=rowFouls committed27
scope=rowOffsides12
scope=rowYellow cards02
scope=rowRed cards00
Overall
StatisticPortugalNetherlands
scope=rowGoals scored10
scope=rowTotal shots195
scope=rowShots on target71
scope=rowSaves36
scope=rowBall possession45%55%
scope=rowCorner kicks104
scope=rowFouls committed613
scope=rowOffsides22
scope=rowYellow cards02
scope=rowRed cards00

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UEFA Nations League receives associations' green light. UEFA.org. 27 March 2014.
  2. News: UEFA Nations League 2018/19 League Phase draw . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 24 January 2018 . 24 January 2018.
  3. Web site: Porto city guide.
  4. Web site: Porto stadium guide.
  5. Web site: Men's Ranking.
  6. Web site: Netherlands vs France.
  7. Web site: Portugal vs Switzerland.
  8. Web site: Netherlands vs England.
  9. News: Atkin . John . Porto . Portugal 1–0 Netherlands: Nations League final at a glance . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 9 June 2019 . 9 June 2019.
  10. News: Porto swansong for proud Undiano . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 7 June 2019 . 9 June 2019.
  11. Web site: Regulations of the UEFA Nations League 2018/19 . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 28 September 2017 . 3 October 2017 . PDF.
  12. Web site: Team statistics – Final – Portugal v Netherlands . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . PDF . 9 June 2019 . 9 June 2019.