Ronaldo saves Portugal; 10-man Spain survive Swiss; Croatia win

More UEFA Nations League action continued on Sunday with a handful of teams playing out dramatic matches.

Here is what went down across Europe.

Ronaldo saves Portugal at the death against Scotland

Scorer: Fernandes 53′, Ronaldo 88′; McTominay 7′

Steve Clarke’s Scotland almost pulled off the night’s shock but Cristiano Ronaldo rose to save Portugal 2-1.

The captain was on the bench at the start of this one but that didn’t stop the hosts from leading things in attack. However, despite their dominance in the first half, Scotland scored first.

Newly signed Napoli star Scot McTominay peeled off his defender and converted a header from point-blank range as the stadium was silenced. It goes down as his second Nations League goal in as many games, and his 10th from his last 17 appearances.

It took a relentless Portugal side about an hour to finally break down the visitors and Ronaldo was brought off the bench. He wasn’t the man who equalised, though.

Bruno Fernandes celebrated his 30th birthday with a cracking drive from range to see things turn all square after some 19 shots.

Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn pulled off multiple brilliant saves to deny João Félix and Ronaldo at the death. That was until the Portuguese legend netted his 901st career goal after a cross into the box to secure the victory.

10-man Spain survive Swiss test

Scorers: Amdouni 41′; Joselu 4′, Ruiz 13′, 77′, Torres 80′. Red: Le Normand 20′

EURO 2024 winners Spain managed to hold on despite a first-half red card and impressively beat Switzerland 4-1.

This game was electric from the first whistle, and the visitors grabbed the lead in the blink of an eye thanks to star boy Lamine Yamal.

The 17-year-old Barcelona man cut inside and sent a cross toward Joselu in the box. His header crossed the line despite Gregor Kobel getting a hand to it, and the teenager registered his 16th goal contribution in his last 19 games.

Minutes later, Yamal slipped the ball through to Nico Williams and while his shot was blocked, Fabian Ruiz scored on the rebound.

Fortunately for Switzerland, Spain’s fluidity was cut short immediately after. Robin le Normand was shown a straight red card after taking down Breel Embolo on the breakaway.

That man advantage allowed the hosts to swing the game in their favour. Zeki Amdouni’s free-kick hit the crossbar before he eventually made it 2-1 from point-blank range in the box.

However, Switzerland failed to keep Europe’s best at bay as fatigue proved fatal. Substitute Ferran Torres teed up Ruiz for a second on the breakaway before a second counter saw the Barcelona boy add his name to the sheet.

Modrić celebrates in style

Scorer: Modric 52′

Croatia had to rely on their captain to beat Poland 1-0 in front of home fans.

The hosts registered a staggering 22 shots to nine while one Robert Lewandowski could not make a mark.

Luka Modrić, who will turn 39 on Monday, celebrated his birthday early as his free-kick found the top corner for his 27th international goal on his 180th appearance and won the game.

Results from earlier…

Denmark dazzle against Serbia

Scorer: Grønbæk 36′, Poulsen 61′

Two dazzling goals were enough to help Denmark top Group A4 after beating visitors Serbia 2-0.

With plenty of talent on the pitch, including Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Luka Jović, goals were expected in this clash. Fans, however, were made to wait.

The opener arrived near the end of the first half with a new name, Albert Grønbæk, scoring his first goal for the national team.

After his recent debut, the Rennes star executed a sharp run and darting finish inside the box. A long VAR check threatened to take it away due to offside, but the goal stood.

The second goal arrived via some veteran experience. Yusuf Poulsen converted an expert bicycle kick from around the penalty spot after he assisted the opener.

Serbia (third in the group) struggled over the 90 minutes and failed to kickstart any comeback, registering only one shot on target.

Northern Ireland mistake gifts Bulgaria victory

Scorer: Despodov 40′

A defensive error decided this clash of margins as Bulgaria beat Northern Ireland 1-0.

The hosts dominated the opening half in front of home fans, but breaking down a steady and measured visiting defence took a while.

Captain Kiril Despodov was the player who put Bulgaria ahead just before the break after arriving late in the box and converting a simple finish at the back post.

A sloppy pass from Northern Ireland goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell handed the hosts the opportunity to strike.

The second half was one of limited chances, but Northern Ireland swung possession in their favour.

Substitute Shayne Lavery had an opportunity to pull level in a one-on-one position, but his attempt went wasted and he was eventually ruled offside. He later sent a header over the bar.

Looking at the table in Group C3, Bulgaria are second and Northern Ireland third.

Other results…

Who had the best performance of the night? Let us know in the comments below!