Portugal’s Ricardo Horta strikes late to earn point against wasteful Spain

02-Jun-2022 20:48:54 | The Guardian

There were 10 minutes remaining when the Spain fans inside this stadium in Seville stood to applaud a 17-year-old from 20km down the road who looks as if he will go a very long way. Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, or Gavi, had covered every corner of the pitch and made the goal that seemed to have set Spain on course to victory over their neighbours. Almost as soon as he had been replaced, though, Ricardo Horta scored to earn Portugal a draw in the opening game of a Nations League that it sometimes felt they could do without. It is the fourth time in a row these two sides have finished all square after 90 minutes.

Portugal pressed to see if they could get another goal and Spain might still have won it, Jordi Alba sending a diving header wide in the final minutes. But despite decent chances Álvaro Morata and Horta were the only players to find the net on a night that, for all the fatigue and flashes of defensive fragility, had been enjoyable enough for the Spain fans half-filling this stadium.