Objective, warning and the 'new beginning' of João Félix: this is how Jorge Jesus debuted in Portugal
Jorge Jesus made his debut with a victory as Portugal beat Wales 1-0 in Lisbon for the League of Nations. João Félix scored and was central to the team, alternating roles in attack.
The result and the goal
Jorge Jesus made his debut with a victory in charge of Portugal. On Thursday (24), the selection beat Wales by 1-0, at the José Alvalade Stadium, Lisbon, in the first round of Group A4 of the Nations League. The author of the goal was João Félix, at 22 minutes: he received from Nuno Mendes near the half moon, raised his head and hit hard.
Before the goal: Start blocked
The start was not easy for the hosts. Portugal faced difficulties in getting the ball out and were unable to put pressure on the Welshmen in the attack field. On the bench, Jesus gesticulated and complained about the lack of closeness between the players. Over time, however, the team came close, took the reins of the match and, practically at the first good arrival, scored.
What changed with Jesus and where the team failed
The debut left signs of a change in behaviour.In the first half, Portugal did not repeat the slow posture seen at the last World Cup, with many side or back passes.The team accelerated plays, found spaces and reached the opponent's area with fewer steps, being more direct and finishing faster.
After half-time, however, the pace dropped. The team became sluggish, missed the last pass, squandered good opportunities and still had problems with the impediment line. Wales gained space to threaten, and the minimal advantage hid a much less convincing second half defects that against stronger opponents could cost points.
João Félix as the centerpiece
The number 11 shirt was one of the decisive names. In addition to goal, he participated in the offensive construction and occupied varied zones: at some moments he acted as a second striker, near Cristiano Ronaldo; at others he retreated to function as "half" and help create.
Under Jesus at Al-Nassr, Félix experienced a fresh start: 26 goals and 18 assists in 47 matches in the 2025/26 season.
Where Portugal is now
With the win, Portugal opened Group A4 of the Nations League with three points and remains committed to turning Félix's fresh start and Jesus' arrival into a consistent campaign.The immediate challenge is clear: sustaining for 90 minutes the objectivity that the team showed only in the first half against Wales.
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man
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Source: Trivela
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