Ramos winner gives Portugal 2-1 victory in Norway as Ronaldo stays on bench

Portugal beat Norway 2-1 in Oslo on Sunday to take six points from their opening two Nations League matches. Goncalo Ramos scored the winner three minutes after Erling Haaland had equalised, while Cristiano Ronaldo remained an unused substitute as the visitors maintained their winning start.

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According to GOAL's match report, coach Jorge Jesus selected Ramos and Joao Felix in attack, with Norway starting Haaland alongside Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa. The hosts began strongly, but Felix gave Portugal the lead in the 17th minute, meeting Pedro Neto's cross to put the visitors ahead before the interval.

Norway's response came six minutes into the second half. Haaland finished from close range after a Martin Odegaard free-kick, but the home side's recovery was short-lived. Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland then sent the ball straight to Ramos, who lifted his finish over him in the 54th minute to restore Portugal's advantage.

BBC Sport reported that Ramos also put an effort wide after Rafael Leao's deflected shot struck the crossbar. Another mistake from Nyland subsequently allowed Ramos to find the net again, only for a video assistant referee review to rule out the goal for offside. Portugal therefore had to protect a one-goal lead.

Haaland's equaliser brought his international tally to 65 goals, according to the BBC. It was also his 22nd in the Nations League, adding to his record as the competition's leading scorer. Felix, meanwhile, scored for the second successive match, continuing his contribution to Portugal's perfect start to the campaign.

Ronaldo's absence from the field left his pursuit of 1,000 career goals on hold. The BBC reported that the 41-year-old remained 21 goals short of that milestone. Portugal were also missing Bruno Fernandes, with the Manchester United captain omitted from the squad because of an injury.

The result ended a lengthy unbeaten home sequence for Norway. GOAL reported that they had won 11 and drawn four of their previous 15 matches at their Oslo stadium, with their last home defeat coming against Spain in October 2023. Portugal's next Nations League assignment is away to Denmark, while Norway visit Wales.