Portugal 1–0 Wales: Complete Match Statistics Analysis

Portugal began their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 1–0 victory over Wales at Estádio José Alvalade, with João Félix scoring the decisive goal in the 22nd minute. The scoreline was narrow, but the underlying numbers showed Portugal controlling possession, territory and attacking volume for much of the game. Flashscore's report also identified Félix as its Man of the Match.

Match Statistics Overview

Statistic	🇵🇹 Portugal	🇼🇸 Wales
Final Score	1	0
Expected Goals (xG)	2.36	0.90
Possession	61%	39%
Total Shots	23	5
Shots on Target	5	1
Shots Off Target	11	4
Blocked Shots	7	0
Shots Inside the Box	17	5
Shots Outside the Box	6	0
Big Chances	1	2
Corners	10	2
Touches in Opposition Box	39	10
Passes	569/627 (91%)	325/393 (83%)
Long Passes	25/39 (64%)	17/47 (36%)
Final-Third Passes	120/148 (81%)	31/59 (53%)
Crosses	8/25 (32%)	2/10 (20%)
Expected Assists (xA)	1.98	0.14
Throw-ins	16	16
Fouls	12	10
Tackles Won	6/9 (67%)	6/7 (86%)
Duels Won	38	27
Clearances	15	25
Interceptions	8	9
Woodwork	0	1
Goalkeeper Saves	0	4
xG on Target (xGOT)	0.82	0.00

Source: Flashscore.mobi match statistics and commentary. The table uses the statistics supplied for this match.

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How the Numbers Tell the Story

Expected Goals: Portugal 2.36 – 0.90 Wales

Portugal's 2.36 xG compared with Wales' 0.90 reflects the greater attacking volume and the number of opportunities created by the hosts.

Portugal repeatedly reached dangerous areas, recording 17 shots inside the box and 39 touches in the opposition penalty area. Wales had only five shots overall, although their two big chances meant they still carried a threat when opportunities appeared.

The important point is that the 1–0 scoreline does not fully describe the difference in attacking production. Portugal generated considerably more attempts and attacking situations, even though Wales came close to finding an equaliser late on.

Possession: Portugal 61% – 39% Wales

Portugal's 61% possession demonstrated their ability to dictate the rhythm of the match.

The commentary repeatedly shows Portugal controlling the ball, particularly after taking the lead. At 66 minutes, they were described as producing short passes and moving the ball around while waiting for openings.

Wales did have periods where they pressed and attacked, but Portugal generally had more control over the game's territory and tempo.

Total Shots: Portugal 23 – 5 Wales

The 23–5 shot difference is arguably the clearest indication of Portugal's attacking dominance.

Portugal tested the Welsh defence repeatedly through Félix, Ronaldo, Vitinha, Gonçalo Ramos and other attackers. Ronaldo alone attempted seven shots, according to Sky Sports.

Wales, meanwhile, struggled to produce a sustained sequence of attempts. Their most dangerous spell came late in the game, when they finally created situations around the Portuguese goal.

Shots on Target: Portugal 5 – 1 Wales

Portugal put five of their 23 attempts on target, while Wales managed only one.

Danny Ward therefore had the busier evening, making important interventions to keep the deficit at one goal.

His saves included efforts from Ronaldo, Vitinha and Gonçalo Ramos. That helped Wales remain within touching distance despite Portugal's attacking superiority.

Big Chances: Portugal 1 – 2 Wales

This is one of the most interesting statistics.

Despite Portugal's overwhelming advantage in shots, they were credited with one big chance, while Wales had two.

That helps explain why Portugal could not turn their statistical dominance into a more comfortable victory.

Wales' biggest opportunity came when Lewis Koumas reacted to a rebound and saw his effort cleared off the line. The commentary also records Brennan Johnson hitting the woodwork, highlighting how close Wales came to changing the result.

Corners: Portugal 10 – 2 Wales

Portugal won 10 corners, five times as many as Wales.

This reflects the sustained pressure they applied in the final third. Portugal repeatedly delivered crosses and attacking passes into the penalty area, forcing Welsh defenders to intervene.

Wales' two corners show how much less frequently they reached positions from which they could generate set-piece opportunities.

Passing: Portugal 91% – 83% Wales

Portugal completed 569 of 627 passes, an excellent 91% accuracy.

Wales completed 325 of 393 at 83%.

The difference was not simply about keeping possession. Portugal's high completion rate allowed them to move the ball around Wales' defensive structure and patiently search for openings.

That pattern was particularly evident in the second half when Portugal attempted to control the game rather than constantly attack at maximum speed.

Final-Third Passing: Portugal 81% – 53% Wales

This statistic provides more context to Portugal's dominance.

Portugal completed 120 of 148 passes in the final third, compared with Wales' 31 of 59.

In other words, Portugal were not merely passing the ball between their defenders and midfielders. They were able to maintain possession successfully in advanced areas.

Wales' lower 53% completion rate in the final third suggests that they found it considerably more difficult to maintain attacking sequences once they moved forward.

Touches in the Opposition Box: Portugal 39 – 10 Wales

Portugal recorded 39 touches inside Wales' penalty area, compared with just 10 for Wales.

This is a major territorial difference.

It shows how frequently Portugal moved the ball into the area where goals are most likely to be created. It also fits the 23–5 shot advantage.

Wales' 10 touches demonstrate that their attacks were much less frequent, although some of those limited situations were dangerous.

Expected Assists: Portugal 1.98 – 0.14 Wales

Portugal's 1.98 xA compared with Wales' 0.14 highlights the difference in chance creation.

Portugal consistently produced passes, crosses and attacking combinations capable of creating scoring opportunities for teammates.

The commentary provides several examples, including Nuno Mendes finding attacking positions, Ronaldo receiving passes inside the area and Gonçalo Ramos being played into a shooting position late in the match.

Crosses: Portugal 8/25 – Wales 2/10

Portugal attempted 25 crosses, completing eight, while Wales attempted 10 and completed only two.

The volume reflects Portugal's repeated attempts to get the ball into dangerous areas.

However, the relatively low completion rate also shows that Wales' defensive structure successfully prevented many deliveries from reaching their intended targets.

Defensive Actions

Portugal won 38 duels, compared with Wales' 27, while Wales made more clearances, 25 to 15.

The clearance numbers are particularly revealing.

Wales spent considerably more time defending their penalty area, which naturally resulted in more emergency defensive interventions.

Their nine interceptions compared with Portugal's eight also show that Wales were still capable of disrupting Portuguese attacks when they correctly anticipated passes.

Goalkeeper Saves: Portugal 0 – 4 Wales

Danny Ward made four saves, while Diogo Costa was not credited with a save in the supplied statistics.

That does not mean Wales were completely harmless. Their late attacking sequence included a shot that struck the woodwork and the goal-line clearance involving Lewis Koumas.

However, Portugal generally prevented Wales from producing enough shots on target to seriously test Costa.

The João Félix Difference

Ultimately, the match was decided by João Félix.

In the 22nd minute, Félix received the ball around the edge of the box and produced the finish that gave Portugal the lead. Flashscore and Sky Sports both record Félix's 22nd-minute goal as the decisive moment.

Félix's goal was particularly important because Portugal created a large amount of attacking pressure without being able to convert that pressure into multiple goals.

Ronaldo's Disallowed Goal

Cristiano Ronaldo had several opportunities but could not extend Portugal's advantage.

He eventually put the ball in the net in the 59th minute, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Sky Sports reports that Ronaldo finished the match with seven shots without scoring.

That moment was significant because a second Portugal goal would have changed the nature of the final half-hour.

Instead, Wales remained within one goal and continued to have a chance of rescuing a point.

The Late Welsh Threat

Portugal's biggest concern came during the final stages.

Wales produced a dangerous sequence involving Brennan Johnson and Lewis Koumas, with Johnson's effort hitting the woodwork before the rebound was dealt with on the line. AFP also highlighted the late sequence as Wales' clearest route back into the game.

This explains why the match was more competitive than the overall shot numbers might initially suggest.

Final Statistical Analysis

Portugal's 61% possession, 23 shots, five shots on target, 10 corners, 39 opposition-box touches and 2.36 xG demonstrate that they controlled the majority of the match.

Wales' 0.90 xG and two big chances, however, show that their limited attacking opportunities were not completely insignificant.

The biggest difference was therefore volume and territory rather than a complete absence of Welsh threat.

Portugal created more, controlled more of the ball and spent considerably more time around Wales' penalty area. João Félix supplied the one finish they needed, while Portugal's defence survived Wales' late attempts to equalise.

Final score: Portugal 1–0 Wales.

Sources:
Match statistics and live commentary: Flashscore. 

Additional match-report information: Sky Sports and AFP. Analysis and interpretation by Matchstatslab.