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

There were 10 minutes remaining when the Spain fans stood to applaud a 17-year-old from 20km down the road. Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, or Gavi, had covered every corner of this pitch and made the goal that had seemingly set Spain on the way to victory over their neighbours. Almost as soon as he had gone, though, Ricardo Horta scored to earn Portugal a draw in the opening game of the Nations League, meaning Spain still have not won a meeting between these two since 2010 without a shootout.

They still might have done, Jordi Alba sending a diving header wide in the final minutes, but in the end Álvaro Morata was the only Spain player to find the net.

The goal was superbly worked in the 25th minute: a counterattack of clinical incision executed with apparent ease, maybe even too much so, like a training drill. It started with a Portugal advance, Rafael Leão escaping César Azpilicueta and getting into Spain’s area, but his cross was too deep and the ball escaped on the other side. Gavi, chest out, laces undone, was the quickest to see it and the quickest to move as well. Sprinting across, travelling much faster than Bruno Fernandes who he beat to the ball, he evaded an outstretched foot and set off up the left.

Running to his right were Morata and Pablo Sarabia, the former stepping over the ball and continuing his dash as Gavi slotted it through the gap between Danilo and João Moutinho. Sarabia immediately turned it back into the path of Morata to finish first time. Seventy metres, 10 seconds, three men, from left to right to middle, and Spain were 1-0 up.

That Gavi, a feisty so-and-so as well as a fine footballer, had driven the move was not a surprise: in a game that had sometimes felt a little lethargic in a stadium that