Spain's 'great joy' as Morata strikes late to book Nations League semi-final spot

Alvaro Morata said Spain's never-say-die attitude was the key to victory on Tuesday night after the Atletico Madrid striker scored the only goal of the game against Portugal to send his team into the Nations League semi-finals.

Spain needed to win in Braga to finish top of League A Group 2, but struggled on another difficult night for the Euro 2020 semi-finalists, until Morata's 88th-minute breakthrough.

Spain have not been able to hit top form leading up to the Qatar 2022 World Cup, but this hard-fought victory provides a welcome morale boost.

Portugal had the better of the game but the visitors improved in the final stages, with the introduction of several substitutes, including Nico Williams, who headed across goal for Morata to turn the ball in at the back post.

"When we had to stand up, we did," Morata told TVE. "If we had lost, it had to be giving everything we had on the pitch, and that's what we did.

"I'll remember the attitude of the team, we fought until the end. And Nico Williams, in his second game for the national team, was key and I put it over the line."

Spain will join Italy, Croatia, and the Netherlands in the semis in June 2023, although attention now switches to the fast-approaching World Cup.

Luis Enrique made wholesale changes to the side that suffered Spain's first home defeat since 2018 against Switzerland on Saturday, retaining only four starters. Morata was brought in to lead the line, while the manager rotated his entire midfield trio.

Spain still dominated possession, as their gameplan demands, but to little effect as Portugal created the more dangerous openings.

Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure after missing several chances to score for Portugal. Getty

Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai