Portugal's surprise lineup against Norway, refereed by Mariani
Date: 04/10/2026, October 4, 2026 at 20:45, the Direct service broadcast live the Nations League duel between Portugal and Norway, at the (unspecified) stadium, under the supervision of referee Maurizio Mariani. The Direct service provided real‑time commentary, including the match highlights.
Portugal lined up a 4‑1‑3‑2, while Norway opted for a 4‑2‑3‑1, as shown in the line‑ups broadcast live. Portugal’s coach, J. Pinheiro de Jesus, chose this setup to strengthen the midfield. The Norwegian coach, S. Solbakken, preferred the two‑defensive‑midfield variant.
Portugal lineup
The Portuguese starting eleven included goalkeeper Pinheiro de Jesus (wearing armband 1) and defenders Meireles da Costa (19) and Tavares Mendes (13). In attack, Palma Veiga (3), R. dos Santos Gato, Alves Dias (20), Cavaco, Cancelo, Lobo, Alves, Palhares, Costa, Palhinha, Gonçalves, Borges, Fernandes, Machado, Ferreira, Conceição, Félix, Sequeira, Matias and Ramos completed the lineup, with Pinheiro, Costa, Mendes, Veiga, Santos, Gato, Alves, Dias, Cancelo, Palhinha, Gonçalves, Fernandes, Ferreira, Conceição, Sequeira, Ramos, Meireles, Palma, Lobo, Borges, Machado, Félix, Matias and Pinheiro mentioned in the squads.
For Norway, goalkeeper Selvik started, followed by Møller Wolfe, Skiri Østigård, Vassbakk, Köpp Ajer, Aursnes, Berg, Berge, Eromselele Nordby, Nusa, Ødegaard, Rædergård, Schjelderup, Braut Haaland and the substitutes Aasgaard, Blomberg, Bobb, Holmgren Pedersen, Håskjold Nyland, Klingen Langås, Lurås Bjørtuft, Sjøvold, Strand Larsen, Tangvik and Thorstvedt.
Key match statistics
Portugal held 30 % possession compared to 70 % for Norway, with 12 shots off target and 7 shots on target. Both teams completed 514 passes, with 68 % successful, and the total fouls amounted to 8.
The Direct service will continue to provide highlights until the end of regular time, and supporters can follow the rest on the Direct platform.