Jorge Jesus frankly admitted that defeating Norway was undoubtedly a victory worthy of recognition.

Portugal secured their place in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals this week with a 2-1 comeback victory over Norway at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, marking their fourth Group A4 match after a stunning upset. Goals from João Cancelo and Gonzalo Ramos helped the team achieve a perfect 4-0 record under Jorge Jesus. Portugal currently tops the group with 12 points, achieving their best start to a Nations League season in club history, a performance that has even exceeded Jorge Jesus' initial expectations.  

After the match, Jorge Jesus said, "Our previous analysis of Norway's strength has been completely validated. There's not much to say; they have a world-class center forward and a top-class attacking midfielder like Martin Ødegaard. The team's overall configuration is very complete, and the players' physical attributes are outstanding. To win against such an opponent, you must demonstrate a sufficiently high level of technical skill."  

“Although our performance in this match wasn’t as good as against Denmark, we first achieved our goal of advancing. The team has reached a point that I previously thought was difficult to reach, but of course, I have never lost faith in them. Now, we just need to wait for the remaining two matches. Being able to beat a top European team like Norway again, especially against a team with Haaland and Ødegaard, is the most commendable thing today.”  

“We didn’t play as well as we did against Denmark today. We did very well in that game, but not this time. However, in the last 15 minutes, after Francisco Conceição was sent off, we still had a chance to play like that. At that point, Norway’s formation had started to loosen up, with some players going into attack and others staying back to defend. We could have scored at least one more goal. During that phase, I could clearly feel that the Norwegian players were more physically exhausted than us. But after Francisco Conceição was sent off, the game became much more difficult.”  

"Ultimately, victory is the most important thing. We were able to beat such a strong team, which is definitely a commendable victory. It's hard to say what changes will be made in the next national team call-up. I will observe the performance of young players at their clubs. If they can't consistently get playing time, it will be more difficult for them to be selected for the national team. However, we will take all these situations into consideration."  

When discussing Cristiano Ronaldo, Jorge Jesus said, "I can't predict what will happen next because, in my opinion, nothing is set in stone. Cristiano Ronaldo needs to clarify his future before the next national team call-up. If he still wants to represent the national team and his career isn't over, then why can't he continue to play for the team?"  

"I have no complaints, because this was essentially a misunderstanding. I believe the problem can be easily resolved, but it's unclear how long it will take. The match is over, and now we can only see how things unfold."  

Image source: Internet/Portugal National Team Official Website