Despite Braga's victory on Thursday evening, Portugal saw the Netherlands expand the gap in the UEFA rankings during this European week.
After a particularly successful week in the Champions League, Portuguese clubs were unable to continue their run. While this week two of the five Portuguese clubs participating in the competition returned to the Europa League, the latter was unable to follow up on the successes of Sporting and Benfica in the most prestigious European events.
Porto loses and Braga escapes at the last minute
The week started off particularly poorly for Portuguese clubs. On Wednesday evening, in Norway, FC Porto was at the heart of one of the main upsets on the first day of the Europa League. Despite being the favourites, the Portuguese team lost to Bodo/Glimt, but soon found themselves numerically superior (3-2). men Victor Bruno However, he did not find fault during this encounter, which did not bring Portugal the lowest point, in terms of the UEFA classification.
The next day, Braga did not go far from the correctional facility. At home, Arsenal He had to wait until the final minutes of the match to escape the trap set by Maccabi Tel Aviv. Indeed, the Israeli team opened the scoring before In Rome The Portuguese rebellion began by scoring two goals at the end of the match.
A mixed week in the UEFA rankings
Although it took a long time, the Portuguese international's double still allowed Portugal to gain points in the UEFA rankings. In fact, this win for Braga made it possible to win two points, which must then be divided by five, i.e. the number of Portuguese teams participating in European competitions this season, to get the real lead for Portugal during this week: 0.400 points.
A relatively good result, but not enough for Portugal to catch up with the Netherlands. The Portuguese nation currently sits seventh in the UEFA rankings, and has seen their main rivals take off this week with notable performances on the European stage.
Thus, Alkmaar won over Elfsborg (3-2), while Ajax obtained a real card at home against Besiktas (4-0). The previous day, Twente tied with Manchester United at Old Trafford (1-1). With two wins and a draw this week, the Dutchman earned five points, which must be divided by six, to obtain a real lead of 0.834 points in the standings.
Move to play next week?
Unlike the previous week, this European week is more towards the Netherlands. Thus, the Portuguese remain in seventh place with 51,816 points, while the Dutch maintain sixth place with 55,733 points.
Next week, which will see Vitoria enter the main stage of the Conference League, the result may be in favor of the Portuguese. The upcoming meeting between PSV Eindhoven and Sporting, worthy representatives of the two countries competing in the Champions League, should already have a significant impact on the rest of the events, within the UEFA classification.
It remains to be seen whether men Robin Amorim The team will be able to continue their current streak, helping Portugal move closer to sixth place. Meanwhile, Benfica Eagles have a tough game against Atletico Madrid, while Porto host Manchester United, hoping to kick-start their European season.
UEFA classification as of 27 September 2024
1 – England – 90,589 points
2- Italy – 80,231 points
3 – Spain – 75,132 points
4 – Germany – 72,910 points
5 – France – 60,379 points
6 – Netherlands – 55,733 points
7 – Portugal – 51,816 points
8 – Belgium – 45 thousand points
9 – Czech Republic – 39,850 points
10 – Türkiye – 36,900 points
Image credit: European Football Association.
Alexandre Ribeiro launched Trivela.fr in 2019 and today runs it alongside his colleagues. Passionate about Portuguese football as a whole, and especially the Portuguese national team, with all his energy and involvement he brings this media to life every day.
