Nazareth strike frustrates Lionesses in Nations League draw with Portugal | Women’s Nations League

New year, new look England, same lack of consistency. Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses began their Nations League campaign with a profligate and frustrating 1-1 draw against Portugal in Portimão.

Prior to the introduction of the Nations League last season, England had dominated between major competitions under Wiegman, sweeping aside significantly lower-ranked opposition with ease. The new Uefa competition has upped the competitive level, providing more of a challenge and ensuring results such as the 20-0 defeat of Latvia in 2021 are less common. Wiegman had said prior to the game against Portugal that England could no longer take results for granted under the new system. In a group with the World Cup holders and the world’s number two side, Spain, and Belgium and Portugal, ranked 19th and 22nd in the world respectively, Kika Nazareth’s goal to cancel out Alessia Russo’s first-half effort will be a frustrating and potentially dangerous one.

Without Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood, who are all absent with medium to long-term injuries, and Beth Mead, who withdrew from the squad late on with a calf injury, Wiegman handed starts to two of England’s brightest young talents. The steady integration with the senior regulars of Manchester United’s Grace Clinton and Manchester City’s Jess Park is gathering pace in the runup to the Euros, the injuries quickening the necessity.

Against Portugal Clinton shone, her relationship with her club teammate Ella Toone and Chelsea’s Keira Walsh growing stronger by the minute. The No 8 was metronomic and showed her value defensively early on when England failed to clear Joana Marchão’s free kick and Clinton made a shot-blocking tackle to prevent the home team from testing Mary Earps. England’s first chance of the half had come shortly before that, when Lauren James was found in space on the left but her long-range effort flew narrowly over the bar.

Portugal have not been easy prey for England. The last meeting between the two teams came in July 2023, as both sides prepared for the World Cup, and ended in a stalemate. Preceding that, a scrappy second-half Mead goal salvaged a win for England in Setúbal in October 2019 – towards the end of Phil Neville’s tenure.

In Portimão, on the Algarve, it took 10 minutes for England to find their feet but by the 15-minute mark they were a goal up and playing with a fluidity that belied the four-month absence of international football. The goal itself was particularly special, James’s cross-field ball was met by Lucy Bronze at the byline and the full-back, who is half Portuguese and played with both flags printed on her boots, delivered an unexpected and sumptuous cross in for an unmarked Russo to sidefoot in from close range.

Clear cut chances were few and far between, Francisco Neto’s side a well-organised unit, but England arguably should have had a penalty moments before the break, Clinton furious after being pulled back as she drove through the middle to meet Russo’s header back across goal.

Bronze did not return at the resumption after half time, Jess Carter on in her place but England stayed ticking, the dynamism of Clinton continued to drive them in the driving rain.

The midfielder’s ascension in an England shirt has been rapid and consistent. After scoring on her debut for the senior side almost a year ago, Clinton scored the solo goal in the Lionesses’ 1-0 friendly defeat of Switzerland in December and scored England’s second in a 2-1 win over South Africa in October.

On the hour mark in the Algarve, James went close again but her left-foot effort was off target once more. The longer the second goal eluded the visiting team, the more Portugal grew into the game, the pace of Jéssica Silva and Diana Silva up front forcing England’s back line, and Earps, to stay alert to the threat posed.

Barcelona’s forward Nazareth, who made her debut for Benfica at 16, had been a surprise omission from the Portugal starting XI but she made England pay for their profligacy in the second half, the substitute shrugging off the challenge of Clinton before she curled the ball into the top corner from just inside the box with force.

Late-call up Chloe Kelly and Chelsea’s forward Aggie Beever-Jones were thrown into the mix late on but it was Portugal who would go closest to a winner, centre-back pairing Millie Bright and Leah Williamson both called upon to make blocks minutes apart as the clock ticked towards the end of normal time.

England head to Wembley on Wednesday night to play Spain for the first time since the World Cup final, while Portugal travel to Belgium. Lose to the world champions and England will heap the pressure on themselves as they head into April’s fixtures, their failure to escape the group stage last season and failure to qualify for the Olympics as a result weighing heavy.