Portugal left-back Nuno Mendes has claimed he "cancelled out" Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal during Portugal's victory in the UEFA Nations League final on Sunday in Munich.
The thrilling encounter ended 2-2 after 120 minutes of play, with Portugal eventually triumphing 5-3 in the penalty shootout. Mendes, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain at club level, was instrumental in the victory, scoring the equalizer to make it 1-1 during regular time and successfully converting his spot-kick in the shootout.
For his outstanding performance, Mendes was named Player of the Match. The defender particularly highlighted his defensive work against Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who has been making waves in international football.
"It was a clash [with Yamal] like many others I have had during the season," Mendes said. "I have faced up to many great players, very technically skilled players who can make a difference, but today I cancelled out Lamine and [did] not let him do what he does best."
"This helped the team and I'm happy I helped the team to win this trophy," he added.
The victory marks Portugal's second UEFA Nations League title, adding another international trophy to their collection following their Euro 2016 triumph.
Yamal, who has been tipped as a future Ballon d'Or contender, found himself largely contained by Mendes' defensive prowess throughout the match, limiting Spain's attacking threat from the wing.
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