Portugal began their defence of the Nations League title with a narrow victory over Wales in Lisbon, edging out their visitors thanks to a goal from Joao Felix.
The reigning champions were made to work hard for the three points as Wales put up stern resistance throughout the contest, but it was Felix who ultimately proved the difference, finding the net to hand the hosts a hard-fought win on home soil.
Portugal, who lifted the Nations League trophy previously, now go into their title defence with a positive start, though the manner of the victory suggested there remains plenty of room for improvement as they look to build momentum through the competition.
Wales, for their part, will take some encouragement from their display despite falling to defeat. The team pushed the Portuguese side and made the contest far from straightforward, showing the kind of resilience that has become a hallmark of Welsh football teams in recent tournament campaigns.
The result means Portugal collect maximum points from the opening fixture of their campaign, a valuable early boost as they seek to retain their status as European champions of this competition. Felix's contribution will likely draw attention given his recent club form, and a decisive goal in a tight international fixture could serve as a confidence lift heading into the side's next assignment.
For Wales, the challenge now is to regroup and look ahead to their upcoming fixtures in the group, using the tightness of this defeat as motivation rather than a setback. A narrow loss to the tournament's defending champions is not necessarily a poor outcome in the context of the wider campaign, and the Welsh camp will hope to translate their competitive showing into positive results against other opponents.
The match itself was played in Lisbon, giving Portugal the advantage of home support, and the atmosphere reflected the significance of the occasion as the host nation began the task of protecting the trophy they had previously won. Portuguese fans turned out to see their side kick off the new Nations League cycle, and while the performance was not without its nervy moments against a well-organised Welsh outfit, the end result was enough to secure the win.
Both teams will now shift focus to their next set of fixtures as the group phase of the competition continues. Portugal will be eager to build on this opening win and continue accumulating points as they aim to go all the way and retain their crown, while Wales will look to bounce back and pick up points elsewhere in the group to keep their own hopes alive in the competition.
Further details from the match, including a fuller breakdown of the key moments, are available through match highlights covering the action from Lisbon. The clash marked the start of what promises to be another closely contested Nations League campaign for both nations, with Portugal determined to show why they remain the team to beat in European international football's newest major trophy competition.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.