PROFLIGATE PORTUGAL LACK MAGIC: COACH

Martinez's men can't find way past stubborn Scotland, but have one hand on q-final spot

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Portugal all but sealed a berth in the Nations League quarter-finals with a 0-0 draw away to Scotland on Oct 15, the first points Roberto Martinez's side have dropped in their four games, after "lacking freshness in the final third".

The Portuguese remain top of Group A1 with 10 points, three ahead of Croatia, who drew 3-3 away to Poland, while the Scots are bottom on one point. The third-placed Poles have four points with the top two in the group moving into the last eight.

Martinez said his men were missing "a bit of magic in the area".

"We had a lot of desire, we worked very well without the ball," the Spanish coach told Sport TV. "It was a dangerous game because... Scotland needed very little to score a goal. We showed freshness, but we lacked freshness in the final third."

Portugal were on the front foot for most of the night but squandered chances, including a sitter early in the second half for Cristiano Ronaldo, who had scored in their previous three games. Unmarked in the box, he put a diving header over the bar.