Portugal, Netherlands in final

Cristiano Ronaldo hit a hat-trick as Portugal withstood a huge moment of VAR controversy to beat Switzerland 3-1 and reach the Nations League final on home soil in Porto.

Ronaldo’s free-kick opened the scoring midway through the first half, but the Swiss levelled when the referee overturned his decision to award Portugal a penalty to give a spot-kick at the other end after a VAR review, and Ricardo Rodriguez levelled.

The game seemed destined to head for extra time, but as ever Ronaldo stepped up to be the hero with two expert finishes in the final two minutes.

The hosts will now face the Netherlands in Sunday’s final.

Ronaldo pulled his first big chance wide early on, but made the breakthrough on 25 minutes.

Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer was fooled by the wicked swerve as Ronaldo’s free-kick from the edge of the area flew into his bottom left-hand corner.

Switzerland had posed a threat themselves in the first half with Xherdan Shaqiri, fresh from winning the Champions League with Liverpool, particularly lively.

However, it took the help of VAR to get them back in the game in a moment of huge controversy just before the hour mark.

Portugal thought they were the ones with the chance to extend their lead from the penalty spot when referee Felix Brych pointed to the spot.

However, the German referee then reviewed a Swiss penalty appeal he had waved away for a foul by Nelson Semedo on Steven Zuber and overturned his initial decision.

Rodriguez drilled home the resultant spot-kick much to the fury of the home supporters at the Estadio do Dragao.

But Portugal’s greater star power eventually shone through as Silva squared for Ronaldo to drill home his second of the night.

Moments later the hosts sealed their place in the final on the counter-attack as Ronaldo curled into the far corner to take his tally of international goals to 88.

Meanwhile, England’s long wait for a trophy since 1966 was extended on as the Netherlands beat them 3-1 win after extra-time in Guimaraes.

Marcus Rashford’s penalty gave the Three Lions a first-half lead against the run of play, but Matthijs de Ligt made amends for his error in leading to the spot-kick to level 17 minutes from time.

Jesse Lingard thought he had won the game late on for England only for his strike to be ruled out for offside by VAR and the Dutch took full advantage of that reprieve to deservedly earn their place in the final.

England contributed to their own downfall with a comedy of errors for both goals in extra-time with John Stones and Ross Barkley at fault as Kyle Walker’s own goal and Quincy Promes’s tap in sent Holland into the final.

De Ligt had a moment to forget just after the half hour mark. The 19-year-old failed to control a simple pass and then chopped down Rashford in his attempt to recover.

With Harry Kane left on the bench by Southgate, Rashford took responsibility from the spot to send Jasper Cillessen the wrong way for a barely deserved lead.

The Netherlands dominated possession throughout, but lacked a cutting edge up front with Memphis Depay particularly wasteful in front of goal.

However, the introduction off the bench of Promes and Donny van de Beek offered the Netherlands more dynamism and England were eventually punished for sitting deep when De Ligt made amends by powering home from a corner.

Van de Beek then missed a glorious chance to completely turn the game around.

Yet, just when there seemed only one winner, England produced their best move of the game as Stones, Ben Chilwell, Barkley and Raheem Sterling moved the ball from one end to the other before Lingard slotted home.

The celebrations were cut short, though, when the Manchester United midfielder was ruled offside by the finest of margins after a VAR review.

Depay blazed over another fine Dutch chance to win the game before extra-time, but the Netherlands finally took complete control in the extra 30 minutes.

England inflicted much of the damage themselves as Stones dallied on the ball and after Pickford made a great save to deny Depay, Promes’s follow-up deflected in off Walker.

Barkley’s underhit backpass then teed up a third for the Dutch as Depay squared for Promes to slot into an empty net.