Portugal pull clear of the Netherlands in the UEFA rankings | OneFootball

AZ Alkmaar’s 0-3 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Conference League quarter-finals, combined with the results achieved by Portuguese clubs in this week’s European fixtures, allowed Portugal to extend its lead over the Netherlands in the UEFA rankings. AZ’s heavy loss meant the Dutch did not even manage to take advantage of the absence of Belgian teams from UEFA competitions to close the gap more comfortably on their neighbouring country.

This week, Portugal collected 0.400 points — 0.2 for each of the draws by FC Porto and SC Braga in the Europa League, against Nottingham Forest and Betis, respectively — and strengthened its position. In the Champions League, Sporting ended up losing at the last gasp to Arsenal (0-1) and picked up no points.

As a result, Portugal now has 71.966 points in 5th place, compared to the Netherlands’ 67.762. Looking ahead to next season, the outlook remains positive for Portugal in this battle: in the five-year cycle, the 2021/22 season will drop out of the calculation, and the country will lose only 12.916 points, compared to the Dutch side’s 19.200.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.