Mexico held Portugal to a 0-0 draw at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, a grounded result that gives Javier Aguirre another clean sheet to cite in this rebuilding March window.
Portugal dominated the first half through Bruno Fernandes drifting off the right half-space, yet every probing pass met resistance from Israel Reyes and Johan Vásquez in the box. Raúl Tala Rangel backed them up with two solid saves, first when Samú Costa slipped past the press and later by tipping away Pedro Neto’s drive soon after the interval. Mexico worked with only 34 percent possession and still kept their shape tight around Erik Lira, forcing Bruno to recycle rather than slice through.
Roberto Martínez ripped up his first plan at the break, sending on João Cancelo, Vitinha, João Neves, Diogo Dalot, Tomás Araújo, Pedro Neto, and Gonçalo Guedes in the 46th minute to tilt the rhythm. Vitinha immediately gave Portugal quicker vertical connections, completing 65 of 68 passes, while João Neves added bite with four tackles. Yet the flood of changes also stalled the visitors in the final third, with Paulinho’s entrance for Gonçalo Ramos in the 64th minute yielding little penalty-box presence.
The lone flashpoint came in the 54th minute, when Jesús Gallardo and Pedro Neto were both cautioned for unsportsmanlike conduct near the touchline. Aguirre answered with a triple swap on 60 minutes, bringing on Erick Sánchez, Richard Ledezma, and Germán Berterame to refresh a midfield that had been chasing shadows. Those legs ensured Mexico finished strongly, even fashioning their lone shot on target when Reyes stepped up from the back to test Rui Silva late on.
The numbers underlined Portugal’s territorial control without incision: Martínez’s side attempted 608 passes at 90 percent accuracy, fired seven shots off target, and earned four corners to Mexico’s none. Mexico mustered seven attempts, only two inside the area, and were flagged offside three times as Raúl Jiménez wrestled with the line.
Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes were Portugal’s clearest standouts, constantly shifting the point of attack, but the lack of edge in the box showed how much work remains without Cristiano Ronaldo or Diogo Jota in the squad. For Mexico, Reyes’ defensive line-stepping and Rangel’s calm in goal offered Aguirre tangible positives, while Julián Quiñones’ energetic 45 minutes suggested a useful option between the lines when the matches begin to matter.
Mexico’s staff will digest this tape ahead of April’s planning sessions before the next qualifiers, while Portugal head back to Lisbon to finalise their summer list once Martínez receives medical updates on his core group. For more on how this international window is shaping up elsewhere, see Colombia vs France.
