Nani insists Portugal were the better side on Tuesday and that his side deserved more than a point against Iceland.

The former Manchester United player handed his side the lead against the European minnows but paid a heavy price for not taking any more of their numerous chances as they ultimately were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw.

‘We controlled the match and showed that we were the better team all along,’ Nani told reporters after the match.

‘All they did was play long balls.

‘They were very strong, but we controlled the match. We were unlucky, because we had a lot of chances. But this was only the first match. We hope that this a warning, and that we will start winning matches from now on.’

Nani himself had five shots with three on target during a Man of the Match performance.

‘We had the match under control even in the second half. We moved the ball around well, but Iceland are a very strong team; they have a lot of players who are physically strong.

‘They are very aggressive at fighting for the ball. The second half was a bit more difficult. But we performed well and controlled the match. Now it’s about recovering and preparing for the next matches, because we still have a lot of matches to play.’

Portugal will now need to beat Austria, themselves coming off a loss to Hungary, on Saturday in order to avoid a final group game scrap for qualification.

The match kicks off at 21:00.

Photo: Robert Pratta/Reuters