Tondela vs Nacional

Nacional's greater depth — a full XI of substitutes used after the break — allowed manager João Gião to increase the tempo in the second half. Pablo Ruan's goal within 15 minutes of the restart rewarded that pressure and cancelled out Tondela's first-half advantage in a game where the scoreline mattered less than the minutes logged.

Pablo Ruan (Nacional) — The forward continued his productive pre-season with a second goal in as many days. Started and led the line before being substituted later in the half.

Cícero Alves (Tondela) — Scored the opening goal with a well-taken finish in the 36th minute, giving Tondela a lead they held until the hour mark.

Kevyn Freitas (Nacional) — Started in goal for Nacional, part of an entirely changed XI from the Leixões friendly the day before.

Nacional fielded a completely different starting XI from the 3-3 draw with Leixões 24 hours earlier, typical of a pre-season camp where squad minutes are the priority. Both sides used heavy rotations — Nacional made eight substitutions across the second half, including the introduction of Renato Marín, Markus Jensen, Bruno Ciscati, Mateus Iseppe, Matheus Dias, Chucho Ramírez and Pedro Silva. The 1-1 scoreline reflected an even contest: one goal in each half, each side taking their chance.

This was Nacional's second of four scheduled pre-season matches during their Lousada training camp. The Liga Portugal side previously drew 3-3 with Leixões on 18 July and will face Spanish side Leganés on Wednesday 22 July before continuing preparations for the 2026/27 season. Tondela, who compete in Liga Portugal 2, used the fixture as a valuable test against higher-tier opposition.

For Nacional manager João Gião, the two draws in two days offer a mixed early picture — the attack has scored four goals across two friendlies (Pablo Ruan with two, plus goals from other forwards against Leixões), but the defence has also conceded four.

A competitive if low-stakes friendly that served its purpose for both squads. Nacional's ability to respond after conceding first is a positive sign at this early stage, while Tondela showed they can compete with a Liga Portugal side. The real tests begin when fitness levels peak closer to the season opener.