Cristiano Ronaldo reaches 900 goals, San Marino returns to winning ways after 20 years

The first night of the 2024/25 Nations League turns into a historic night for Cristiano Ronaldo who, at 39 years and 7 months, has the satisfaction of being the first player ever to reach the milestone of 900 official career goals. CR7 scored Portugal’s 2-0 goal against Sosa and Pasalic’s Croatia on a cross from Nuno Mendes. After turning the ball into the net with his right foot, he knelt down and was visibly moved, hiding his face in his hands. The goal contributed to the success of the Portuguese, who had unlocked the result after just 7′ with former AC Milan player Dalot who, in the 41st minute, set the score at 2-1 with an own goal. It should be noted that Leao was taken off the pitch by coach Martinez after 45′.

San Marino returns to winning ways after 20 years: 1-0 against Liechtenstein

The night is historic, but also for San Marino that exactly 20 years after the only success in its history (1-0 against Liechtenstein in a friendly on 28 April 2004) repeated itself by beating Liechtenstein again in Serravalle with the same result 1-0 in the first match of Group 1 of Lega D. The hero of the evening was 19-year-old Nicko Sensoli, striker of the Under 22 of the San Marino Academy. Also not to forget this day will be 18-year-old Giacomo Benvenuti of Sassuolo Primavera, who coach Roberto Cevoli fielded as a starter at right back.

Zalewski leads Poland to Scotland, Gilmour and McTominay also score

Returning to Group 1 of League A, Poland’s feat was to defeat Scotland (2-3) in Glasgow in injury time. The star of the match was Roma’s Zalewski (on the pitch from the 1st minute together with Urbanski, Zielinski and Dawidowicz, ndr) who won two penalties, converting the decisive one in the 97th minute. Scotland, who had gone 0-2 down, first pierced (8′) by Szymanski and then (44′) by Lewandowski, who scored from 11 meters, the temporary comeback signed by the two new Napoli signings was not enough. Gilmour at the start of the second half (46′) had shortened the gap by resolving a melee in the area with a powerful low right-footed shot from 12 meters and then (76′) McTominay, who in the first half had seen a goal disallowed by the VAR for an obvious arm touch, had equalized with a touch from close range on a cross from the right by Ralston.

Dorgu leads Denmark to victory, Spain 0-0 in Serbia

In the other group of League A, the 4th, the European champions Spain did not go beyond a 0-0 draw in Belgrade against Serbia, Pavlovic, Ilic, Samardzic and Jovic. Denmark won, however, by defeating Switzerland, Aebischer and Freuler, 2-0 in Copenhagen. The decisive factor was Elvedi’s expulsion in the 52nd minute, following a VAR signal, due to a hard foul on Dolberg. With a numerical advantage, Denmark took the lead in the 82nd minute with Dorgu from Lecce, who had just entered the game 1′ before, who beat Kobel at the near post using a through ball from Skov Olsen, who also provided the assist for the final 2-0 scored by Hojbjerg in the 92nd minute.

League C, Suslov makes Slovakia happy in Estonia

In League C, Group 1, Hien’s Sweden won 1-3 in Azerbaijan, also favored by the penalty missed in the first half injury time by Sheydaev. In the second half, Isak took center stage, scoring twice in 6′ (65′ and 71′) with two assists from Gyokeres who then also had the satisfaction of scoring a third (80′) from the penalty spot. Only in the final minutes did Azerbaijan make the defeat less heavy by closing the gap with Dadashov (82′). In the other match, Slovakia, with Hobert, Duda, Suslov and Lobotka, won 0-1 in Estonia thanks to a goal in the 70th minute by the ‘Verona’ Suslov who, sliding, collected a short save from Mets. In Group 3, Northern Ireland beat Luxembourg 2-0 thanks to goals from McNair (11′) and Ballard (17′), while Belarus-Bulgaria ended 0-0.