Lisboa. An 88th-minute goal from veteran star Cristiano Ronaldo enabled Portugal to beat Scotland 2-1 on Sunday in the second matchday of Group A1 of the UEFA Nations League.
The 39-year-old star’s goal allowed the Seleçao, after an assist from Nuno Mendes, to complete a comeback that had begun on Bruno Fernandes’ (54) thirtieth birthday, by provisionally equalising with a long-range shot in a match in which the Scots had surprisingly taken the lead at the start of the match, through Scott McTominay (7).
Cristiano Ronaldo, who started the match as a substitute and came on at half-time, now has 901 goals in his sporting career, having reached the symbolic mark of 900 last Thursday by scoring in the 2-1 victory over Croatia.
CR7 had not been a substitute for Portugal since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but this time Spanish coach Roberto Martínez opted for Diogo Jota from the start.
The Saudi Al Nassr player showed his high motivation in the second half. He hit the post twice in the same play, in the 82nd minute, before his goal in the 88th minute, which sparked a celebration in the stands.
Portugal’s two wins in this international window, both at Benfica’s Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, allow them to firmly lead Group A1 of the ‘Nations League’, a tournament where the Portuguese were the champions of the first edition, in 2019.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is in great form,” said Martinez. “He is an incredible player, but we are not dependent on him. He is a player who contributes to us, who is very important, with intelligence to open spaces. But we cannot talk about dependence,” he said.
In the other match of the day in Group A1, Croatia beat Poland 1-0 thanks to a goal from another illustrious veteran, Luka Modric (minute 52), who turns 39 on Monday.
In the standings, behind Portugal with 6 points, are now Croatia and Poland each with 3 points, while the Scots remain at the bottom, with zero after two defeats this week.
“Two games and two wins. Thanks for all the support, Portugal!” Cristiano Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.
In the third and fourth rounds, in October, Portugal will play its two away matches, first in Poland and then in Scotland.
#Cristiano #Ronaldo #Portugal #win #Scotland
– 2024-09-17 05:26:10
