Cristiano Ronaldo signed his scintillating overhead kick as Portugal thrashed a struggling Poland, winning the match 5-1, qualifying them for the quarter-final of the Nations League. The first half of the game was a cautious affair. Neither the teams could find the back of the net, and the half ended goalless. Rafael Leao finally broke the deadlock with a headed opening goal in the 55th minute. Ronaldo then calmly leveled the score for Portugal with a penalty kick, firing one straight down the middle in the 72nd minute. Bruno Fernandes then smashed in the third, cementing Portugal’s dominance on the field. Ronaldo capped off the night with a decisive pass for Pedro Neto, who produced a one-on-one that hit from inside his foot off the inside post. That made it four.
Another Record Bagged
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Poland 2024 (H)pic.twitter.com/jaVWeRZdDA
— Huz (@huzcw7l) November 15, 2024
The 39-year-old Ronaldo ended the excellent display with his 135th international goal and his 910th professional career. Ballon d’Or winner in five occasions, the five-time winner was presented with a simply placed dipping cross from Vitinha and concluded a sublime overhead kick with a close-range finish to leave the Polish goalkeeper Marcin Bulka, wriggling out of the way, in the last match of the week. This left the ardent fans aghast by his artistry and athleticism.
Early Threats From Poland
Moving forward despite missing star striker Robert Lewandowski due to an injury, Poland started with aggression, creating three shots, whereas Portugal failed to make any. But, they could hardly maintain this level of intensity into halftime, allowing their opponent to dominate the game.
Gaffer Delighted With Second Half
Talking about the match, Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez is full of praise for his side’s transformation in the second half. “It was awful for what we wanted to do in the first half; we were out of focus and frustrated. We changed our mentality. Escalated tension and mutual support. Did not let Poland play.”
Portugal Extend Unbeaten Run
With this success, Portugal remain spotless in the competition and are on top of their group with 13 points, six more than their closest chasers Croatia are, who were crushed 1-0 by Scotland. Poland, who were previously unbeaten home for two years prior to the 3-1 loss at their home in Warsaw last month to the Portuguese, could not keep up with the reigning champions of the Nations League.
Poland, now on level terms with Scotland at four points, needs to climb out of this group. Portugal has been steady at top-two finishes for four consecutive years and are the dominant force for all and sundry in these times.
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