In this season’s Nations League, professional football’s record goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo has netted five goals in five matches.
Returning to the scoresheet after a game’s gap, Ronaldo delivered a stunning performance with a clinical penalty and a spectacular overhead kick. In a second-half goal fest against Poland, Portugal secured their ticket to the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals.
On Friday night in Porto, Roberto Martínez’s side triumphed 5-1 in their group stage match. The other goals came from Rafael Leão, Bruno Fernandes, and Pedro Neto.
Despite dominating possession throughout the match, Portugal struggled to make an impact in the first half. However, they ignited brilliantly after the break. Portugal took a total of 19 shots, with six on target—all in the second half. Poland, on the other hand, managed five shots on target out of 11 attempts.
This emphatic victory also crowned Portugal as group champions. With four wins and one draw from five matches, they now have 13 points.
In the day’s other match, Croatia lost 1-0 to Scotland. Croatia sits second with 7 points, while Poland and Scotland are tied at 4 points each.
Match Highlights:
Poland, desperate to keep their quarter-final hopes alive, created the first chance of the match. In the 12th minute, Bartosz received a cross in front of the goal but sent a weak shot straight to the goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, Portugal responded with a chance of their own. Pedro Neto’s cross towards the far post found Bruno Fernandes, but he couldn’t provide the finishing touch.
In the 38th minute, Portugal narrowly escaped a setback as Krzysztof Piątek’s long-range shot grazed past the post.
Just before halftime, Ronaldo latched onto Leão’s cross inside the six-yard box but failed to hit the target with his volley. Frustrated, Ronaldo appealed for a penalty, claiming obstruction, but the referee waved it off. His heated reaction earned him a yellow card.
Second Half Surge:
Portugal started the second half with relentless pressure on Poland’s defense. However, their finishing let them down initially. In the 56th minute, Poland could have taken the lead on a counter-attack, but Dominik’s effort was parried away by goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Moments later, Portugal broke the deadlock. Nuno Mendes delivered a precise cross, and Leão headed it home from close range.
In the 70th minute, Portugal earned a penalty when Jakub Kiwior handled the ball inside the box. Ronaldo confidently converted the spot-kick to double their lead.
The former European champions didn’t have to wait long for their third. In the 80th minute, Bruno Fernandes unleashed a thunderous long-range strike. Three minutes later, Pedro Neto scored the fourth after a clever pass from Ronaldo.
With three minutes left on the clock, Ronaldo produced a masterpiece. Rising high to meet Vitinha’s cross, he executed a perfect bicycle kick to cap off the scoring.
This goal marked Ronaldo’s fifth in the current Nations League and his 135th for Portugal. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner now boasts a record 910 goals in professional football.
Portugal will face Croatia away in their final group-stage match on Monday.
