The game: 0-4
Portugal could not have had a better night. Second in group 2, one point behind Spain at the start of matchday 5 of the Nations League, the Seleçao took first place thanks to La Roja’s misstep against Switzerland (1-2) and their victory in the Czech Republic (4-0). ). The Portuguese will welcome the Spanish in a strong position on Tuesday night for a place in the quarter-finals.
The first twenty minutes were marked by injuries, more or less bloody, including Cristiano Ronaldo, violently beaten by Tomas Vaclik (see elsewhere), by Patrik Schick, victim of a sole by Ruben Neves and Jakub Brabec, limping on his way out in the 22nd minute. After the two teams wasted an opportunity each – CR7 missed the ball on a pass from Bruno Fernandes (24th) and Antonin Barak, alone, did not frame the header (31st), Diogo Dalot opened the scoring for the Portuguese after a setback of service of Rafael Leao (33º).
The Seleçao then doubled the bet in added time thanks to a frizzy cross from Mario Rui that Fernandes took advantage of (45º+2). However, he was able to return to the dressing room with a single goal advantage because just before the referee whistled for the break, Cristiano caused a penalty by touching a ball with his hand in his area. Fortunately for him, Patrik Schick sent the leather over Diogo Costa’s cage.
From a potential 2-1 at half-time, the score became 3-0 in the 52nd minute when Diogo Dalot, too central for a right-back, sent a shot grazing Vlacik’s left, not without fault. That. Author of a double this Saturday night, the Mancunian had so far scored only five goals throughout his professional career (including two in the Portuguese D2).
On the other side of the field, the Czechs will have been too imprecise (one shot on goal in 9 attempts) to worry Fernando Santos’s players, scorers of the fourth goal at the end of the game (Diogo Jota, 82nd). ). Hardly beaten and now fourth, the Czech Republic will also play a final on Tuesday against Switzerland. For maintenance in League A.
190
Against the Czech Republic this Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared for the 190th time in the Portugal shirt.
It only remains for him to get another six selections to match the footballer with the most caps in the history of the national team, the Kuwaiti Bader Al-Mutawa (196).
The fact: CR7 violently beaten by Vaclik
The photos are impressive. In the 13th minute of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo, alone against goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik, was violently hit by the latter when he had just deflected a William Carvalho aerial ball blocked by a Czech player with his head. Signaled out of play by the referee, the Mancunian remained on the ground for a long time bleeding profusely from the nose.