Portugal vs Russia Confederations Cup: Highlights and Match Report
The 74th senior international goal of Cristiano Ronaldo was sufficient to hand Portugal Confederations Cup triumph over hosts Russia. The 32-year-old Real Madrid star’s early header sealed a 1-0 win at Moscow’s Spartak Stadium and left Fernando Santos’ men a point clear of the Russians at the highest place of Group A. Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who was winning his 100th cap, denied Portugal triumph by a more prominent edge as he made indispensable saves from Ronaldo and Andre Silva either side of half-time.
Portugal vs Russia Confederations Cup: Highlights and Match Report
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Russia were not up to the mark before half-time and despite the fact that they improved after it, they were hit on the break over and over as they had their men looking for an equalizer. Ronaldo, showing up for his nation for the 141st time, required only eight minutes to make his mark, in spite of the fact that the opening goal was a long way from all his own work in general. With the Russians endeavoring to sit in and deny Portugal space in the mid-field, Raphael Guerreiro was given that wide on the left that was enough to send a cross to the far post, where the Real Madrid striker took advantage of defender Fedor Kudriashov’s misjudgement to head home.
Ronaldo demonstrated the primary danger all through the first half as the hosts offered very little going forward, and he tried Akinfeev with a 25th-minute free kick before forcing the goalkeeper to obstruct with his legs after seven minutes. Russia may have been level as the half-time whistle drew closer, yet striker Fedor Smolov couldn’t adjust his feet so as to guide Aleksandr Golovin’s cross on target in time. Skipper Akinfeev kept his side in it when he took away Silva’s 50th-minute header from close proximity, and he was in the ideal place at the ideal time to repel Cedric Soares long-range try after nine minutes.
The Russians, who beat New Zealand 2-0 in their opening match, belatedly propelled their push and may have been level soon after the hour when Alexander Samedov’s cross was just partially too high for Smolov in the center. Be that as it may, Ronaldo left behind a great chance to carry forward his side’s lead past the hour when he headed wide from Andre Gomes’ cross as Portugal broke at pace. Nonetheless, it was Russia who had a strong completion with substitute Aleksandr Bukharov engaging for a last-gasp penalty in vain, after going down in the box before defender Georgy Dzhikya headed inches over Rui Patricio’s crossbar, way into the injury time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxwJITSKqhM