Bruno Fernandes fired Portugal to the 2022 World Cup by scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Italy’s conquerors North Macedonia on Tuesday. Italy’s shock exit had North Macedonia dreaming of their first ever look at a World Cup finals however Portugal and Fernandes proved a step too far in Porto. Fernandes eased Portuguese nerves on the Estadio do Dragao by ending off Cristiano Ronaldo’s move within the first half after which made the win extra snug within the second, latching onto an inch-perfect cross from the superb Diogo Jota.
The victory means Portugal lengthen their run of qualifying for six out of six World Cups for the reason that flip of the century whereas Ronaldo is on target for his fifth, aged 37.
The striker’s finest earlier consequence was reaching the semi-finals in 2006, when Portugal have been crushed by Germany.
North Macedonia, positioned 67th on the earth rankings, had defeated Germany to complete second in Group J earlier than dumping out European champions Italy within the play-off semi-final on Friday, Aleksandar Trajkovski scoring a 92nd-minute winner to tug off a surprising end in Palermo.
Portugal, in the meantime, have but to strike a steadiness between their historically conservative strategy and an array of attacking expertise that might be the envy of any nation on the earth.
They have been denied prime spot in Group A by Serbia whereas Fernando Santos’ aspect have been relieved to see Turkey miss an Eighty fifth-minute penalty, with the rating 2-1, of their semi-final win on Thursday.
North Macedonia made a assured begin too, their possession sustained sufficient to attract whistles from an agitated house crowd.
Portugal’s first likelihood got here within the 14th minute when Jota threaded Ronaldo by means of and the striker unleashed along with his left foot, solely to fireside broad of the far publish.
Jota headed into the bottom and over from a Fernandes nook after which within the thirty second minute, Fernandes struck, capitalising on an error from North Macedonian captain, Stefan Ristovski.
Fernandes intercepted Ristovski’s wild cross-field move, taming the ball with a cushioned move ahead to his Manchester United teammate Ronaldo. Ronaldo arrived on the fringe of the realm however as an alternative of capturing nudged proper, by means of the legs of Visar Misliu and again to Fernandes, who drove in.
Jota might need doubled the benefit however hit the side-netting earlier than half-time, which North Macedonia have been relieved to succeed in with out additional punishment after Portugal’s most assertive spell thus far.
The guests regrouped and located their toes firstly of the second interval however have been undone once more by a slick Portuguese break, and Fernandes.
Pepe dispossessed Enis Bardhi and Portugal have been away, the ball unfold left to Jota who arced an excellent cross into the realm. Fernandes arrived and caught the end completely on the half-volley.
North Macedonia wished a late penalty when Danilo Pereira nicked the ball away from Bojan Miovski within the space earlier than Ronaldo was prevented from reaching Fernandes’ cross to the close to publish on one other counter-attack.
Promoted
With the minnows crushed, Ronaldo can look to Qatar.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Matters talked about on this article