07.09.2019 » Serbia 2-4 Portugal. An important win away from home
The beginning of the EURO 2020 qualifying stage hasn't been easy for Portugal... The reigning European champions collected two consecutive draws in their first two games and just like Serbia, they were under pressure tonight to collect points. Nevertheless, the Portuguese side didn't look nervous at all in Belgrade and a great performance allowed them get the 3 points in a 4-2 win and get back on track in Group B, where they are now second place, just behind Ukraine. Cristiano Ronaldo scored another goal for Portugal and should be on the starting lineup next Tuesday, when Portugal visits Vilnius to face Lithuania.
Cristiano Ronaldo game photos in Serbia vs Portugal
Serbia 2-4 Portugal - Goals and highlights:
All Cristiano Ronaldo actions vs Serbia:
A slow paced first half...
Following the draws against Ukraine (0-0) and Serbia (1-1) just a few months ago, tonight's game was vital for Portugal's aspirations to win their group and avoid playing a playoff to make it to the EURO 2020. Only one result interested to Fernando Santos' men and with Ronaldo leading his colleagues, the Seleção didn't disappoint...
The first half was a bit uninteresting, as neither team managed to play very well and the only goal in the game came from a mistake made by Serbia's goalkeeper. The Eibar goallie couldn't clear the ball away inside his box and saw it falling near William Carvalho, who gently pushed it into the back of the net to put Portugal on the driving seat for the first time on the night. It was the third goal William scored while playing for his country.
Despite the lack of goalscoring chances in the first 45 minutes, it was Portugal who dominated most of the possession. Even though Serbia also needed to win tonight, they preferred to play more cautious and waited for Portugal in their own half. The gameplan could have worked better if it hadn't been for a somewhat lucky goal from Portugal near the half-time break. The second half would show us a very different story...
A goal fest in the second half...
With Serbia losing by one at half-time and also desperately needing to win tonight, it was easy to anticipate things were going to change for the second half, as the home side had no other option but to take more risks and expose themselves to the Portuguese counter-attack. That's precisely what happened and with players like Ronaldo, Guedes and Bernardo Silva upfront, it was only a matter of time until one of them would make the hosts pay for their audacity.
That task was handed to Valencia' winger, Gonçalo Guedes, who picked up a pass just outside Serbia's box, left behind an opponent with a quick dribble and finished it off with a perfect left-footed strike. It was a great play from the visitors and a brilliant finish from the former Benfica player.
Serbia reacted just 10 minutes later and reduced the Portuguese lead to one goal by scoring a header from a corner-kick on the 68th minute of the game. Milenkovic was stronger and faster than Danilo inside the box when he met Tadic's cross and gave no chance to Rui Patrício in a short-range header.
Portugal managed to restore the 2-goal lead with 10 minutes left on the clock and this time it was Ronaldo's turn to also leave his mark in the game. The Juventus forward was quick in making a run into the back of Serbia's defensive line and when he found himself with just the goalkeeper in front of him, it was just another day at work for the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star. It was Ronaldo's 89th goal for Portugal...
Serbia would score again 5 minutes later, but their hopes to actually reach the equalizer were quickly smashed, as Portugal scored their fourth goal of the night in the following minute. The goalscorer was Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, who susprised the goalkeeper with a low strike between a Serbia defender's legs. It was Bernardo's 4th goal with the Portuguese National Team.
Portugal line-up vs Serbia:
Goalkeeper: Rui Patrício
Defenders: Raphael Guerreiro, Rúben Dias, Fonte, Nélson Semedo
Midfielders: Danilo, William Carvalho, Bruno Fernandes
Attackers: Bernardo Silva, Gonçalo Guedes, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Match stats provided by www.ronaldo7.net
|
||
|---|---|---|
Serbia
|
vs
|
Portugal
|
2 |
Goals |
4 |
10 |
Shots |
14 |
6 |
Shots on goal |
4 |
3 |
Corner kicks |
2 |
12 |
Fouls commited |
17 |
2 |
Yellow cards |
2 |
0 |
Red cards |
0 |
44% |
Ball possession |
56% |
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Portugal for the EURO 2020 qualifiers against Lithuania. You can watch Lithuania vs Portugal, Finland vs Italy, Spain vs Faroe Islands, Scotland vs Belgium, Poland vs Austria, and Sweden vs Norway, all matches provided from our soccer live streaming game pages.
Portugal next game:
Lithuania vs Portugal kick-off time (10-09-2019):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 02:45
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 01:45
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 00:15
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:45
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 19:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 13:45
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 12:45
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 09:45
Sources: ronaldo7.net / espn.com / foxsportsasia.com / dailymail.co.uk
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