Ronaldo on target as Portugal maintain perfect start
Portugal’s Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo scored first-half goals in a comfortable 3-1 win away to Poland in the Nations League on Saturday as the Group A1 leaders continued their perfect start to the competition with three wins.
Silva put Portugal in front after 26 minutes, netting from Bruno Fernandes’ headed assist, before captain Ronaldo got his 133rd international goal when he doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a first-time shot after Rafael Leao hit the post.
Piotr Zielinski pulled a goal back for Poland in the 78th with a powerful strike into the roof of the net before home defender Jan Bednarek netted an own goal in the dying minutes.
Portugal continue to set the pace in League A Group One with nine points, three points clear of Croatia who came from behind to beat visitors Scotland 2-1 earlier on Saturday.
Poland, who beat Scotland 3-2 on the road in their opener before losing 1-0 in Croatia, are third with three points while the Scots have none so far.
The Poles started on the front foot and leading striker Robert Lewandowski came close to netting an early opener when he was inches from getting his head to a cross as Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa beat him to the ball.
Portugal, however, were quick to grow into the match and Poland keeper Lukasz Skorupski was put to work early when he blocked Diogo Dalot’s effort from close range.
Ronaldo then hit the bottom of the bar as Portugal continued to enjoy the bulk of possession and their chances kept coming.
Fernandes put Skorupski to the test again with a curled shot from just outside the box in the 14th minute and the keeper had to stretch to tip the ball away.
PORTUGAL STRIKE
Poland’s vulnerable back line eventually capitulated when Silva struck before Ronaldo made it 2-0 with a calm finish.
Leao had recovered the ball near the halfway line and slalomed past four defenders before striking the post from inside the box leaving Ronaldo to slot home the rebound.
The 39-year-old Al-Nassr forward, who helped Portugal to 2-1 wins against Scotland and Croatia with a goal in each match, scored his 11th of the season for club and country.
He could have added a third after the restart but hesitated to finish from inside the area and instead found Fernandes, who sent the ball flying over the bar.
Poland got a glimmer of hope when Lewandowski had a chance a minute later as he climbed highest in the box to connect with a cross but sent his header narrowly wide of the left post.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez continued to manage Ronaldo’s playing time, with Diogo Jota replacing him in the 63rd minute.
After playing practically every minute of every game at this year’s Euros, Ronaldo was replaced by Jota late in the game with Croatia and only started in the second half against Scotland.
Zielinski’s strike injected some life into the hosts but Poland lacked clear chances to equalise before Bednarek’s own goal confirmed the end of their two-year unbeaten home run.