Ronaldo and Fernandes on the right track as five-star Portugal cruise via

Portugal scored 5 second-half targets as they thumped Poland in Porto to qualify for the knockout phases of the UEFA Countries League.

After a disappointing opening duration from Roberto Martinez’s facet, a Cristiano Ronaldo double and moves from Rafael Leao, Bruno Fernandes and Pedro Neto ensured they’ll end best of Workforce A1.

Leao opened the scoring for the hosts simply sooner than the hour mark as he headed house from a Nuno Mendes pass after beginning the transfer with a excellent run from within his personal space into the Polish half of.

Ronaldo doubled their lead by way of a penalty sooner than Fernandes added a 3rd with a excellent strike from the brink of the field that crashed off the bottom of the crossbar.

Neto made it 4 with a sensible end throughout the space sooner than skipper Ronaldo finished the five-star second-half show with a wonderfully-executed bicycle kick from shut vary.

The 39-year-old has now scored 5 targets in Portugal’s 5 fits of their Countries League marketing campaign and is best scorer in League A of the contest.

Dominik Marczuk were given one again for the guests with a well-taken end from the brink of the field however with two mins left at the clock it was once not anything greater than a comfort.

Portugal knew {that a} win could be sufficient to safe qualification to the quarter-finals, however with Scotland beating Croatia within the different sport of the crowd, the victory guarantees best spot for Martinez’s facet.

As for Poland, they’re now stage on issues with Steve Clarke’s Scotland on the foot of the crowd and the 2 countries will pass head-to-head on Monday in a combat to steer clear of computerized relegation.

In spite of the emphatic and ruthless moment half of from the hosts, it was once Poland who had been arguably the simpler facet within the opening duration and most likely deserved the lead on the smash.

They regularly made threatening in-roads into the Portuguese field and Bartosz Bereszynski will have to have opened the scoring with a unfastened header within the space sooner than Krzysztof Piatek went inches extensive with an effort from the brink of the field.

Portugal’s best possible and handiest actual straight forward probability of the half of got here within the ultimate phases as Ronaldo prodded over from a question of yards out from a Leao header again around the six-yard field. It was once a let-off for the guests however an indication of items to return.

Portugal got here out for the second one half of and had been right away a reworked facet. Neto and Leao had been right away threatening and it was once simply 14 mins after the smash that the latter broke the impasse.

Following Ronaldo’s penalty it took Martinez’s males simply quarter-hour to increase their benefit to 5 as they scored in what felt like each and every assault.

In spite of being eager about simply some of the 5 targets, Leao’s header to wreck the impasse was once indubitably an important one with it managing to deflate the visiting facet.

The winger was once Portugal’s vibrant spark in a troublesome opening duration as he led to issues for the defenders down Poland’s proper and his purpose was once the very best demonstration of his talent to power with the ball at his toes to hold his facet up the pitch.

Portugal: Costa 6, Dalot 6, Silva 6, Veiga 6, Mendes 7, Fernandes 7, J.Neves 6, B.Silva 6, Leao 8*, Ronaldo 8, Neto 8. Subs: Felix 5, Samu Costa 5, Vitinha 7, Trincao 5, Tavares N/A.

Poland: Bulka 5, Piatkowski 5, Bednarek 5, Kiwior 6, Bereszynski 6, Bogusz 5, Romanczuk 6, Zielinski 6, Zalewiski 7, Piatek 6, Urbanski 5. Subs: Kaminski 6, Walukiewicz 5, Buksa 5, Kozubal 4, Marczuk 7.

59′ – GOAL! PORTUGAL 1-0 POLAND (LEAO): Leao drives from within his personal field sooner than feeding Mendes to the left of him. The wing-back returns the favour as he digs out a pass that reveals the top of Leao who heads house previous Bulka.

70′ – PENALTY FOR PORTUGAL: Vitinha from the brink of the field slips a suave through-ball into Dalot at the fringe of the six-yard field however his effort is blocked via the arm of Kiwior and the penalty is given.

72′ – GOAL! PORTUGAL 2-0 POLAND (RONALDO): It is the captain who steps up for the hosts and he simply clips his penalty down the centre of the purpose with Bulka diving to the best and that’s without a doubt task accomplished.

80′ – GOAL! PORTUGAL 3-0 POLAND (FERNANDES): Vitinha pulls off a sensible flip in midfield sooner than feeding Fernandes. He drives to the brink of the field sooner than unleashing a thunderous effort that reveals the highest left nook because it crashes off the bottom of the crossbar.

83′ – GOAL! PORTUGAL 4-0 POLAND (NETO): Portugal are operating rebellion! Ronaldo slips a very good ball into Neto in the best of the field. He is taking one contact to assemble it in his trail sooner than placing house on the close to put up.

87′ – GOAL! PORTUGAL 5-0 POLAND (RONALDO): WOW! That is getting foolish now. Trincao and Vitinha mix in the best of the field. The latter stands up a pass to the again put up the place Ronaldo is ready to execute an attractive bicycle kick to get his moment and Portugal’s 5th.

89′ – GOAL! PORTUGAL 5-1 POLAND (MARCZUK): It is raining targets in Porto. Portugal have their pocket picked at the edge in their field as they appear to play out. Marczuk works house for the shot and fires properly into the ground proper nook.