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At 39, Cristiano Ronaldo still scores when the team needs. The record goalscorer extended his record to 133 international goals last night against Poland.
Last night, Portugal faced off against Poland away from to play their third game in the UEFA Nations League. However, Portugal did not struggle to find the net and secured a dominating 1-3 win over Poland. As a result, the Portuguese remain at the top of the table with nine points, three ahead of Croatia. Meanwhile, Poland stand in 3rd with only three points.
Match Report
Poland’s manager set up the team formation with an aggressive 3-5-2, using two wingbacks with three CBs. On the other hand, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez played his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Cristiano Ronaldo led the frontline with Rafael Leao, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernardo Silva.
The match started with both sides playing attacking football. But it was Bernardo Silva who put Portugal ahead with a beautiful finish. Bruno Fernandes set up the ball for Silva, and the City playmaker took a fantastic volley inside the box to find the net in the 26th minute.
After a while, Rafael Leao took a long-range shoot, which was reflected in the post. But Cristiano Ronaldo was there and tapped in to make the scoreline 2-0 within the first half. It was Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking 133rd international goal so far.
The match was always under Portugal’s control, but Poland had hope when Piotr Zielinski scored a goal for Poland in the 78th minute. It seemed they could score another to level the scoreline. But an own goal from Jan Bednarek in the 88th minute broke Poland’s heart, and eventually Portugal secured a 1-3 over Poland.
Our focus is the World Cup – Martinez
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez is pleased with his team’s performance against Poland. He also believes that his team is in better condition than they were in the Euro 2024.
Roberto Martinez stated, “We have more players now, and the competitiveness for what we are working on is growing. We are an even better prepared team after the European Championship.”
The next FIFA World Cup is only two years away, and Roberto Martinez is fully focused on this grand event. “Our focus and total objective is the World Cup. I am happy; the attitude was incredible, and the players’ personality was fantastic in a difficult stadium. For us, it is a very important performance,” stated the manager.
