Cristiano Ronaldo Comes to Portugal’s Rescue as They Continue With Their Winning Ways

Portugal were on the brink of dropping their first points of the 2024-25 Nations League campaign against Scotland. However, it was Cristiano Ronaldo again, who saved the Selecao’s blushes yesterday by scoring an 88th minute winner.

How many times has Cristiano Ronaldo done that over the course of his illustrious career? Despite being 39 years old, CR7 continues to push the boundaries of consistency and longevity. The five-time Ballon D’Or winner started the game off the bench after playing 88 minutes versus Croatia just three days ago. Portugal started the game on the backfoot, as after just four minutes, Napoli-bound Scott McTominay opened the scoring for Scotland. In response to Scotland’s improbable lead, Portugal constantly peppered Tartan Army’s goal but to no avail. 

AC Milan winger Rafael Leao was a constant threat down the left flank, with his direct runs at the Scottish defense seeming like Portugal's best route to a deserved equalizer. However, the first half ended with Scotland holding a narrow lead at Estadio da Luz. Determined to turn things around, head coach Roberto Martinez introduced Ronaldo and Ruben Neves after the break. Ronaldo's presence immediately sparked Portugal into action, and in the 54th minute, the Selecao finally leveled the score thanks to a stunning Bruno Fernandes volley from the edge of the box. 

But Portugal weren’t content with just drawing level—they kept pushing forward. In the 77th minute, they had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Ronaldo’s clever back-heel split the Scottish defense, but Angus Gunn came up big to deny Joao Felix's shot. Just a few minutes later, in the 81st minute, Ronaldo was inches away from putting Portugal ahead, but his shot was cruelly denied by the woodwork. Still, CR7 wouldn't be kept off the scoresheet for long; in the 88th minute, he nodded home the winner from a superb Nuno Mendes cross, sealing a crucial victory. 

Following their dramatic win over Scotland, Portugal have maintained their 100% record at the start of the 2024-25 Nations League. In their next Nations League matches, Portugal face Poland on 13th October and Scotland on 16th October.  

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