On Friday, Roberto Martinez sealed a commanding victory over Liechtenstein in the Euro 2024 Qualifiers, ushering in a new era for Portuguese football. Portugal regained their international prowess after displaying some of the most fluid play ever witnessed.
Joao Cancelo set the flow with a goal quite early in the game following a corner. The Portuguese right-back struck a half-volley from the edge of the box to give the hosts a lead in the 8th minute of the game. While Liechtenstein struggled, Portugal repeatedly knocked on the door of visitors, but was always denied by the smallest of margins.
The hosts continued their dominance over struggling Liechtenstein in the second half as well. But this time Portugal’s effort was highlighted on the scoreboard. In a span of 6 minutes, Portugal struck twice, with Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo registering their names on the scoresheet. Silva doubled the lead in the 47th minute with a close-range goal.
Joao Cancelo earned a penalty a few moments later, which was converted by the Portuguese skipper to make it 3-0 in the 51st minute. Portugal didn’t refrain from posing an attacking threat even after securing a victory. They maintained the intensity and bore fruit for their efforts in the 63rd minute of the game. The Portuguese goal scoring machine got his second goal from a close range free kick to make it 4-0.
Portugal ended the match with 35 shots, and Ronaldo ended the match by scoring his 120th international goal. Even at the age of 38, Ronaldo still possesses the wicked ability to score goals and create chances according to his own will. They will play their next game against Luxembourg at the Luxembourg Stadium on Monday.