Cristiano Ronaldo means business ahead of Euro 2024 with double for Portugal
The IndependentSign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. O’Brien stood firm once again to bar Joao Cancelo’s path to goal and Robbie Brady rattled Diogo Dalot as the visitors warmed to their task, but Kelleher had to block Felix’s 18th-minute shot with his foot after Fernandes, Ronaldo and Dalot had linked to set him up. The woodwork came to Kelleher’s rescue four minutes later when Ronaldo, who sat out last week’s friendlies against Finland and Croatia, took aim at his goal for the first time from a 25-yard free-kick which clipped Adam Idah in the defensive wall and came back off the upright with Seamus Coleman preventing Leao from converting the rebound. Leao fired over after cutting inside menacingly from Antonio Silva’s raking crossfield pass and Ronaldo, much to his annoyance, saw extended appeals for a stoppage-time penalty after he had gone to ground under Brady’s challenge waved away by referee Chris Kavanagh, much to his clear annoyance. Ronaldo had pulled wide on the right to accept substitute Ruben Neves’ long ball before cutting inside Liam Scales and dispatching a left-foot shot into the top corner with Kelleher helpless.