A Portuguese National Team without their top star, Cristiano Ronaldo, defeated the Luxembourg team on Monday after being humiliated 9-0 and achieved the biggest victory in its history, thanks to a dream performance by Bruno Fernandes.
With Cristiano serving a suspension for collecting cards, Fernandes picked up the baton of an orchestra that was unstoppable against modest Luxembourg, powerless against the Portuguese’s strength on the field of play.
During his visit to the tourism region of the Algarve (south), Portugal’s coach, the Spaniard Roberto MartÃnez, did not refuse his ‘heavyweights’, but brought other less common players, such as Nélson Semedo, Gonçalo Ramos and Gonçalo Inácio.
And it was Inácio, Sporting’s young centre-back, who opened the scoring for Portugal in the 13th minute, finishing off a masterful play by Bruno Fernandes with a header to score what was the first his goal in the national team.
Fernandes showed again on Monday that he is one of the strongholds of MartÃnez’s team and the Manchester United midfielder scored the Portuguese’s second goal and Ramos’ first.
In the 18th minute, Portugal’s number 8 stole the ball near the Luxembourg area and passed it to his Manchester opponent, Bernardo Silva, who in turn passed it to Gonçalo Ramos to score.
The third of the “quinas” was born from the superhuman speed of Rafael Leão, who after riding on the left wing passed to Ramos, who turned a Grand Duchy defender and scored again on his return to the region who saw him. .
And near the break, a repetition of the inaugural target. Fernandes crossed from the right and Gonçalo Inácio appeared in front of the goalkeeper like he was a battering ram and headed to extend the lead.
The script of the second part did not change and Bruno Fernandes remained the star. In the 58th minute, a long pass from the Portuguese midfielder found Diogo Jota completely isolated for a “small hand” against Luxembourg.
Jota, Liverpool forward, stood out again, first with an assist for the sixth, scored by Ricardo Horta in the 67th minute, and then, in the 77th minute, with the seventh.
After his outstanding performance, the goal came from Bruno Fernandes, who received the ball from Horta for a well-deserved goal. But Portugal did not stop there, as a powerful shot from João Félix almost in the 90th minute ensured that the night would be historic for Portuguese football.
Portugal’s sixth win in six games played so far and German Euro 2024 is getting closer and closer for the team led by MartÃnez.