Portugal 6-0 Lithuania
The Portuguese national football team continued their rampage in the Euro 2020 qualifiers as they waylaid Lithuania, 6-0, last night at the Estadio Algarve.
Cristiano Ronaldo made amends by shrugging off his rocky form as he set the tone from the get-go and scoring a hat-trick in the process.
He was backstopped by the likes of Pizzi, Goncalo Paciencia, and Bernardo Silva, who bounced back after being banned for one match due to his racist remark on his City teammate Benjamin Mendy.
The victory has helped Portugal’s repeat bid by placing second in Group B with 14 points. Ukraine still leads the group with 19 while Serbia are lurking around with 13.
Lithuania, on the other hand, remain winless in their last 19 matches, losing 16 and drawing three.
Portugal’s Euro 2020 odds of moving on the next round are pretty high since they’ll only have to get at least one point against Luxembourg, while Serbia will face a much-tougher task in trying to beat Ukraine in the last group stage match.
Today, SBOBET looks back into the best Euro 2020 highlights of this goal-filled fixture.
Highlights of the game
Knowing that Lithuania have a leaky defence, Portugal went pressing right after the whistle started to gain more possession.
Ronaldo would have his first crack at a goal in just less than five minutes when Bernardo Silva flicked the ball over the Lithuanian defenders for a possible header. However, Ronaldo’s attempt went too wide at the left side.
He would get a much better chance in the seventh minute, when a lovely pass found him cutting inside the penalty area. A silly tackle by Lithuania gave him a penalty kick, and Ronaldo swooped in for a cool finish.
Goncalo Paciencia almost got into the act at the 14th minute by imitating Ronaldo’s early header of an attempt. This time, Lithuanian goal keeper Ernestas Setkus was alert enough to parry it away.
After failing to clear out at the back, Paciencia dished out an assist to a wide open Ronaldo for a masterful finish just outside the box in the 22nd minute.
Portugal, who were led by Ronaldo, were simply toying around Lithuania’s horrid defence as he would get another volley for a short kick attempt. Lithuania’s goal keeper had to work all night long as he came up with another save.
The defending champs did not let up even after leading 2-0 at the end of the first half, and the scoring floodgates were busted wide open in a span of 12 minutes.
Pizzi used his dexterity to curve the ball for his goal in the 52nd minute after a nice pass by Bruno Fernandes. The 30-year-old midfielder found a seam inside the right flank when the Lithuanians were asleep on defence. The home team continued to step on the gas pedal as their middle kept on using short passes to find an open space.
Setkus would make a strong effort by slapping the ball away with a save, but Paciencia was at the right place and at the right time to hit the ball at the back of the net in the 56th minute.
Bernardo Silva would get his piece of the action when Lithuania fumbled the ball after a great challenge. What a great way to redeem himself after experiencing a turbulent time in these past few days.
Cristiano Ronaldo would complete his hat-trick in the 65th minute when the hapless Lithuanian defenders didn’t put up any resistance in front of the goal.
Portugal would have a couple of great chances in the last twenty minutes, but they weren’t able to convert anymore.
Key statistics
In what was a brilliant display on attack by the Portuguese, they mustered 32 total shots as compared to only two by Lithuania. They also dominated 72-per cent of the possession while completing 773 passes at 91-per cent accuracy.
Cristiano Ronaldo is at the cusp of making history once again as he took his tally to 98 international goals. If he scores twice against Luxembourg on Sunday, the Juve star would become the second player to reach 100 international goals. Iran’s Ali Daei was the first one to achieve such feat.
The 34-year-old skipper has passed the 30-goal mark for the 13th consecutive calendar year, while this was his 55th hat-trick.
The defending champions have only failed to score twice in their last 20 matches while conceding only 11 goals.
What’s next?
Looks like the second spot in Group B will boil down to the last few matches in the final group stage fixtures.
Portugal will fly over to the Josy Barthel to face Luxembourg, while Serbia are slated to go against Ukraine at the Red Star Stadium on Sunday.
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