March 24, (THEWILL) – On a Thursday night, where Cristiano Ronaldo found more records to break, Portugal earned a resounding 4-0 victory against Liechtenstein in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier.
New coach, Roberto Martinez, watched on as his side took just eight minutes to break the deadlock, with Joao Cancelo’s deflected effort finding the back of the net. The visitors really struggled to create any real chances and were unable to contain Portugal’s attacking threat, and their resistance was quickly broken by Cancelo’s opener.
Despite the scoreline, the hosts missed several clear-cut opportunities in the first half, with Cristiano Ronaldo guilty of squandering a one-on-one chance and a free header. The teams went into the interval with that one goal Portugal lead.
The second half saw A Seleçao continue to dominate proceedings, and they were soon rewarded when Bernardo Silva scored from close range after a blocked cross fell kindly to him. Ronaldo then marked his record-breaking appearance in style, scoring a penalty before unleashing a powerful free-kick into the back of the net.
The 36-year-old forward, who capped off a dominant display by the Portuguese with his brace and another historic performance, was substituted in the 78th minute, with his job and Martinez’s debut victory certified for the night.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
