SPORTS NEWS; – Cristiano Ronaldo achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first footballer to reach 900 career goals, aiding Portugal in their 2-1 victory over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League.
Throughout the match, Portugal demonstrated superior performance, although they maintained a two-goal advantage for only a brief period, as Diogo Dalot inadvertently scored an own goal shortly after netting the opener for the home team. Despite the historical significance of his achievement, Ronaldo’s goal stood out as he skillfully connected with a cross from Nuno Mendes, executing a volley past Dominik Livakovic, which ignited jubilant celebrations in Lisbon.
Dalot’s initial goal seemed to signal a potential rout, following impressive play by Bruno Fernandes that set up his Manchester United teammate for the strike. Although Croatia managed to avoid conceding further goals for the remainder of the match, they struggled to create significant offensive opportunities, as Luka Modric’s influence wanes. Meanwhile, Poland emerged as the leaders of Group A1 after a dramatic encounter at Hampden Park, where Scotland equalized at 2-2 in the second half, only for Nicola Zalewski’s penalty in the 97th minute to secure victory for Poland, placing them ahead of Portugal on goal difference.
Portugal successfully achieved their primary goal of securing three points, with Ronaldo contributing more to the team’s play in the second half, while Mendes and Nelson Semedo had chances to extend the lead. Dalot’s own goal just before halftime kept Croatia in contention, and they began to find their rhythm in the final 20 minutes, with Andrej Kramaric playing a key role in their buildup.
He had a late opportunity to equalize but missed the target, allowing Portugal to claim a well-deserved victory. In a notable shift, Ivan Perisic, now 35 and recently released from Hajduk Split, took over the captaincy from Modric in the closing minutes as coach Zlatko Dalic sought to invigorate his team in pursuit of an equalizer, marking a significant moment in Modric’s career.
