Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Update
BVB star cracks Hungary late
Portugal win with two Ronaldo records
Cristiano Ronaldo makes the decision, the success of the Portuguese kick-off in the European Football Championship is initiated by a Bundesliga professional. Raphael Guerreiro redeems the defending champion. A committed Hungary remains unrewarded in front of full ranks in Budapest.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and BVB ace Raphael Guerreiro gave defending champions Portugal a successful start to the European Championship on an evening of records. In the first game of the German group, the sometimes oppressively superior Portuguese won against Hungary in Budapest with an impressive final spurt with 3-0 (0-0). Ronaldo became the sole record scorer with his tenth and eleventh European Championship goals, and he was also the first player to appear in five finals.
“With a bit of luck we could have picked up a point,” said Hungary’s goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig: “That would have been great. But we’ll try again.”
In front of the extraordinary crowd of 67,000 spectators in the Puskas-Arena in pandemic times, Guerreiro (84th) and 36-year-old Ronaldo (87th, penalty kick / 90th + 2) in his 22nd European Championship – also a record – late goals against the hitherto outstanding Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
Ronaldo outstripped France’s legend Michel Platini. For his nine goals, however, he only needed one final round with five games in the French triumph in 1984.
Ronaldo, who came closer to the Iranian world record holder Ali Daei (109) with 106 goals in 176 international matches, can expand his series of goals against the DFB-Elf on Saturday (6 p.m.) in Munich – against Germany he has had his international debut 18 years ago never met in four duels. For Hungary, the blatant outsider in hammer group F, on Saturday (3 p.m.) against world champion France, it is almost a matter of the last eighth-final chance.
Portugal a bit like Spain
“Records are not the goal. They come on their own,” said five-time world footballer Ronaldo before the duel with the Hungarians, in which the Portuguese had to do without right-back Joao Cancelo from Manchester City, who tested positive for Corona: “But that shook and influenced not us.”
The Portuguese, in whom Dortmund’s Guerreiro was in the starting line-up in contrast to Frankfurt’s striker Andre Silva, started as expected. Already in the fifth minute, Diogo checked Jota Gulacsi after involuntary submission by defense chief Willi Orban – the two Leipzigers formed a Bundesliga quartet with strikers Adam Szalai (Mainz 05) and Roland Sallai (SC Freiburg) in the initial formation, Leipzig’s injured young star Dominik Szoboszlai however, was sorely missed.
The Hungarians were in a deep position, initially successfully attempting to take away the Portuguese noble technician’s pleasure in the game with their physique. But the favorite increased the pressure every minute, was at times as superior as the Spanish team in the disappointing 0-0 win against Sweden the day before, but also had similar difficulties in the end.
Hungary’s supposed leadership doesn’t count
Szalai (37th) missed the first noteworthy goal chance of the offensively harmless Hungarians with a header, on the other side Gulacsi saved by foot again against Liverpool’s Jota. And Ronaldo missed the chance just before the break when the Juventus goal machine hit the ball completely free over the bar from seven meters (43rd). “That proves that there is a person in him somewhere,” tweeted England icon Gary Lineker.
At the beginning of the second half, the Hungarians, who had previously been very defensive, became bolder and bolder, while Portugal fell into inexplicable lethargy at times – Ronaldo also went underground. Sallai (57th) had the best chance for the Hungarians with one – albeit unplaced – shot.
Sniper Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United (68th) started celebrating the goal on the other side after a long-range shot – but once again the devil Gulasci had his fingers on the ball. Hungary’s fans sensed the surprise and celebrated their team with dancing and singing. Szabolcs Schön then actually scored after a great action (80th) – but the offside whistle came into ecstasy. And then Portugal struck.
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