Cristiano Ronaldo got the only goal of the game as Portugal beat hosts
Russia 1-0 in the Confederations Cup in Moscow on Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 74th senior international goal as Portugal
beat hosts Russia 1-0 at the Confederations Cup on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old, whose club future at Real Madrid appears to be in
doubt, headed in early at Moscow's Spartak Stadium and left Fernando Santos'
men a point clear of the Russians at the top of Group A.
Only goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who was winning his 100th cap, denied
Portugal victory by a greater margin as he made vital saves from Ronaldo and
Andre Silva either side of half-time.
Russia were poor before half-time and although they improved after it,
they were repeatedly hit on the break as they committed men to the search for
an equaliser.
Ronaldo, making his 141st appearance for his country, needed just eight
minutes to make his mark, although the opening goal was far from all his own
work.
With the Russians attempting to sit in and deny Portugal space in the
middle of the field, Raphael Guerreiro was given just that wide on the left to
deliver an inviting cross to the far post, where the Real Madrid striker made
the most of defender Fedor Kudryashov's misjudgement to head home.
Ronaldo proved the main threat throughout the first half as the hosts
offered little going forward, and he tested Akinfeev with a 25th-minute
free-kick before forcing the keeper to block with his legs seven minutes later.
Russia might have been level as the half-time whistle approached, but
striker Fedor Smolov could not adjust his feet in time to steer Aleksandr
Golovin's cross on target.
Skipper Akinfeev kept his side in it when he clawed away Silva's
50th-minute header from close range, and he was in the right place at the right
time to repel Cedric Soares' long-range effort nine minutes later.
The Russians, who beat New Zealand 2-0 in their opening fixture,
belatedly launched their push and might have been level just after the hour
when Aleksandr Samedov's teasing cross was only fractionally too high for
Smolov in the middle.
But Ronaldo passed up a glorious opportunity to extend his side's lead
just past the hour when he headed wide from Andre Gomes' cross as Portugal
broke at pace.
However, it was Russia who finished strongly with substitute Aleksandr
Bukharov appealing in vain for a last-gasp penalty after going down in the box
before defender Georgi Dzhikya heading inches over Rui Patricio's crossbar deep
into injury-time.
-Sky Sports
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