In an electrifying international friendly match held on March 23, 2018, at the Estadio Algarve, Portugal secured a late 2-1 victory against Egypt, thanks to a stunning double from Cristiano Ronaldo in the dying minutes.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal.
The game, billed as a clash between two titans of world football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah, saw Egypt take the lead through a brilliant strike from Salah, before Ronaldo's late heroics turned the game on its head.
Match Summary
The Seleccao started the game on the front foot, dominating the proceedings in the early stages, but without creating clearcut chances as Egypt demonstrated tremendous organisation and discipline. Ahmed Fathy seemed to pose the biggest threat for Egypt as his crosses crept into the danger area, albeit without any player meeting it. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to take the spot-kick, but his fierce drive was blocked on the line by Abdalla El Said. Portugal picked up from where they had left off at the break. But, yet again, they did very little with the possession they commanded as the well drilled Egyptian backline let very little past them.
The Liverpool talisman unleashed a trademark left-footed effort from long range that Beto had no answer to. On the other end, Egypt tried to waste time to keep their lead intact while also creating the odd chance, the biggest of them coming in the 72nd minute, when Trezeguet’s shot was blocked by Bruno Alves.
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The elusive goal finally came in the second minute of stoppage time as Quaresma crossed an inviting ball towards Ronaldo, who calmly scored with a free header. The 33-year-old Real Madrid star had to wait for the VAR system to validate his goal after a suspicion of offside.
His two-goal salvo took his Portugal tally to 81. “In the last minutes we were better, created four chances and showed great determination to turn it around. They showed that they did not want to lose,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos.
Ronaldo had two first-half chances blocked as he tried to continue his impressive recent form which had seen him score 18 goals in his last nine La Liga games, including registering a 50th hat-trick.
Here's a summary of the match events:
- 56' - Mohamed Salah scores for Egypt
- 90'+2' - Cristiano Ronaldo equalizes for Portugal
- 90'+4' - Cristiano Ronaldo scores the winning goal for Portugal
Key Moments
Salah's Strike: Mohamed Salah's stunning left-footed shot from long range put Egypt ahead, showcasing his incredible talent and precision.
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Ronaldo's Equalizer: In the second minute of stoppage time, Ricardo Quaresma delivered a perfect cross, and Cristiano Ronaldo headed home to level the score.
Ronaldo's Winner: Just moments later, Ronaldo rose again to score the winning goal, securing a dramatic victory for Portugal.
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Player Performances
Portugal
- Cristiano Ronaldo: Scored two crucial goals in stoppage time to secure the win for Portugal.
- Ricardo Quaresma: Provided the assist for Ronaldo's first goal with a superb cross.
Egypt
- Mohamed Salah: Scored a brilliant goal from long range, showcasing his world-class ability.
- Ahmed Fathy: Posed a threat with his crosses into the penalty area.
Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring a goal.
Match Details
Here is a table with the match details:
| Teams | Portugal | Egypt |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 2 | 1 |
| Goals | Cristiano Ronaldo (90'+2', 90'+4') | Mohamed Salah (56') |
| Date | March 23, 2018 | |
| Stadium | Estadio Algarve | |
| Attendance | 19,869 | |
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tags: #Egypt
