Showing posts with label UEFA Euro Qualifiers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UEFA Euro Qualifiers. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 September 2019

Serbia 2-4 Portugal

Serbia 2-4 Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva on target in six-goal thriller as Fernando Santos' side make up ground in Group B

  • Portugal pulled off a 4-2 win over Serbia to move into second place in Group B 
  • William Carvalho broke the deadlock just before half-time with a tap-in effort
  • Goncalo Guedes doubled the lead after being assisted by Bruno Fernandes
  • Serbia hit back as Nikola Milenkovic nodded home a Dusan Tadic cross
  • Cristiano Ronaldo pounced to make it 3-1 but Aleksandar Mitrovic responded
  • Manchester City's Bernardo Silva struck in the dying stages to seal a 4-2 victory
Cristiano Ronaldo scored to help ensure Portugal jumpstarted its campaign to qualify for the 2020 European Championship after winning at Serbia 4-2 on Saturday.
Portugal, the defending European champion, drew its first two qualifiers before taking the three points from its visit to Belgrade.
Shortly after Aleksandar Kolarov's shot just missed for Serbia, the visitors broke the deadlock three minutes before halftime against the flow of play.
Goncalo Guedes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carvalho and Bernardo Silva each provided the goals
William Carvahlo took advantage of a fumble by goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic, who collided with a teammate when he tried to catch a cross. The dropped ball fell to Carvahlo to push into the open net.
Goncalo Guedes doubled the lead in the 58th when he skillfully cut back to his left foot to ditch his marker before firing past Dmitrovic.
Ronaldo was on hand to slot the ball past goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic to make it 3-1
Nikola Milenkovic pulled one back for Serbia in the 68th when he headed in an extremely poorly defended corner kick.
But Ronaldo, who had come close to scoring twice, took a through ball from Bernardo Silva and slipped it past Dmitrovic with 10 minutes remaining.
Alexandar Mitrovic rifled in Serbia's second goal in the 85th, moments before Silva scored Portugal's last goal with the hosts leaving their defense exposed searching for an equalizer.
Aleksandar Mitrovic headed home from close range to get on the score-sheet for Serbia
Nelson Semedo had to be taken off on a cart midway through the second half when the right back injured his leg when fouled by a Serbian defender.
Portugal climbed to second in Group B with five points from three games.
Ukraine, which won at Lithuania 3-0, leads the group with 13 points after five games.
Serbia, which was playing its first match under manager Ljubisa Tumbakovic, was left with four points, the same as Luxembourg. Lithuania has one point.

England 4-0 Bulgaria

England 4-0 Bulgaria: Gareth Southgate's side maintain their 100 % record in Euro 2020 qualifying as Harry Kane nets hat-trick and Raheem Sterling continues fine form with goal

  • Tottenham striker Harry Kane opened the scoring for the hosts in 24th minute with an effort from close range
  • Kane doubled England's lead early on in first half from the spot after forward Marcus Rashford won a penalty  
  • Manchester City's Raheem Sterling added a third from close range after Kane picked him out with a cross
  • Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount came on to make his international senior debut in the second half 
  • Forward Kane scored his hat-trick in the 73rd minute from the penalty spot after he was fouled in the area 

For now though, the evidence points to the fact that England will at least have a chance. They have a midfield that is boasts more and more players willing to take a player on, Mason Mount making his debut alongside Chelsea team-mate Ross Barkley. And they have an attack to envy.
Kane ended the day reflecting on surpassing Sir Geoff in the goalscoring stakes. He knows, we all know that such stats, whilst lovely, are merely a footnote to the main narrative. 'It's great to get goals and individual stuff but the most important thing is winning team trophies and obviously England haven't done that for a long time now,' said Kane. 
'All the boys want to win tournaments but we've sat here and spoke about it for the last 10, 15, 20 years and longer and it hasn't happened.' Indeed it hasn't. Yet as the evenings draw in, we can at least yearn for hope of next summer.
England manager Gareth Southgate watches on as his side looked to continue their 100 percent record in qualifying