SM
Barcelona vs. Brann: 1 hr 46 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
PN
- | -
Jun 5, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
SN

3-1

Ronaldo (25', 88', 90')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Rodriguez (57' pen.)

Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick sees Portugal reach UEFA Nations League final

:Headline: Result: Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick sees Portugal reach UEFA Nations League final: ID:361219: from db_amp
A hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo earns Portugal a 3-1 victory over Switzerland in Wednesday night's UEFA Nations League semi-final in Porto.

Cristiano Ronaldo has netted a hat-trick to give Portugal a dramatic 3-1 victory over Switzerland in Wednesday night's UEFA Nations League semi-final.

Ricardo Rodriguez's second-half penalty had cancelled out Ronaldo's earlier free kick, but the 34-year-old scored twice in the final three minutes to earn the European champions a place in Sunday's final.

The first opportunity of the game went the way of Switzerland, with Xherdan Shaqiri being denied from close range by Rui Patricio, but Portugal were also carrying a threat through Bernardo Silva and Ronaldo.

Both teams were fortunate not to have a player dismissed as Bruno Fernandes and Granit Xhaka went into two separate tackles with their studs showing, and the exchanges only contributed to an high-octane first 15 minutes.

Ronaldo dragged Portugal's first shot wide of the post from 20 yards, while Pepe headed over when he should have at least hit the target, but Switzerland remained lively at the other end with Haris Seferovic sending a header straight at Patricio.

However, it was not long before Portugal took the lead. Ronaldo was fortunate to win a free kick on the edge of the area, but the Juventus forward took full advantage by firing the set piece into the far bottom corner.

The game continued to follow a similar pattern as both teams went in search of goals, although the only other clear-cut opportunity before the break came when Seferovic struck the crossbar from 12 yards after being found by Kevin Mbabu.

VAR had not been required during the opening 45 minutes of the contest, but both teams felt that they had claims for a penalty after two incidents in the space of 30 seconds.

There was little doubt that Bernardo had been fouled by Fabian Schar at one end, but it was Switzerland who got the spot kick with Nelson Semedo having tripped Steven Zubar as he attempted to meet a Shaqiri cross.

Rodriguez was given the responsibility from 12 yards, and the left wing-back's scuffed effort was helped into the bottom corner by Patricio.

Switzerland remained on the front foot and Seferovic should have perhaps done better with a header at the back post, but Portugal still threatened through long-range strikes from Fernandes and Ruben Neves.

A number of substitutions disrupted the flow of the game, and a lack of urgency from both sides during the closing stages left extra time as an increasingly possibility.

However, Ronaldo changed that with two minutes left. Bernardo controlled a long pass before providing the perfect cutback for the forward, who found the bottom corner with a first-time effort from 14 yards out.

Switzerland were required to commit men forward in search of an equaliser, although that only left space available for Ronaldo to quickly complete his treble.

The veteran was able to cut inside onto his right foot from the corner of the penalty area, and he took his time before sending a low shot into the far bottom corner to set up a showdown with the Netherlands or England on Sunday evening.

PORTUGAL (4-3-3): Patricio; Semedo, Pepe (Fonte 63'), Dias, Guerreiro; Fernandes (Moutinho 91'), Carvalho, Neves; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Felix (Guedes 70')

SWITZERLAND (3-5-1-1): Sommer; Schar, Akinji, Rodriguez; Mbabu, Zakaria (Fernandes 71'), Freuler (Drmic 89'), Xhaka, Zuber (Steffen 83'); Shaqiri; Seferovic

amp_article__361219 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-06-06 21:52:37:
html db last update - 2021-03-04 23:01:19 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .