Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 901st career goal as Portugal came from behind to defeat Scotland 2-1 in a UEFA Nations League Group A1 match at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Sunday.
Ronaldo came off the bench to score a dramatic late winner, denying Scotland their first point in the group. The Portuguese star, who reached his 900th career goal in Thursday’s win over Croatia, was introduced at half-time with Portugal trailing 1-0 after Scott McTominay’s surprising seventh-minute header — Scotland’s only shot of the first half.
Portugal dominated possession and created numerous chances but had to wait until the 54th minute to equalize when Bruno Fernandes’ shot slipped past goalkeeper Angus Gunn. Gunn redeemed himself with a superb double-save to deny substitute Joao Felix late in the game, while Ronaldo hit the post twice in his relentless search for the winning goal.
Read Also: 900 goals and counting: Breaking down Cristiano Ronaldo’s incredible scoring feats
However, Gunn could do nothing to stop Ronaldo from scoring the decisive goal, as the forward expertly converted a well-delivered Nuno Mendes cross to secure a 2-1 victory for Portugal.
Scotland’s defeat was made more frustrating by two penalty appeals that were waved away by referee Maurizio Mariani before Ronaldo’s winner. Despite hitting the post twice after coming on, Ronaldo remained undeterred and eventually broke through the Scottish defense, sealing the win with his 901st career goal.
The loss extends Scotland’s winless run in competitive matches to eight, the worst streak in the nation’s history. They have managed only one win in their last 14 games. However, Scotland manager Steve Clarke can take some positives from the team’s spirited performances in both games during this window, even though they sit at the bottom of their group following Croatia’s 1-0 victory over Poland.
