"Cristiano Ronaldo is past it when it comes to doing that" – Ex-Premier League star identifies main problem with Portugal after Euro 2024 opening win
Former West Ham United star Shaka Hislop has revealed how Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal could struggle in the UEFA Euro 2024 after a 2-1 triumph over Czech Republic.
Earlier this Tuesday (June 18), Portugal opened their Euro 2024 campaign with a late win against Czech Republic. After Lukas Provod's 62nd-minute opener, Robin Hranac put the ball into his own net to restore parity in the 69th minute. Francisco Conceicao scored the key goal in the second minute of injury time in the Group F clash.
Speaking on ESPN FC, Hislop criticized Portugal for their lacklustre outing against a spirited Czech Republic side. The former goalkeeper said:
"This Portugal team, it just feels like an imbalance. At the back, you've got [Ruben] Dias, Pepe at what... 41 years old? And then [Nuno] Mendes. You've got Ronaldo, [Rafael] Leao, and [Bernardo] Silva up front, and then you've got the four midfielders who have to make up for any deficits at the back."
Opining on Ronaldo's poor work-rate in Portugal's setup, Hislop added:
"Do they also have the legs to do the running instead of Leao, who doesn't come back [to help the team] an awful lot. Cristiano Ronaldo is past it when it comes to doing that as well. So you have a very talented midfield that just seems to get stretched."
Hislop, who played in 221 Premier League games in his career, said:
"To Czech Republic's credit, once they were able to get past that midfield, they threatened [Portugal] and that for me is kind of Portugal's achilles heel here. Once that midfield gets stretched, I'm not sure they can cope with the attack of better teams."
Portugal relished 73% possession, completed 618 passes with 88% accuracy, and registered 19 total shots against Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Czech Republic manager offers opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo after recent Portugal win
At a post-match press conference, Czech Republic manager Ivan Hasek lavished praise on Cristiano Ronaldo, despite the Portugal captain failing to score. He said (h/t GOAL):
"[He] is incredible that, at his age, he continues to play like this. He's a genius. The way he is able to find a way to shoot at goal in a short amount of space is incredible. He's one of the best players of all time, without a doubt."
The 39-year-old striker registered three of his four shots on target, completed 22 of 22 passes and created two chances against Hasek's side.
He will next be in action for Portugal in their UEFA Euro 2024 group match against Turkey in Dortmund, Germany, this Saturday (June 22).