Portugal 2:1 Croatia: Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking goal the difference in Lisbon
Portugal secured an opening-day win in the UEFA Nations League thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's 900th career goal at Croatia's expense (September 5). The Iberian nation did their scoring in the first half to see out the rest of the game on their terms in Lisbon.
Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking strike was sandwiched by two from Diogo Dalot, with the Manchester United defender scoring at either end of the pitch. On that note, let's take a look at the Portugal player ratings on the night.
Portugal player ratings:
Diogo Costa - 8/10
The Porto shot-stopper had a fine game for his country, making four saves and completing 26 out of 32 passes from his 42 touches.
Diogo Dalot - 7.5/10
The 25-year-old had the greatest of highs and lows in the match. He got his name on the scoresheet after just seven minutes but suffered the ignominy of an own goal after trying to deflect a ball out for a corner in the 41st minute.
Ruben Dias - 8/10
The Manchester City defender was pristine in possession for Portugal. He completed 67 out of 70 passes, completed one dribble, and recovered possession twice. A solid outing overall.
Goncalo Inacio - 8/10
The 23-year-old looked at home in the Portugal defense next to Dias and played confidently till his withdrawal. He completed 96% of his passes and won one tackle in the game.
Nuno Mendes - 8/10
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) man put in an assured performance, bagging an assist for the deciding goal with an inch-perfect cross to Cristiano Ronaldo. He also managed to test Dominik Livakovic with a shot.
Bruno Fernandes - 8/10
The Man who like Cristiano Ronaldo went from Sporting to Manchester United had a fine game for his country. He completed 41 out of 45 passes, tested the opposition keeper with two out of his three shots, won his one attempted tackle, and recovered the ball four times. He also set up the opening goal for Dalot to get the hosts off to a fine start.
Vitinha - 8/10
The PSG star completed 100 passes in the game and drew the most fouls. Vitinha was the beating heart of the midfield, completing 98% of his passes and recovering possession five times in the game.
Bernardo Silva - 8/10
Silva was impressive on the night, completing 96% of his passes and creating two chances in the game. He also won all his tackles to keep the midfield dominance for the hosts.
Pedro Neto - 6/10
The Chelsea man was easy to miss in the game. He played 45 minutes and did not make a substantial difference to proceedings.
Rafael Leao - 6/10
The AC Milan star had an average night at best. While he completed all 12 of his passes, he did not do much else with his 20 touches in 45 minutes on the pitch.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 9/10
Cristiano Ronaldo was the man of the match today and his stellar performance was underlined with a record-breaking strike that decided the game. The legendary striker created the most chances in the game (3), completed 22 out of his 23 passes, tested the keeper the two times he attempted to shoot, and won a foul.
Portugal Substitutes
Joao Neves - 7.5/10
The midfielder was lively following his introduction at halftime. He completed 32 out of 33 passes and made one recovery in his time on the pitch to help his nation secure the win.
Diogo Jota - NA
The Liverpool man came on late for Cristiano Ronaldo and did not have enough time to influence the game in any way for Portugal.
Nelson Semedo - 7/10
The Wolverhampton Wanderers defender came on at halftime and helped his country see out the second half. He completed all 16 passes he attempted and won two tackles in his time on the pitch.
Antonio Silva - 7/10
The defender came on in the 77th minute and was not a noticeable improvement on Goncalo Inacio. He maintained defensive solidity and saw out the match for Portugal.
Pedro Goncalves - NA
The attacker came on late and could not influence the game with his five touches.