Portugal 3-0 Sweden: 5 talking points as holders ease to victory without Cristiano Ronaldo| UEFA Nations League 2020-21
Even without their talismanic captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal rolled past Sweden in Lisbon as they picked up an emphatic 3-0 victory in a 2020-21 Nations League group A3 game.
A brace from Diogo Jota after Bernardo Silva's fabulous opener got the job done for the Selecao who remain at the top of the group ahead of France on goal difference.
Sweden missed two glorious chances in the first half that could've left the game on a knife's edge, but the hosts were also sloppy with their finishing, especially in the second stanza.
Nevertheless, the visitors never looked likely to trouble Portugal and expectedly returned home empty-handed. On that note, here are the five major talking points from the game.
#1 Diogo Jota showed Portugal the way in Lisbon
Diogo Jota stepped up to the plate against Sweden in Lisbon to ensure that Portugal didn't miss Cristiano Ronaldo as he assisted Bernardo Silva for the opener before netting two spectacular efforts.
Jota threaded a defense-splitting pass to Bernardo Silva who thundered home a superb first-time effort but saved the best for last.
The newly-signed Liverpool star scythed down the left flank and danced his way past the Swedish defence to fire a low drive beyond Robin Olsen.
With his Man of the match performance, Jota took his international tally to three goals from five games, but more importantly, he managed to step in to ensure that Portugal didn't miss Cristiano Ronaldo for inspiration.
#2 Profligate Sweden rue missed chances
Sweden put up a much better performance in Lisbon from an attacking perspective. The visitors, unlike in the last game where they failed to muster a single shot on target, managed to carve out some good chances against Portugal but lacked the cutting edge to finish them.
Mikael Lustig wasted a glorious opportunity to put his side ahead in the 12th minute when he sent his effort into row Z despite having a clean sight at goal. Marcus Berg then followed suit just before half-time by blasting a shot into the stands when scoring seemed to be the easier option.
Had the Blagult dispatched both of those chances, they would've gone into the break level at 2-2, and the match could've been very different in the second half. Nevertheless, Janne Andersson's men were left to rue what might have been.