The Real Madrid
star scored the only goal in Lisbon to leave Ibrahimovic and the Swedes facing
a tough task in Tuesday's second leg.
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Ronaldo saves Seleccao from Scandinavian stalemate |
It was billed as the battle of the big names, and at the halfway
mark it is Cristiano Ronaldo who is poised to appear at the World Cup at the
expense of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Real Madrid striker’s predatory instinct was the difference
between the two men – and their respective nations – as a solitary late header
in Lisbon gave Portugal a slender first-leg advantage over Sweden in their
do-or-die World Cup play-off.
It was impossible for the game to really live up to the huge
build-up it was given, especially given that so much of the hype was due to the
very fact that both of the countries involved rely so heavily on one man. And,
for long spells, the game did carry the demeanour of two sides lacking cohesion
and structure as the star men were well marshalled.
However, the second half looked set to offer Portugal something
more as they bega n to find space in around the Blagult back four, and
sure enough it was Ronaldo who broke the deadlock. When Miguel Veloso found
space on the left and delivered a cross in behind the defensive line, the main
man was there on the end of it, getting in front of Martin Olsson to head home.
Ronaldo’s 63rd goal of 2013 may not yet be enough on its own, but
it is a potentially vital goal in the outcome of the tie. Sweden now know that
they need to score at least three goals to make one more Portuguese goal
irrelevant. Many teams have overcome such a deficit before, but too many
underdogs have considered beginning a second leg a goal behind to a better side
as a fair trade only to find out it is not.
And on the evidence of Friday, Portugal are the better side.
Zlatan will have to have one of his very best nights on Tuesday if Ronaldo is
not to feature in Brazil next summer.
Goal.com
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