FIFA World Cup Qualifiers live: Cristiano Ronaldo breaks records, Irish hearts with a late double as Portugal extend lead in Group A – At 36, Cristiano Ronaldo remains Portugal’s source of inspiration and goals, as the Manchester United forward led an amazing comeback against Republic of Ireland. Ronaldo had missed a penalty earlier and Ireland held onto their lead after John Egan scored decisively in the first half. However, the Portugal captain channelled yet another gear as he headed home with a gigantic leap in the 89th minute to equalise, before scoring a 96th-minute winner to secure three points.
Portugal were largely frustrated as the Republic of Ireland were compact and defended their post with some ferocity, but Ronaldo’s quality and ability to score in clutch situations came in handy as he single-handedly turned the tie in his team’s favour. With his brace, he also became the highest international goalscorer in men’s football, surpassing Ali Daei’s record of 109 goals for Iran.
Need a winning goal in the last minutes?
Hold my ̷b̷e̷e̷r̷ water bottle 😏🚰@Cristiano pic.twitter.com/Wa0xAYKj8t— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) September 1, 2021
The win ensured that Portugal remained top of Group A, three points ahead of Serbia who have a game in hand. Ireland meanwhile are second from the bottom, having lost all their games in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers so far. It was far from the smooth sailing Portugal would have hoped, but the win would be a welcome to Fernando Santos, after a disappointing finish at the Euro 2020. Ronaldo, the main architect of the win against Ireland, will miss the next game, after receiving a yellow card for his shirtless celebration after scoring the winner.
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers live: Cristiano Ronaldo breaks records, Irish hearts with a late double as Portugal extend lead in Group A
When and where to watch Portugal vs Republic of Ireland
When is Portugal vs Republic of Ireland going to be played?
Portugal vs Republic of Ireland will be played on 2nd September at 12:15 AM
World Cup Qualifiers live: Where is Portugal vs Republic of Ireland going to be played?
Portugal vs Republic of Ireland will be played at the Estadio Algarve
World Cup Qualifiers LIVE: Where can I watch Portugal vs Republic of Ireland?
Fans can watch Portugal vs Republic of Ireland on the Sony Sports Network and SonyLiv
Portugal vs Republic of Ireland Form Guide
Portugal form: LDL
Republic of Ireland form: DWD
World Cup Qualifiers LIVE: Portugal Squad
Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes, Rui Patricio, Diogo Costa
Defenders: Raphael Guerreiro, Ruben Dias, Pepe, Joao Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Inacio, Ricardo Pereira, Domingos Duarte
Midfielders: Otavio, Joao Palhinha, Joao Mario, Danilo Pereira, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, Bruno Fernandes
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Pedro Goncalves, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, Rafa Silva, Andra Silva
World Cup Qualifiers LIVE: Republic of Ireland Squad
Goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu, Caoimhin Kelleher, Mark Travers
Defenders: Seamus Coleman, Matt Doherty, John Egan, Shane Duffy, Andrew Omobamidele, Dara O’Shea, Ryan Manning, James McClean
Midfielders: Josh Cullen, Jayson Molumby, Jeff Hendrick, Harry Arter, Conor Hourihane, Jamie McGrath
Attackers: James Collins, Ronan Curtis, Aaron Connolly, Daryl Horgan, Shane Long, Troy Parrott, Adam Idah
World Cup Qualifiers LIVE: When, where, and how to watch the new season 2021/22 live in your country, India
Which TV channel will broadcast the World Cup Qualifiers Matches?
The Matches will be telecasted on Sony Sports Network in India. Fans can enjoy the match live on Sony Ten 1, 2, 3 and their HD Channels as well.
World Cup Qualifiers LIVE Stream: Where can you live stream the Matches?
The World Cup Qualifiers matches will be available for streaming on SonyLiv and Jio TV. Fans will need to purchase a premium SonyLiv account to live stream all the matches.
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