CR7 out, Leao dry, but Portugal exaggerates and scores 9 against Luxembourg

Even without the suspended Ronaldo, Portugal is having fun and entertaining. Against Luxembourg, Bruno Fernandes leads the team with assists (3, plus a goal), while defender Goncalo Inacio and baby bomber Ramos (6 goals in 8 appearances) score a brace each. The match ends 9-0, but in the same group as the Portuguese is Slovakia coached by Francesco Calzona, who beat Liechtenstein 3-0, scoring three goals (one by Duda from Verona) in the first six minutes. Wales also won (2-0 against Latvia, goals from Ramsey and Brooks), Croatia (goal from Kramaric in Armenia) and Iceland, which broke the deadlock in full injury time and overcame Dzeko’s Bosnia.

group d

—

Croatia and Turkey are competing for first place in the group: both have ten points in the standings, even if Modric and his teammates have one more match to play. Coach Dalic’s national team remains unbeaten (one draw, three wins) even after the trip to Armenia, where a goal from Kramaric, scored from a corner, was enough to secure a narrow victory. The result in Yerevan also pleased Wales, who won 2-0 against Latvia. Despite a first half full of opportunities, the goal that opens the match comes from a penalty, awarded by the referee for a flourish in the area, accentuated by Wilson. The former Juventus player Ramsey, team captain, appears on the spot and makes no mistakes and displaces Ozols. The 1-0 result remained unchanged for most of the second half, before Brooks’ dive, in the 96th minute, which closed the game.

the evening of the goncalos

—

With or without Cristiano Ronaldo, Martinez’s Portugal continues to amaze. In the absence of CR7, the two are unleashed against Luxembourg… Goncalo: Ramos, PSG center forward who scored a brace, and the unexpected Inacio – two goals for him too -, Sporting central defender. At half-time Portugal – first in the table with full points, with zero goals conceded and twenty-four scored – is already ahead 4-0. The team’s leading light is Bruno Fernandes, who in the first half makes two decisive crosses for Inacio. AC Milan player Leao is also uncatchable and fails to score but provides the assist for the hat trick. In the second half the music doesn’t change: Jota, launched deep again by Bruno, breaks through centrally and makes it 5-0. The Liverpool winger gets excited with an assist for Ricardo Horta and then also scores the 7-0. In the final, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix also join the list of scorers, who scores the final 9-0 with a right-footed shot from outside the area.

group j

—

Second place in group J – the same as Portugal – goes to Slovakia, coached by the Italian Francesco Calzona. Sarri’s former deputy deploys Gyomber, Lobotka and Duda from the 1st minute. Playing against Liechtenstein, the Slovaks are already ahead 3-0 in the 6th minute. The first goal comes with Hancko, just four… touches after the kick-off: serve, long ball, bank, shot on goal and goal. Two minutes pass and the Veronese Duda doubles the lead by taking advantage of a melee in the area, in the 6th minute Mak makes it 3-0. From there Slovakia lowered the pace and managed the lead, which remained unchanged until the 90th minute. Nothing to do, however, for the Bosnia of Dzeko, Krunic and Kolasinac. Guests from Iceland kept a clean sheet until the 90th minute, but in injury time they let Finnbogason slip away, beating Sehic from close range.