Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a dramatic late winner as Portugal rallied to secure a 2-1 victory against Scotland in their Nations League clash.
The match, held at the Estadio do SL Benfica, saw an early shock for the home fans when Scott McTominay opened the scoring with a well-placed header in just the seventh minute.
Scotland’s early lead, however, was undone in the second half, with Bruno Fernandes leveling the game for Portugal before Ronaldo’s decisive strike sealed their comeback.
Scotland had stunned the Portuguese crowd after Andy Robertson expertly found Kenny McLean, who whipped in a cross. McTominay timed his run perfectly to evade the home defense and nodded in from six yards out, sending Scotland ahead in the opening stages.
However, the lead was soon under threat as Portugal increased the pressure, forcing Scotland into several crucial defensive interventions. Scott McKenna was a standout, delivering heroic penalty-box clearances to keep the hosts at bay.
Portugal’s attacks were relentless, particularly down the left flank, where Rafael Leao repeatedly outpaced Anthony Ralston and created several dangerous opportunities.
Leao’s burst of pace frequently troubled the Scottish defense, as he also set up Diogo Jota for a chance that the Liverpool forward ultimately fired over the crossbar. Central defender Antonio Silva came close to equalizing, twice heading over the bar after Scotland’s defense struggled to reset after short corners.
Throughout the first half, Portugal’s persistence led to a number of chances, including a powerful header from Jota that was parried by Scotland’s goalkeeper, Angus Gunn.
Nuno Mendes also came close with a low shot that drifted just wide from 25 yards out. While Scotland had limited opportunities in the first half, they found moments to relieve the pressure, with Lyndon Dykes and McTominay earning free-kicks to push the team forward, though their set-pieces were ineffective.
The half-time interval provided Scotland with a brief respite, but upon returning to the pitch, they were greeted by the sight of Ronaldo warming up and preparing for action.
The Portuguese captain, fresh off scoring his 900th career goal against Croatia, was determined to make his mark once again.
Portugal’s equalizer came early in the second half. In the 54th minute, Leao set up Bruno Fernandes, who unleashed a first-time shot from outside the box. The ball took a deflection off Gunn’s gloves and spun into the bottom corner, drawing the home side level.
Ronaldo, now in full swing, began peppering the Scottish goal with shots, but Scotland didn’t fold easily. In a spirited response, they began to gain control of the ball and carved out their first real attempts on goal since McTominay’s opener.
Anthony Ralston and Ryan Christie provided dangerous crosses, while McTominay forced a save from Portugal’s goalkeeper as Scotland pressed forward.
Steve Clarke made substitutions in the 74th minute, bringing on Ryan Gauld, a former Sporting Lisbon player, to replace the injured McLean.
Tommy Conway, making his competitive debut, replaced Dykes upfront. Despite the tactical changes, Portugal quickly regained their momentum.
As the match neared its conclusion, Joao Felix seemed certain to score when Ronaldo, using his trademark flair, set him up with a clever backheel. However, Gunn denied the Chelsea forward with a brilliant save, extending a leg to block the shot.
Moments later, Felix’s header was superbly stopped by Gunn, only for Ronaldo to strike the rebound off the post. The 39-year-old was not finished, though, as he rattled the other post with a header shortly after.
Ronaldo’s persistence eventually paid off in the 88th minute. He capitalized on a precise cross from Nuno Mendes, slotting home from close range to give Portugal a hard-earned 2-1 lead.
Despite Scotland’s late push for an equalizer, they were unable to trouble the Portuguese goalkeeper, and Ronaldo’s late heroics secured the victory for Portugal.
For Scotland, it was yet another agonizing defeat in the dying minutes, similar to their earlier Nations League loss to Poland.
However, much like in that match, there were positive takeaways from their overall performance, even though Clarke’s experimental back four struggled at times without the presence of Kieran Tierney.
