June 15, (THEWILL)- There are not enough complimentary adjectives with which to describe the sheer prolificness of Cristiano Ronaldo’s excellence. The Portuguese star produced another display of this again on Tuesday by becoming the EURO all-time top scorer in Portugal’s match against Hungary.
The first Group F fixture saw Portugal drub Hungary 3-nil for an emphatic start with Ronaldo supplying two late, record-breaking goals to the tally.
There were only five minutes on the clock and an opportunity opened for an early break for Ronaldo to score a historic tenth EURO final tournament goal. However, teammate and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota opted against squaring to his captain only for his shot to be saved by Péter Gulácsi in the Hungary post.
Another opportunity opened up for the megastar just before the break as Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes fizzed in a cross from the left which meandered its way through to the 36-year-old, only for Ronaldo to side-foot it over.
Portugal’s frontline kept Gulácsi busy throughout the game and it was all the keeper could do to keep out Pepe’s header and Bruno’s dipping long-range shot, as his teammates grew into the game for much of the second period. Keeping them even in the scoresheet helped the team’s morale.
That confidence was evident when Szabolcs Schön squeezed in a shot ten minutes from time to send the team into wild celebrations with the belief that they had secured an incredible upset, only for the offside flag to dampen their passions.
The rest of the game only soured their day all the more because Raphaël Guerreiro’s deflected effort opened the floodgates six minutes from time to allow the record-setting striker to make the day his own.
An 87th minute penalty allowed Ronaldo overtake Michel Platini as all-time EURO top scorer but that was not enough for the striker as he proceeded to open up a cushion in front of his record in typical Ronaldo fashion. In the final moments of the match, the forward rounded off Gulácsi to poke the ball into a welcoming net after intricate movements in the penalty area.
It was a befitting goal to celebrate his new status and completely worthy of the occasion as it set a marker for the rest of the tournament in Portugal’s advantage.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
