Rampant Portugal punish Poland to seal Nations League quarter-final spot
Needing just a point to secure a fourth successive top-two finish in the Nations League, Portugal started on the front foot and came close to taking an early lead as Pedro Neto’s inswinging delivery narrowly evaded both Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva at the back post.
The visitors grew into the contest as the first half progressed, with Nicola Zalewski seeing a long-range effort parried away by Diogo Costa and Bartosz Bereszynski denied by a brilliant last-ditch block from Nuno Mendes.
Chances continued to flow at both ends of the pitch as half-time approached. First, Krzysztof Piatek fired wastefully wide from the edge of the box for Michal Probierz’s side before Cristiano Ronaldo spurned a glorious opportunity for the hosts, prodding over from six yards after excellent work from Rafael Leao.
Portugal looked to up the ante in the early stages of the second half and their pressure was duly rewarded in the 59th minute when a devastating counter-attack involving Mendes and Leao culminated in the AC Milan man heading beyond Marcin Bulka to open the scoring.
That goal provided the hosts with plenty of momentum and they were given a golden chance to double their lead shortly afterwards when Diogo Dalot’s strike hit the arm of Jakub Kiwior.
Ronaldo stepped up to the spot and clipped the penalty down the middle for his fourth goal of the campaign.
Armed with a two-goal advantage, Martinez’s side showed no signs of slowing down in the closing stages.
Fernandes added a third in sumptuous fashion, firing home from range via the underside of the crossbar before Neto deservedly got his name on the scoresheet with a clinical near-post finish.
Poland’s misery was compounded three minutes from time when Ronaldo found the far corner with a bicycle kick for Portugal’s fifth, and despite a late consolation from substitute Dominik Marczuk, the hosts were left to celebrate a seventh successive meeting without defeat (W4, D3).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Pedro Neto (Portugal)
