Football

‘Do Portugal need Ronaldo?’ – Fans react as Portugal thrash Luxembourg 9-0 in EURO Qualifiers

Luxembourg is one of Ronaldo’s favourite teams, as he has scored 11 goals against them in 11 outings.

by
September 12, 2023

Playing without one of their biggest strikers, Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal thrashed Luxembourg in Euro Cup qualifiers. Portugal registered their biggest victory, beating Luxembourg by 9-0 at Estadio Algarve on Monday. Portugal made history with a record-breaking win over Luxembourg, showcasing their dominance in an action-packed match.

For Portugal, Joao Felix sealed the historic win with a goal just two minutes before the final whistle, giving a perfect end to an outstanding performance by the Portuguese side. Earlier, Goncalo Inacio, Goncalo Ramos, and Diogo Jota each found the back of the net twice. Meanwhile, Ricardo Horta and Bruno Fernandes, who delivered three crucial assists, also made their mark on the scoresheet.

This victory shattered Portugal’s previous record for the biggest victory, i.e., 8-0. It had come three times in the past: twice against Liechtenstein (in 1994 and 1999) and once against Kuwait (in 2003). Meanwhile, under the leadership of Roberto Martinez, Portugal has been unstoppable in Group J. They have won all six of their matches while scoring an impressive 24 goals and conceding none. They currently sit comfortably at the top of the group, boasting a five-point lead over Slovakia.

Luxembourg’s way to EURO 2024 is in trouble

Meanwhile, for Luxembourg, this result equalled their biggest defeat in history. With this loss, Luxembourg continues at number three in the standings. In the group standings, they have 10 points while standing third in the points table. They are just three points behind Slovakia and eight points behind table-topper Portugal.

It’s worth noting that star striker Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t participate in the game. The Al Nassr forward faced a one-match ban as he got his third yellow card in Pourtugal’s previous match. According to the rules, if a player picks up three yellow cards during qualifying matches, he will have to be dropped from a game. However, Luxembourg is one of Ronaldo’s favourite teams, as he has scored 11 goals against them in 11 outings.

Here is how fans reacted to Pourtugal’s victory:

Fantastic performance from Portugal. Playing at home really made the difference I guess. Where was this performance against Slovakia? Glad you’ll fixed it n came back stronger. @Cristiano you were truly missed, my idol. Congratulations to the team. Vamos ?????????
— Dee_Dsouza (@Deedsouza) September 12, 2023

Don’t cry because you’re being so beautifully disparaged even if you don’t run on the game. They look upset because they didn’t see you. ?
— kyooni (@kyoon_i) September 12, 2023