UEFA nations league: Ronaldo scores in 3-1 Portugal win over Poland, Spain edge past Denmark

 


Cristiano Ronaldo extended his international goal tally to 133, helping Portugal secure a 3-1 win over Poland in the Nations League on Saturday. In another match, Spain claimed a late 1-0 victory against Denmark.


At 39 years old, Ronaldo capitalized on a rebound after Rafael Leão's shot hit the post in the 37th minute, doubling Portugal's lead following Bernardo Silva's opening goal in the 26th minute in Warsaw.


Although Ronaldo didn’t score during Portugal’s quarterfinal exit at this summer's European Championship, he has now found the back of the net in three consecutive Nations League matches, including victories against Croatia and Scotland last month.


Portugal’s coach Roberto Martínez replaced Ronaldo with Diogo Jota with 30 minutes left to play. Poland managed to reduce the deficit in the 78th minute through midfielder Piotr Zielinski, but an own goal by Southampton’s Jan Bednarek in the 88th minute sealed Portugal’s win.


Despite starting Robert Lewandowski alongside Karol Swiderski, Poland’s attack was unable to break through Portugal’s defense. Portugal now leads Group A1 with nine points from three matches. Croatia is second with six points, following a 2-1 win over Scotland in Zagreb, where a late equalizer by Scotland was ruled out by VAR. Poland sits on three points, while Scotland remains pointless.


In another Nations League fixture, Spain secured a 1-0 win against Denmark, thanks to a stunning 79th-minute volley by Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi. Replacing the injured Rodri, Zubimendi's powerful strike from outside the box beat Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who got a hand to the ball but couldn’t stop it.


Zubimendi had also played a pivotal role in Spain’s Euro 2024 final victory over England when he replaced Rodri in the second half. Rodri is currently sidelined with a serious knee injury, following an ACL tear while playing for Manchester City.


Spain was also without two of their key Euro performers, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo, who are recovering from minor injuries. Spain now leads Group A4 with seven points from three games, followed by Denmark with six. Serbia sits third with four points after a 2-0 win over Switzerland, leaving the Swiss at the bottom of the table with no points.


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