The Al-Nassr star bagged his 128th goal in international football to snatch a win after an overall poor showing

Cristiano Ronaldo played hero to salvage an otherwise unsteady Portugal performance, grabbing the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Liechtenstein. Although the Selecao kept a clean sheet — and outshot their opponents 29-5 — this was hardly a crisp showing. Martinez’s side often struggled to carve out chances, and will feel this should have been a far more comfortable win.

Portugal created little in the first half, often frustrated by a diligent defensive setup from the hosts. The Selecao tallied 14 shots, but only put four on target in the opening period. Ronaldo came closest at the end of the half, driving an effort directly at Benjamin Buchel in stoppage time.

The captain’s opener was something of a throwback, the winger scampering down the left channel before rifling a shot past a helpless goalkeeper. Joao Cancelo added a second soon after, curling home a fine finish after a Buchel blunder. Goncalo Ramos had a third ruled out to cap off a slightly frustrating night.

Portugal really should have made this easier. With nearly 200 spots separating these two sides in the FIFA rankings, the Selecao shouldn’t have needed so long to find the net, or waited so long to pull away after that. Still, with Euro 2024 qualification nailed down, this was effectively a runout for a side that might be in with a shout to make some noise next summer — especially if their main man is still leading the line.

Portugal have already booked their place at Euro 2024, having enjoyed a perfect record in qualifying. In a group also featuring Slovakia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Liechtenstein, they have won every single game.