Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a standout performance, scoring twice, including a spectacular bicycle kick, as Portugal dominated Poland 5-1 to secure their place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals. The Group A1 clash on Friday saw Portugal overcome a shaky first half to finish with a commanding victory.
Portugal opened the scoring in the second half through Rafael Leão, who capitalized on a well-timed Nuno Mendes cross during a counterattack. Ronaldo then doubled the lead with a penalty after a handball in the box. Bruno Fernandes made it 3-0 with a powerful strike that rattled in off the crossbar, while substitute Pedro Neto added a fourth with a clinical finish. Ronaldo rounded off the scoring with his second goal of the night, an acrobatic bicycle kick, marking his 135th international goal.
Poland, missing star forward Robert Lewandowski due to a back injury, had their moments in the first half, testing Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa on multiple occasions. Bartosz Bereszynski and Krzysztof Zalewski came close to breaking the deadlock, but Costa’s sharp saves kept the hosts in contention. Dominik Marczuk eventually netted a consolation goal for Poland in the 88th minute, scoring his first international goal.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez admitted his side struggled early, saying, “The first half was below our expectations—we lost focus and got frustrated. But the second half was the best I’ve seen. The team’s mentality, intensity, and support improved significantly, and we didn’t let Poland play.”
With this victory, Portugal remains unbeaten and tops Group A1 with 13 points, securing a six-point lead over Croatia. Despite their 1-0 loss to Scotland, Croatia remains in second place. Scotland’s win lifts them off the bottom, tying them with Poland on four points.
As the group stage concludes on Monday, Portugal will face Croatia away, while Poland hosts Scotland. Last month, Portugal ended Poland’s two-year unbeaten home streak with a 3-1 win in Warsaw, and despite Poland’s strong resistance in the first half of this encounter, Portugal’s clinical second-half performance sealed another dominant result.
