Portugal Maintain Perfect Start BECAUSE OF CR7
09 September, 2020
Sweden 0-2 Portugal
Portugal maintained their perfect start in Group 3 of League A after beating ten-man Sweden 2-0 at Friends Arena.
The Selecao captain Cristiano Ronaldo recovered from his toe infection to get started on at the trouble of Diogo Jota in the only change created by manager Fernando Santos.
The hosts were reduced to ten men on the stroke of halftime after Gustav Svensson received his second yellow card for a lunging tackle on Joao Moutinho.
Ronaldo provided a double blow for Sweden, as he broke the deadlock for Portugal from the resultant free-kick, arrowing a powerful strike from 25-yards that found the most notable corner for his 100th international goal.
Ronaldo doubled Portugal's lead with 18 minutes left after cutting inside from Joao Felix's pass and curled a strike in to the far corner from just beyond your box to complete his brace.
Fernando Santos' troops top the section with six points, equal with second-placed France nevertheless they have an excellent goal difference while Sweden were left in third place.
France 4-2 Croatia
France maintained their completely record after via behind to thrash Croatia 4-2 at Stade de France.
Les Bleus made wholesale changes, with forward Kylian Mbappe not in the squad after he tested positive for Covid-19. Meanwhile, famous brands Anthony Martial, Moussa Sissoko and Ferland Mendy got rare starts.
The Vatreni drew first blood in the 16th minute after Dejan Lovren showed great skill to a control a header from a corner and smashed home a robust strike past shot-stopper Hugo Lloris but Didier Deschamps' charges levelled matters two minutes prior to the break thanks to a sublime flick from Antoine Griezmann.
France managed to get 2-1 in first-half stoppage time after Martial fired home a strike from Wissam Ben Yedder's cross that took a deflection off goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and hit the post before crossing the goal-line.
Josip Brekalo levelled matters for Croatia ten minutes from the break after turning around Mendy inside box and fired a minimal strike past Lloris at his near post.
Dayotchanculle Upamecano gave Les Bleus the lead from behind again in the 65th minute with a robust downward header while Olivier Giroud's penalty in the 13th minute sealed the win for the world champions.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za