Portugal 4 Liechtenstein 0
2016 European Championship winners Portugal initiated their bid to qualify for an eighth consecutive edition with a commanding 4-0 victory over minnows Liechtenstein, a match in which Cristiano Ronaldo marked a world-record 197th international cap with a brace.
Former Belgium manager Roberto Martinez took charge of his maiden game as the Selecao boss - their first since a disappointing 2022 World Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of Morocco.
As might be expected for a matchup between sides separated by 191 places in the FIFA World Rankings, Portugal started with firmly the upper hand and seized an expected lead after just 8 minutes. Joao Cancelo picked up Benjamin Buchel’s punched clearance on the edge of the box, and his first-time shot rolled past the wrong-footed goalkeeper with the aid of a deflection.
There was sustained dominance of possession from the home side, but hopes of usurping their pair of national record 8-0 wins over tonight’s opponents began to fade as they were let down by some poor finishing.
A couple of Joao Felix attempts bounced harmlessly at Buchel before Ronaldo powered a clear-cut one-on-one opportunity well over the bar. Liechtenstein produced a spirited performance for the remainder of the half, and coupled with Portugal’s impotency in front of goal, the visitors’ impressive organisation and tenacity in defence meant they would only be one behind going into the break.
Frustrated in the first half, Portugal were never going to allow Liechtenstein a route back into the game. With 70 seconds gone in the second period, Cancelo’s ball made its way to Bernardo Silva, who slotted past Buchel to the relief of Martinez.
The right-back continued to be in the thick of the action, as he was bundled over in the box just minutes later for a Portugal penalty.
Having overtaken Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa for his record 197th cap tonight, Ronaldo was hungry for a goal to mark the occasion, and the legendary striker stepped up to dispatch with confidence.
Martinez’s selection of Ronaldo in March’s squad had raised some eyebrows after his move to Al-Nassr, but his inclusion was fully justified as he smashed a blistering free-kick into the roof of the net - the 60th of his glittering career.
Substituted soon after, Ronaldo was unable to complete a hat-trick, and his team couldn’t further add to the convincing 4-0 scoreline. Liechtenstein, meanwhile, succumbed to a 13th consecutive defeat and will return to Vaduz to face Iceland in their next outing.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Joao Cancelo (Portugal)
In the other results:
Elsewhere in Portugal's Group J, Bosnia & Herzegovina beat Iceland 3-0, while Slovakia played out a goalless draw at home against Luxembourg.
Group C saw the day's headline clash as England travelled to Italy in a repeat of the 2020 final. Despite losing a man late on, England held on to win 2-1. In the group's other match, North Macedonia beat Malta 2-1.
Lastly, in Group H, Denmark launched back into form, beating Finland 3-1 while Slovenia snatched a valuable 3-1 win away against Kazakhstan. Northern Ireland beat San Marino 2-0.
