Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Portugal in a commanding 3-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday in their final warm-up match before Euro 2024.
Joao Felix also found the net as Roberto Martinez’s squad rebounded from their previous loss to Croatia, boosting their confidence ahead of the tournament in Germany.
Ronaldo, 39, who was rested in the match against Croatia, started against Ireland in Aveiro. He came close to scoring in the first half but dominated the second half. Veteran defender Pepe, 41, also started, set to become the oldest player ever to play at the Euros.
Despite Portugal’s flawless qualification record, recent performances had sparked some doubts. “The Portuguese expect a lot from Portugal, there’s no margin for error, none, they always want Portugal to win because of the generation, the talent there is,” Ronaldo remarked. “We have to have our feet on the ground and our thoughts in the sky, dreaming of the Euros.”
Ronaldo is set to appear in his record sixth edition of the tournament, having debuted in 2004. “Going back to 2004… my thoughts and my pride remain the same,” he said. “Playing for the Portuguese national team, it doesn’t get better than this. For the Euros we have to think positively, this team has to dream and has been working hard, because just having talent is no use if there’s no hard work.”
Felix opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a smart finish after a short corner routine. Ronaldo nearly doubled the lead with a deflected free-kick that hit the post. He appealed for a penalty and later shot directly at goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher towards the end of the first half.
Ronaldo didn’t have to wait long to score after the break, curling a sublime effort into the top corner. He soon added another goal, thanks to a well-placed pass from Diogo Jota, extending his international goal record to 130. Ronaldo narrowly missed completing his hat-trick as Ireland, under interim coach John O’Shea, began to tire.The game against Croatia served to bring us down a peg and today we did.
