3.Latvia punched above their weight
Ranked 110 places below the European champions, Latvia entered the game as clear underdogs and the stage was set for another goal-crazy evening for Fernando Santos’ men, but the Baltic nation had other plans.
Portugal struggled largely in the first half to create clear-cut chances despite all the dominance as Latvia kept things tight at the back. Ronaldo, Andre Gomes, Andre Silva all had shots on target with excellent strikes, but Latvian shot-stopper Andris Vanins made equally excellent stops to keep the scores level.
The minnows then managed to pull a shocker shortly after Ronaldo missed from the spot as Arturs Zjuzins equalised with a ferocious strike, as Latvia appeared to take a shock point off Portugal. Although their resistance was broken in the final few minutes of the game as the hosts bagged all three to comfortably sail through, Latvia punched above their weight with a confident display.
