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Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be in the starting line-up against the Republic of Ireland in Portugal's FIFA World Cup qualifiers later tonight. The 36-year-old will look to spearhead Fernando Santos' men to another victory as they aim to leapfrog Serbia in Group A of the qualifiers.
During the reverse fixture against the Republic of Ireland back in September, Cristiano Ronaldo produced a breath-taking display. The forward snatched victory for Portugal from the clutches of defeat in spectacular fashion.
However, it was far from smooth sailing for Cristiano Ronaldo during the majority of the game. Portugal endured a rocky start as Gavin Bazunu made a stellar penalty save to deny Cristiano Ronaldo in the opening exchanges of the game. Later, John Egan put the visitors ahead just before the half-time interval.
While it seemed like the Republic of Ireland were heading for a deserved and hard-fought victory, Cristiano Ronaldo took matters into his own hands. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner found the back of the net twice to help Portugal secure a 2-1 win.
It was in the 89th and 95th minute that Cristiano Ronaldo beat Bazunu with two excellent headers. The home crowd at the Estadio Algarve were sent into a delirium of noise as Portugal snatched a crucial late triumph.
Cristiano Ronaldo made history with his match-winning display for Portugal against Republic of Ireland
In addition to securing a vital win, Cristiano Ronaldo also etched his name into the history books after the win over the Republic of Ireland. The Manchester United talisman became the leading goalscorer in men's international football with his brace.
Previously, the record was held by Ali Daei (109) of Iran and Cristiano Ronaldo made it his own in front of his home crowd. Notably, the Portuguese achieved the record in 180 appearances at senior level for his country. The 111 goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo was 102 more than the combined haul of the Republic of Ireland starting eleven for that game.
Stephen Kenny, the Republic of Ireland manager, was distraught by the result. But he tipped his hat towards Cristiano Ronaldo after the match-winning display for Portugal:
“He’s a phenomenon. But we’re kicking ourselves. It would have been the greatest result in Irish qualification history – we’ve never won away to a country like this in a qualifier.
"The players were magnificent overall, their efforts were something to be proud of. But it’s a hugely disappointing result, I just can’t believe we’ve lost it.”
The Republic of Ireland are currently fourth in Group A with five points, while Portugal sit second - just one point behind leaders Serbia, who have played an extra game.
