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In a high profile encounter at the Estádio do Dragão, Cristiano Ronaldo took Portugal to the Nations League finals with a superb hat-trick against Switzerland. Despite the dominance of Swiss for major parts of the game, Ronaldo's late blitz helped Portugal inflict a 3-1 defeat on them.
The 34- year-old opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick in the 25th minute rendering Swiss keeper Yann Sommer helpless. Switzerland were dominant throughout the first half but they would live to regret Haris Seferovic and Xherdan Shaqiri missing their chances in the first-half.
The Swiss eventually found their equaliser early in the second half but that came in a controversial fashion. Steven Zuber was fouled by Nelson Semedo in the box and despite the appeal of the Swiss, the play continued. Due to their advantage, Portugal went up and they were awarded a penalty instantly which they won through Bernardo Silva.
After consulting with VAR, the Swiss were awarded the penalty by cancelling out the call on Portugal. Ricardo Rodriguez made no mistake to make it 1-1 from the spot in the 57th minute of the game.
Switzerland looked more and more dominant and the game looked like going into the extra time but Cristiano Ronaldo had other ideas. Portugal's talisman struck twice inside two minutes to seal the game for Portugal.
Without further ado, here's a look at five hits and flops from the match.
#5 Hit: Xherdan Shaqiri
In a devastating defeat for the Swiss, Xherdan Shaqiri shone as one of the standout performers of the night. Shaqiri, who recently won the Champions League with Liverpool, was at the heart of the Swiss team as he played a pivotal role during most of their attacks.
The 27-year-old kept pushing forward from the left, helping the Swiss break through the defensive lines of the Portuguese with his runs and deliveries. Shaqiri kept creating chances throughout the match and created problems in the final third with his vision. He had his own chances but Rui Patricio did enough to prevent any kind of damage.
#4 Flop: Joao Felix
Much was expected from the debut of Portuguese prodigy Joao Felix against Switzerland but he failed to make his mark. The 19-year-old partnered with Cristiano Ronaldo in attack but he struggled to find his usual groove throughout the match.
The Benfica sensation remains one of Europe's most sought after players due to his potential and European heavyweights were keeping a close eye on Felix. But he was unable to make his debut memorable and failed to make any impact on the match. Despite his pace, Felix looked clueless on the ball at times and he failed to gel well with his team-mates.
Felix got a golden chance to mark his debut with a goal when he was picked out by Ronaldo with a superb through ball just before the half-time. But Swiss defender Rodriguez did well against him to take the ball away from him. Felix was eventually subbed off for Guedes in the 70th minute of the game.
#3 Hit: Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva enjoyed a stellar campaign with Manchester City and he has carried on with his sensational form against Switzerland. Silva looked a bit out of sorts in the initial minutes of the first half but as the match went on, he gradually settled in and looked at his very best.
Silva's ability to pick out his teammates with pinpoint passes in the final third makes him one of the best in business. The 24-year-old created chances after chances and he was able to dictate the pace of the game by continuously breaking the Swiss defensive barriers with relative ease.
The Manchester City star had already fed Ronaldo with a golden opportunity in the first half which he missed but Silva was absolutely relentless. It was Silva who picked out Ronaldo with a superb pass in the 88th minute which was eventually converted by the Juventus star.
If Ronaldo is the talisman of this Portugal side, Silva is undoubtedly the player which makes them tick.
#2 Flop: Haris Seferovic
The Benfica sharpshooter enjoyed a superb individual campaign with Benfica, scoring 27 goals in all competitions. But he was unable to find the net against Portugal last night, despite getting numerous chances.
Seferovic and Shaqiri mixed well in the first half, with both players getting the chances to put the Swiss in the lead in the first half. Seferovic came close before and after Ronaldo's opener in the first half but he was not composed enough to convert those chances.
Seferovic was a bit unlucky as his shot hit the post before Switzerland's eventual equalizer but the striker was not at his efficient best in front of goal. Despite picking out the passes from his teammates, the 27-year-old looked lost at times and he was closed off well by Portuguese defenders for the major portions in the game.
#1 Hit: Cristiano Ronaldo
Just when it appeard like the 34-year-old is slowing down, Cristiano Ronaldo reminded the world why he remains the best in the business. The Portuguese decided the game for his team as he single-handedly took his team to the finals of UEFA Nations League.
Ronaldo made his debut in the Nations League having missed Portugal's matches in the group stages of the competition. He opened the scoring in a spectacular manner, scoring a direct free-kick in the 25th minute. It was Ronaldo's first free-kick goal since he scored against Spain in the World Cup 2018 almost a year ago.
It goes without saying that Ronaldo proved to be difficult for the Swiss defenders to handle throughout the match with his flair and skill. The Portuguese great did, however, also missed a couple of chances initially and looked subdued in the second half.
But Ronaldo turned the odds in his team's favour once again when he met Bernardo Silva's pass with a fine finish to give them the lead. He was not done as just around 100 seconds later, Ronaldo went on a devastating run from the left, beat his marker with classic step-over and put the ball into the net to complete his hat-trick.
