Portugal vs Spain: 5 Talking Points, World Cup 2018

The WC 2018 saw its best game till date in what is arguably the standout fixture of the group stages as Portugal held Spain to a 3-3 draw at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi. A hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo saw the Euro 2016 champions deny La Furia Roja all three points.

It was Portugal who took the lead twice through Ronaldo but Diego Costa was on hand to equalise twice either side of half-time. Nacho seemed to have given Spain the win with a superb goal from distance before a Ronaldo free-kick levelled things late in the game.

Here are the major talking points from the game.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo punishes Spain again and again and again

After Julen Lopetegui was sacked a day before the World Cup and Fernando Hierro took charge, many expected him to simply continue with the good work the new Real Madrid manager had done in the past two years.

However, after Alvaro Odriozola's terrible performance in the warm-up game against Tunisia where he was taken off at half-time, Hierro decided to go with a safer option by starting Nacho Fernandez at right-back.

It was a mistake that will haunt him and the player. Just three minutes into the tie, Cristiano Ronaldo received the ball at the edge of the box and looked to dribble inside - immediately attracting the attention of Nacho who stuck a leg out in incredulous fashion to bring down the Portuguese star.

It was a clear penalty and Ronaldo put it away with ease to give Portugal a very early lead.

The two players train together every week at Real Madrid and Ronaldo's grin as he looked back at Nacho whole the defender shook his head said it all. That was a costly error - and so early in the game. Nevertheless, he did make up for it with a sweet strike in the second half.

As if that error wasn't enough to put Spain under pressure, David De Gea then surprised everyone watching the game when he spilled what looked like a routine save. With a minute to go for the half-time whistle, Ronaldo had a low shot on goal from the edge of the box that was hit straight at De Gea.

David De Gea or Rob Green in disguise?

But as the Manchester United goalkeeper knelt to collect the ball, it hit his glove and went in much to the disbelief of his teammates and Portugal too.

It was uncanny from De Gea and so unlike him to make such an error on such a big stage. He has been the Premier League's best and most untouchable goalkeeper for years but Ronaldo suddenly made him seem human.

But the goalkeeper could do nothing about Ronaldo's free-kick in the dying minutes of the game. It was so perfectly placed and hit with the right pace that a dive to save it would have been pointless.

#2 Portugal set up to play effective counter-attacking football

Portugal counter-attacked in the first half

Portugal coach Fernando Santos knew very well that there was no way he was going to get his team to dominate possession against some of the most gifted players on the ball. And so, he set them up in the traditional 4-4-2 with Ronaldo and Goncalo Guedes tasked with leading the line.

Spain ultimately dominated possession. Even without Thiago Alcantara in midfield, Spain had 68% of the ball in the first half alone.

However, as Spain pushed further up the field, they left themselves more vulnerable on the counter-attack. And had Portugal been more clinical, they could have scored one or two goals more in the first half when Spain were desperately trying to stay in the game.

Ronaldo himself was the key player on the counter and he was always looking to pass to find a man in a better position. Had Silva kept his cool and taken a shot first time instead of taking a touch, Portugal would have had Spain on the mat.

But what Portugal failed to do was carry that same intensity into the second half.

#3 Diego Costa finally unleashes the beast within

With no support alongside him, Costa took it upon himself to beat Portugal's defenders on his own

For all the talent Spain have in midfield and the wings, they have lacked a decent centre-forward since Fernando Torres and David Villa reached the twilight of their careers. Diego Costa, who switched allegiances from Brazil to Spain, had a disaster of a World Cup in 2014.

However, back then he was trying to buy into a Spanish philosophy that was on the decline. Against Portugal, he played to his strengths - literally.

With his back to goal, he was the target for a couple of long balls when Spain tried to bypass Portugal's midfield line. And when Sergio Busquets pumped a hopeful ball forward, little did he know that Costa would bring out the best in him.

A controversial elbow to the face of Pepe floored the defender who looked for a foul but immediately got up when no whistle was heard. Costa then kept his cool, feinted this way and that before angling a low shot to beat Rui Patricio to make it 1-1.

It was a phenomenal goal that eased the pressure on Spain and allowed them to dominate proceedings thereafter. It reminded them that all was not lost despite Portugal's rise.

And when Spain were down 2-1 at the start of the second half, it was Costa again who was on hand to tap in a Busquets header across goal when Spain had a set-piece. He easily lost his marker and was at the right place at the right time to bundle it in.

#4 Portugal need a Plan B

Does Ronaldo have to do everything himself?

While the counter-attacking football was all well and good for Portugal in the first half, the second half left a lot to be desired from the Euro 2016 champions. They had two shots on target in the first half and none in the second.

De Gea may have been furious with himself for the error in the first half but he should thank his teammates for keeping Portugal at bay for much of the second half - at least until the foul that gave Ronaldo the opportunity to equalise.

Once Spain took the lead, they were quite content to keep possession and it was only towards the end of the game that Portugal applied pressure when Ronaldo equalised from the free-kick that shouldn't have been given away in Ronaldo territory.

But apart from Ronaldo, no other Portuguese player threatened to test De Gea. They had only three shots on target - all Ronaldo.

Santos had thrown on both Ricardo Quaresma and Andre Silva when they were chasing the game and neither player managed to make the desired impact. If they are to go deeper in the tournament, they will have to count on more than just Ronaldo to bail them out.

#5 Isco and Andres Iniesta were Spain's key creators

Andres Iniesta was as tough to dispossess as he has ever been

Andres Iniesta ended his career at Barcelona because he knew he was on the decline and couldn't put in the performances that defined his career. However, when he wears a Spain shirt, that twinkle in his eye still glows brightly.

This tournament is Iniesta's swansong. Aged 34, he will not make another World Cup. He's already left European football behind but the manner in which he orchestrated Spain's attacks suggest the magician still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Time and again he made runs to move the ball up the field and into the final third while he also managed to find space in a crowded box to get a shot off that flew just wide of the post.

He lasted only 70 minutes until he was replaced by Thiago Alcantara but this was also Isco's night to shine. No other player was so instrumental in moving the ball around and drifting into space to probe Portugal's weaknesses.

Isco using the full width of the pitch

The Real Madrid man even had a shot on goal from distance that crashed into the underside of the bar but did not cross the line (goal-line technology confirmed it had not). When Spain needed a player to put the pressure back on Portugal, it was Isco that stepped up to the plate.

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