World Cup 2018: 3 key battles that decided Portugal versus Spain

We were promised goals, we were promised some high-intensity World Cup football. They certainly delivered, as Spain and Portugal played out a very exciting 3-3 draw at the Fisht Olympic Stadium.

It began with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 4 minutes after the starting whistle, and ended with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 8 minutes before the final whistle and in-between, there was everything a football fan could ask for - a banger, a howler, some drama, tap-ins.

This draw makes the group even more interesting, as it now means that the winner of the group will be decided on goal difference, thus prompting both teams to attack in numbers in the coming games. Or will we see Iran pull off a miracle?

As always, there were a few individual battles that went a long way in deciding the final outcome of the game. Here's a look at 3 of them.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Gerard Pique

Ronaldo's celebration after the third goal shows just how badly he wants this trophy

A lot has been said and written about how Ronaldo in the national team jersey is not good enough, especially in the World Cups where he tends to go missing. There could not have been a better answer to that dumb question.

The first goal came in characteristic controversial fashion, as whether that was a penalty or not will never be agreed upon. Well, it was inside the box, it was a foul and even if Ronaldo might have milked it for all its worth, it is a foul inside the box. Therefore a penalty.

The second goal came from a rare De Gea howler, as a straight-forward shot from Ronaldo found its way to the back of the net much to the surprise of the Spanish players and fans. The third was just quality - a picture-perfect free-kick placed in the top right corner, curling from away and beyond a shocked keeper.

Gerard Pique was the one who fouled Ronaldo and conceded that dreaded free-kick, and it was such an unnecessary foul to concede as well.

But to Pique's credit, he threw himself in front of the ball and Ronaldo without considering the consequences, and that's saying something.

Ronaldo vs Pique - stats

#2 Diego Costa vs Pepe

Costa was a handful for the Portuguese defense, as he should be.

With two players who have the tendency to incite and enjoy the madness they create on the field, it was always going to be entertaining. It was, and Diego Costa will be glad to say that he takes this round.

His first goal was a typical Costa goal, where he out-muscled three defenders (Pepe being the first of them) and found the tiniest of gaps to equalise.

The second was a typical Atletico Madrid goal - a set-piece flicked onto the edge of the box, and then redirected into the path of the striker to tap the ball in.

Costa showed that he is capable of combining well with his midfield, as he often sent the ball back to Isco and Silva when there was a dead end. Costa was also heavily involved in defending, as he dropped deep to defend throws and crosses.

Pepe as expected struggled a bit against the superior pace of the Spanish players and their quick one-twos in the box.

While it will not be a problem against Morocco or Iran, how the team will deal with it when they play the bigger teams further into the tournament remains a cause for concern.

Costa vs Pepe - stats

#3 Isco vs Bernardo Silva

Isco danced his way around the Portuguese players and was the driver of most Spanish attacks

In the battle of the play-makers, it was not much of a difference as both Silva and Isco had solid games under their belt. But Isco was much more of a danger than Silva, who was more focused on finding Ronaldo (not that it is a bad tactic to employ).

Isco came close to scoring in the first half, when his thunderous shot hit the cross bar and bounced on the line, but VAR showed that it did not fully cross the line, and therefore not a goal.

Isco might not have gotten on to the score sheet, but he was certainly the best player on the pitch until Ronaldo turned up the magic with his third goal.

Bernardo Silva was also handicapped by the presence of Guedes up front, instead of someone like Andre Silva who shows the tendency to make runs into the box.

For a creative midfielder, this is one of the prerequisites, and we will certainly see his genius in the other matches of the group.

Isco vs Bernardo Silva - stats