Cristiano Ronaldo’s squad clinches a victory in the Portugal Vs Albania Euro Qualifier match
Portugal came face to face with Albania in the Euro 2016 qualification. The match was held at Elbasan Arena, with Albania playing the host for the night. The match got started, as the hosts got the first half underway.
HD Highlights ⇒
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcFCaSrCS7A
As expected, it was a fast start for both the teams, as each battled for the possession of the ball in the middle of the ground, as the fans anticipated the attacking moves of Portugal. Soon, it was seen that Ronaldo-led Portugal started taking possession of the ball, as Danilo and Veloso enjoyed plenty of the ball. Danny from Portugal had a sight of goal after a clearing fron Agolli. However, the midfielder’s effort did not seem to be troubling the goalkeeper of the home side.
Moments of Cristiano Ronaldo ⇒
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dQl4sVRRLc
In the opening few minutes, no contribution was made by Ronaldo, as the away side wa unable to find their captain in space, while Albania looked dangerous. Danny continued to show some excellent touches. The referee seemed to be getting busy as there were a number of challenges, though he had not produced any card. In the 12th min of the game, Ronaldo burst into life, but Berisha made a smart move. Portugal then had a wonderful chance from the resulting corner as Nani meet a near-post Danilo header. However, the referee did not seem interested in the clumsy challenge from the central defender.
Ronaldo seemed to be hogging the attention of Albania, and a late challenge from Cana helped Portugal gain a free kick. But, Ronaldo’s team was unable to make good use of the opportunity, as Veroso attempted to slide a short pass to Ronaldo, but with a poor connection, letting Albania clear. At this point, fans seemed to be disappointed with the standard of the match.
23 minutes into the game, and Djimsiti from Albania was booked for a late challenge on Nani. Some 5 minutes later, Berisha made another save, as Ronaldo’s attempt became futile. Portugal continued to pass and probe in the final third, while Albania continued to be solid at the back thus far. Yet another close call was made by Silva in the 40th min, while Abrashi got booked for a late challenge on Danilo in the 43rd min. At the end of the first half and an additional minute, the scoreboard read Albania 0-0 Portugal.
The match restarted with no change in either team from the first half, and within a few minutes, Albania came close, as Cikalleshi met a corner from the left, only for is header to be deflected wide. After some changes in both the teams in the 54th min, Portugal was seen facing a brilliant chance, with Cedric and Danny going for it, but the effort missed the post. But, Portugal definitely seemed to be showing a much better game in the second half, as little over 30 min remained of the game. There was no significant breakthrough, despite the chances and half-chances, no significant change was seen in the match’s score as the 90 min got completed. However, in the additional 4 min, there was a sudden change in favour of Purtugal, as Veloso nestled the ball in the back of the net.
At the end of the match, the score board read Albania 0-1 Portugal. Thus, after an incredibly energetic match, Purtugal made a late come back, and clinched the victory from the host team.
A frantic finish across Europe. All today’s #EURO2016 qualifying results… pic.twitter.com/zyh0bchlxo
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) September 7, 2015