Most Popular Sports
All Sports
Show All

Football news - Round-up: Cristiano Ronaldo limps off in Portugal qualifier

Eurosport
ByEurosport

Updated 25/03/2019 at 22:22 GMT

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off the pitch with an apparent hamstring problem during a 1-1 draw with Serbia in their Euro 2020 qualifier.

Cristiano Ronaldo is forced off the pitch.

Image credit: Getty Images

The 34-year-old pulled up after sprinting for the ball and was replaced by midfielder Pizzi just after the half-hour mark with Serbia leading 1-0 through a Dusan Tadic penalty.
Danilo Pereira smashed home from long range on 42 minutes to rescue a draw for the home side.
Ronaldo appeared to be pointing towards his right hamstring as he received treatment near the corner flag.
Ronaldo, whose club Juventus visit Ajax Amsterdam in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on April 10, was making only his second Portugal appearance since last year's World Cup.
The European champions began the defence of their title with a 0-0 draw at home to Ukraine in Group B on Friday.
In the group's other fixture, Ukraine came from behind to win 2-1 in Luxembourg, who suffered heartbreak with a late own goal by Gerson Rodrigues, and go top with four points from two games. Luxembourg stay on three points and Portugal are on two.
Serbia have one point from one match and Lithuania have none after their shock 2-1 defeat in Luxembourg on Friday.
Having been held to a 0-0 home stalemate by Ukraine on Friday, Portugal were under pressure to deliver but fell behind after their goalkeeper Rui Patricio clattered into Mijat Gacinovic and Tadic converted the spot kick.
Ronaldo pulled up after sprinting for the ball and appeared to be in some discomfort as he pointed towards his right hamstring while he received treatment near the corner flag before signalling to come off.
Serbia keeper Marko Dmitrovic produced a string of superb saves before Danilo levelled with a thunderbolt from 25 metres, which cannoned into the net off the underside of the bar, after a darting run through the middle from the halfway line.
Portugal were also guilty of some poor finishing in the first half as William Carvalho fired wide from five metres in the fourth minute, with the visitors on the back foot throughout the opening 45 minutes.
Adem Ljajic blazed a shot over the bar for Serbia in the 56th minute before visiting defender Uros Spajic cleared a close-range Pizzi shot off the line as Portugal threw men forward in the closing stages.
Some desperate defending by Serbia kept Portugal at bay in the dying minutes and Raphael Guerreiro missed the home side's final chance in stoppage time when he hit the side netting with a fierce shot from inside the penalty area.
Luxembourg looked like earning a second straight upset when David Turpel fired them ahead in the 34th but Viktor Tsygankov equalised just before the break and Rodrigues then netted an own goal three minutes into added time to hand Ukraine the points.
Join 3M+ users on app
Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports
Download
Share this article
Related Matches
Advertisement
Advertisement