Ronaldo extends excellent streak with brace

LUXEMBOURG: Cristiano Ronaldo extended his record-breaking form for Portugal as he bagged two goals in his country’s 6-0 thrashing of Luxembourg in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Ronaldo, who had netted a double against Liechtenstein, took his men’s record tally of international goals to 122 in 198 appearances. Joao Felix, Bernando Silva, Otavio and Rafael Leao scored the other goals to put Portugal top of Group J after an easy start to its qualifying campaign.

Roberto Martinez restored Ronaldo to the starting line-up on Thursday and kept faith with him for the match in Luxembourg, where the veteran superstar needed only nine minutes to open the scoring. He touched home Nuno Mendes’s soaring header.

Felix doubled the lead in the 15th minute, rising high to get onto the end of Bernando’s cross. Bernando then headed home a powerful effort three minutes later after being set up by Joao Palhinha. Just past the half-hour mark, Bruno Fernandes set up Ronaldo for the team’s fourth goal with a ball over the defence that was finished with pin-point accuracy.

Luxembourg looked bedraggled in the first half but offered more resistance post the break, before Leao’s looping cross allowed fellow substitute Otavio to head home Portugal’s fifth. Ruben Neves, yet to score for Portugal, struck the crossbar with an 83rd minute free-kick while a penalty was awarded when Luxembourg captain Laurent Jans tripped Leao.

The AC Milan forward got up off the turf to take the kick, but his effort was saved by Luxembourg keeper Anthony Moris. Leao ran half the length of the field to latch onto Neves’s pass and cut inside before squeezing the ball home for 6-0.

Kane, Saka find back of the net

Harry Kane underlined his status as England’s greatest international goalscorer and Bukayo Saka dazzled again in a comfortable 2-0 win over Ukraine to put Gareth Southgate’s team in control of the qualifying Group C in London on Sunday.

Fresh from scoring his 54th international goal in the 2-1 victory over Italy on Thursday, Kane made up for a couple of missed chances to break the stalemate in the 37th minute. Saka then doubled the lead before half-time with a sensational curler that left the visiting side and its 4,000-odd fans deflated.

RESULTS: Portugal 6 (C Ronaldo 9 & 31, J Felix 15, Bernardo 18, Otavio 77, R Leao 88) bt Luxembourg 0; England 2 (H Kane 37 & B Saka 40) bt Ukraine 0; Malta 0 lost to Italy 2 (M Retegui 15, M Pessina 27)