RONALDO 2 SALAH 1
Cristiano’s late brace takes the shine off Mo as Portugal snatch it
CRISTIANO Ronaldo had heard of the Egyptian king who had started to hail in Liverpool and this is what he thought.
Two headed goals which wiped out an opener by Mohamed Salah and turned this friendly shoot-out upside down in added-time.
The equaliser came in the 92nd minute and the winner two minutes later, virtually the last act of the game, following a long pause as the officials conferred and consulted their video technology.
When the dust settled, Portugal had won and Ronaldo wore a look of satisfaction having taken his international goal tally to 81.
Only two players have ever scored more: Ferenc Puskas and Ali Daei.
Ronaldo has 43 goals in 40 games for club and country this season, proof if required that at 33 he is nowhere near done and still knows how to influence football matches. Look out world, in Russia.
Salah (below) had swept Egypt into the lead with goal No 38 of his own incredible campaign and had been substituted with 10 minutes remaining.
There was a wonderful ovation from the crowd in Switzerland four years after he left Basle for Chelsea.
His return came amid talk of interest from Europe’s wealthiest clubs and much excitement.
The winger who cost £1.1million when signed from Arab Contractors in March 2012 is suddenly said to be worth a staggering £200m. Such is the price of goals in modern football.
Four against Watford last week had Liverpool supporters in raptures and the Egyptians travelled across Europe to see their hero in preparation for the country’s first World Cup finals since Italia 90.
The sight of Ronaldo, however, leading out the European champions with his usual swagger, offered a little perspective on what it means not only to reach the top but to actually stay there.
The Portugal captain was winning his 148th cap and this team revolves around him every bit as much as at Euro 2016.
When he demands the ball he gets it. When play develops without him he is invariably in front of goal at the right moment. And he does not go off until he is ready.
Salah was more effective when moved from the right to the centre in the second half. Finding a pocket of space just outside the penalty area, he applied a clinical first-time finish to a pass from the left wing.
It looked to be enough, but they reckoned without Ronaldo and his two powerful headed goals from equally impressive crosses delivered by Ricardo Quaresma.
One flash of brilliance from Africa’s finest player of the moment was not enough to steal the show from European football’s greatest showman.