O’Neill: Don’t man-mark Ronaldo

MICHAEL O’NEILL has said his team will not man-mark Cristiano Ronaldo when Northern Ireland take on Portugual in Porto tonight. ‘It is very difficult to man-mark him,’ said the Northern Ireland manager. ‘The player you designate runs a real risk of a yellow card in the first 10 or 15 minutes and is walking a tightrope after that. ‘He plays with so much freedom, and attacks from so many different angles, it would only distort the balance of the team. ‘We know what we are up against. We can hope his 100th cap turns into a huge letdown for him and his country, but he’s a goal machine and brilliantly creative.’