Portugal defeat Scotland with Ronaldo’s 901st career goal

Cristiano Ronaldo’s late winner in the Nations League dashed Scotland’s hopes in Portugal, extending Steve Clarke’s side’s poor run of form.

Scotland took a surprising lead in the seventh minute with a header from Scott McTominay and admirably defended against Portugal’s 16 shots in the first half.

However, a costly error saw them lose their advantage when Angus Gunn failed to stop Bruno Fernandes’ long-range shot after the break.

Ronaldo, introduced at halftime, twice hit the post before finally converting a superb Nuno Mendes cross for his 901st career goal.

The loss, following Thursday’s defeat to Poland, leaves Scotland without a win in their last eight competitive matches, marking the worst run in their history.

They have only won one of their last 14 games. Despite this, Clarke can find some positives in the team’s performances during this window, even though they sit at the bottom of their group after Croatia’s 1-0 win over Poland.

Apart from McTominay’s powerful header, it felt as though the entire first half was spent in Scotland’s defensive half.

Rafael Leao was a constant threat on the left, creating five excellent chances for himself or his teammates. Gunn made two great saves—one from Leao and another from Liverpool’s Diogo Jota—while a few other shots narrowly missed the target.

Each roar from the Portuguese crowd made Scotland fans uneasy, but their defense somehow held firm until halftime—battered, bruised, and under immense pressure, yet unbreached.

That resilience ended with Portugal’s first meaningful chance of the second half. A weak cutback led to a scuffed shot from Bruno Fernandes, but Gunn could only palm it into his own net—another costly mistake in Scotland’s recent run of errors.

Scotland responded well, with penalty appeals from Billy Gilmour and Ryan Christie, both rightly waved away, while McTominay fired a shot straight at Diogo Costa.

That was the best it got for the visitors. Portugal, driven by Ronaldo, pressed forward again. Ronaldo’s clever backheel set Joao Felix through on goal, but Gunn redeemed himself with an excellent save.

Three minutes later, Felix came close with a diving header, only for Gunn to deny him again. Ronaldo hit the post on the rebound and hit the woodwork again shortly after with a looping header.

Scotland failed to heed the warnings. A teasing cross from Nuno Mendes slipped past Jota at the near post, eluded Gunn in the middle, and was bundled in by Ronaldo—his 132nd goal for Portugal, celebrated as jubilantly as his first.

From the start, Scotland found themselves under pressure. Pushed back to the edge of their own box, they often resorted to playing with a back six as Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes probed for gaps in the defense.

Despite the pressure, Scotland’s defense held firm in a low block, throwing bodies in the way of shots. However, after conceding two penalties against Poland on Thursday, they approached tackling with extreme caution.

One major issue was ball retention. When Scotland did manage to win the ball, they struggled to maintain possession and rarely found Scott McTominay or Lyndon Dykes up front. Occasionally, they managed to string together passes and move up the pitch, but those moments were few and far between.

Another concern for Steve Clarke is the seemingly inevitable feeling that they will concede. Scotland have now let in 33 goals in their last 14 games, and in five of their last six matches, they’ve been breached after the 85th minute. This defensive fragility is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

Adding to their woes is the winless run—Scotland are now without a victory in their last eight competitive fixtures, marking the longest such stretch in their history. With four challenging Nations League fixtures ahead—two against Croatia, Portugal at Hampden, and a trip to Poland—it seems unlikely that this drought will end soon.

As for Cristiano Ronaldo, what more can be said? Criticized after a poor Euros, he was influential in this match. He has now scored against 48 different countries and extended his lead as the all-time top scorer in men’s international football. It’s hard to imagine anyone catching him.