There are no prizes for guessing which team Cristiano Ronaldo preferred to face as Portugal prepare for the final step towards qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. But facing North Macedonia, a team rapidly gaining a reputation for its giant-killings, offers a precarious scenario.
Ronaldo and Portugal secured their spot in the final play-off after beating Turkey 3-1 on Thursday thanks to goals from Otavio, Diogo Jota and Matheus Nunes. Ronaldo won his 185th cap and, while he failed to add to his incredible tally of 115 goals in Lisbon, his team managed to get the job done.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos could have been forgiven for keeping one eye on the Italy match, with such a short time to prepare for Monday’s crunch clash. Playing against the European champions would have been a daunting prospect for his side — only for the Azzurri to fail what seemed to be an easy test against North Macedonia.
