01 April,2021 06:12 AM IST | Madrid | AFP
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Luxembourg during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification tie in Luxembourg City on Tuesday. Pics/AFP
Belgium and the Netherlands scored 15 goals combined in big routs in World Cup qualifying, while Portugal got one from Cristiano Ronaldo in its victory against a Luxembourg team that tinkered with another shock result.
Belgium crushed Belarus 8-0 to stay at the top in Group E, while the Dutch trashed Gibraltar 7-0 to go second behind Turkey in Group G on Tuesday. Minnow Luxembourg, which opened with a surprising win against Ireland, looked on its way to pulling off another upset after it took the lead against Portugal, but the visitors came from behind to stay at the top of Group A along with Serbia, which earlier defeated Azerbaijan with another double by Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrovic.
"It was a difficult first half," Portugal midfielder Renato Sanches said. "Luxembourg started well, but I think we controlled the game. They had a set piece and scored, but I think that from that point on we controlled the game." After being held scoreless in the first two qualifiers this year, Ronaldo scored his 31st goal in World Cup qualifying early in the second half in Portugal's victory at Luxembourg.
He has now scored for Portugal in every calendar year since his first international goal in 2004, and moved six away from tying the all-time scoring record for a men's national team. The record of 109 goals is held by former Iran striker Ali Daei, the only other male soccer player to surpass the 100-goal milestone.
Gerson Rodrigues had put the hosts ahead in the 30th minute but Diogo Jota equalised for Portugal in the second minute of stoppage time before Ronaldo and Joao Palhinha added second-half goals.
Ireland, the other Group A team, played a friendly against World Cup host Qatar and was held to a 1-1 draw, staying winless in 11 games under coach Stephen Kenny.
Hans Vanaken and Leandro Trossard both scored a pair of goals as Belgium trounced Belarus with four goals in each half. "I'm delighted with what I've seen from every player," Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said.
The home victory left Belgium three points ahead of the Czech Republic, which lost 1-0 at Wales thanks to a late Daniel James goal after an assist by Gareth Bale.
Wales and Belarus are a point behind the Czech Republic with a game in hand. Gibraltar, ranked 195th in the world, kept the Netherlands largely at bay before the break but collapsed in the second half on the artificial turf of Victoria Stadium.
The Belgian football team wore t-shirts on Tuesday in support of migrant workers involved in building 2022 World Cup stadiums in Qatar, following other European sides in protesting for human rights in the Gulf state. The players wore t-shirts with the slogan âFootball supports change' ahead of Belgium's qualifier with Belarus for the 2022 finals, to be held in Qatar. Germany, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands have recently staged similar protests, and the Belgian gesture mirrors the one made by their Dutch neighbours.
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