Portugal 2-North Macedonia 0 | Portugal will be in Qatar!

Portugal will be in the World Cup as everyone predicted. One Macedonian surprise was viable, two was too many. The Balkans tried to plan a match similar to the one they played against Italy, knowing their limitations, but Portugal’s poor start made them dare to attack more than they expected in the technical talk.

The attitude of Fernando Santos’s men left much to be desired in the first minutes of the match, although the tension of the match could be a justification. The team was slow, without ideas and without creating chances. But the talent they have is so different that half an error was enough to create an opportunity, like when Otávio, a blessing on the right wing, filtered a ball to Cristiano which was the first chance of the game. Jota approached again with his head. And in minute 32, a error in the exit of the ball punished Macedonia. Stefan Ristovski gave a ball to the midfield and Bruno Fernandes accepted it. The ball came to Cristiano, with a clear path towards the goal, but the control was not good at all and the ball was left behind. The advantage was such that he was able to recover and timidly return it to Bruno Fernandes, who did not miss from inside the area.

From then on, Do Dragao breathed and his team broke free. Macedonia got even more nervous. The attacks changed their preferred band and began to arrive from the right, with Cancelo and Otávio as the main protagonists.

After the break, Portugal wanted to play with the result knowing that Macedonia had to start proposing. The plan went perfectly, because Bruno Fernandes made his double thanks to a book counterattack. Jota provided the assist and the United player only had to push her at the penalty spot.

Since then, Macedonia has been losing its temper with meaningless personal confrontations and absurd requests for a penalty and Portugal to look for the third. Cristiano grazed him twice, but in neither of them was he able to take advantage of the center of Bruno Fernandes, MVP of the match.

In this way, Portugal smiles relieved. He will have to make several adjustments between now and November, because the ball output could not be thicker and his talented midfielders more wasted in the creation of the play. But today she can proudly boast that she has forgotten the disappointing qualifying phase and will be seeded in the draw. Cristiano will play his fifth World Cup.