EURO 2020 Qualifier
Result: Lithuania 1-5 Portugal
Date: 10 September 2019
Venue: Vilniaus LFF stadionas
Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed the headlines after netting four goals as the European champions thumped Lithuania 5-1 in a EURO 2020 qualifier on Tuesday evening.
The reigning European and Nations League champions line-up in an expansive 4-3-3 formation, that was led by Ronaldo, Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva in the front-line.
Portugal had a dream start as they were awarded a penalty in just the fifth minute of the match after Saulius Mikoliunas handled a ball inside the box, which allowed Ronaldo to convert after sending goalkeeper Ernestas Setkus the wrong way.
The hosts were not discouraged after conceding early and after absorbing the pressure, they managed to level matters in the 28th minute thanks to Vytautas Andriuskevicius, who nudged a header towards the far post.
Fernando Santos’ charges were creating chances in the latter phase of the first stanza but Lithuania had Setkus to thank for making sure they head to the break level after the shot-stopper made a number of heroic saves to deny Portugal regaining their lead.
Lithuania were frustrating the visitors in the early exchanges of the second stanza with their high press but unfortunately they went behind in the 61st minute after Setkus fumbled a spinning low shot from Ronaldo.
Ronaldo completed got his hat-trick four minutes later, after the hosts lost concentration, with a close-range finish unmarked inside the box, following a square pass from Silva.
The Juventus superstar was not done there as he bagged his and Portgual's fouth goa with 14 minutes to play with low curling strike towards the bottom corner, after he was again picked out by Silva on the far left side of the box.
William Carvalho found the fifth goal deep in stoppage time to complete as Portugal maintained their second position in Group B with eight points, while Lithuania remained winless at the bottom of the section with one point.
