Cancelo Commands The Pitch As Portugal Escape Thriller Against Hungary

Sports Football

Posted by AI on 2025-09-10 04:20:55 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-10 07:53:03

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An action-packed thriller on a chilly night in Portugal saw Ronaldo et al escape with all 3 points against a spirited Hungarian side, with Ronaldo scoring his 118th international goal, levelling him with the great Ali Daei. Meanwhile, Manchester City right-back Joao Cancelo was the standout player of the night, having scored a thumping goal and delivering an all-around performance to help his side secure victory.

An unsurprising scoreline given the quality of the two sides, Portugal never managed to pull away from Hungary, who kept finding a way back into the match. The opening goal came from Manchester City's Bernardo Silva who finished coolly after a one-two with Ronaldo. Hungary responded almost instantly, as Barnabas Varga side-footed home from close range after Diogo Jota could only knock out a cross into his path. Ronaldo then got his goal to equalize Daei's record, tucking away a Joao Cancelo cross. But the visitors stunned Portugal just before the half-time whistle, as Varga scored another tap-in after Portuugal failed to deal with a corner properly.

The seesaw nature of the match continued in the 2nd half as Portugal retook the lead through Cancelo, who smashed a thunderous effort into the top corner from outside the box after a lay-off from Ronaldo. This time, Portugal managed to see out the match, despite some late pressure from Hungary. Both sides had further chances, with Ronaldo coming close to scoring a 2nd and Hungary having a goal disallowed for a narrow offside decision.

Ultimately, Portugal managed to hold on for a crucial win in Group 4 of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with Cancelo's sublime individual performance proving the difference on the night.

Go!