Portugal Sink Luxembourg 9-0 in Euro 2024 Qualifying

Portugal Sink Luxembourg 9-0 in Euro 2024 Qualifying

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Bruno Fernandes starred for Portugal in a dominant 9-0 victory against Luxembourg in the Euro 2024 qualifying match on Monday, despite missing their key player and all-time leading goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo due to suspension.

Roberto Martinez’s team has won all six of their qualifying matches, not letting in a single goal while scoring 24 themselves, marking their biggest-ever victory. Portugal is leading Group J, holding a five-point advantage over second-place Slovakia, whom they defeated in Bratislava last Friday. Luxembourg is in third place, trailing Slovakia by three points.

Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes, who secured Portugal’s victory against Slovakia, provided three assists and scored a goal himself. Goncalo Ramos, Diogo Jota, and Goncalo Inacio each netted two goals, while Ricardo Horta and Joao Felix also got on the scoresheet.

Under Martinez, who took over as coach after the Qatar World Cup, Portugal has maintained a perfect 100% win record.

“We are still at the beginning of a new era with a new coach and we are still taking on board the coach’s ideas,” said Jota. “Today we set a reference point match (to look at in) the future.”

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Inacio, the Sporting Lisbon defender, gave the home team the lead in the 12th minute by heading in a precise cross from Fernandes, who delivered it using the outside of his foot. Ramos, the striker from Paris Saint-Germain, doubled the lead just five minutes later, capitalizing on Fernandes’ high pressing to regain possession and then scoring. The 22-year-old striker added another goal in the 33rd minute with a smart turn and a precise finish, marking his sixth goal in eight appearances for the national team.

Liverpool striker Jota came close to scoring but hit the crossbar as Portugal maintained their dominance at the Algarve stadium on the country’s southern coast. Inacio scored his second goal with a header from yet another Fernandes cross just before halftime, and Jota added the fifth goal early in the second half, with the setup once again provided by the midfielder from Manchester United.

This victory mirrored their previous 6-0 win over Luxembourg in their initial meeting in the Grand Duchy. Horta sealed the deal with Portugal’s sixth goal of the night, unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box to match their earlier tally.

Jota, who had earlier assisted Horta, smashed in the seventh goal as Portugal showed no mercy and continued to push forward relentlessly. Fernandes completed his virtuoso performance by scoring the eighth goal, matching their previous best of an 8-0 win achieved on three occasions. However, substitute Felix sealed Portugal’s new record with a superb ninth goal from the edge of the box.

“It was a satisfactory aspect that, being 4-0 or 5-0 up, the team kept playing the same way as if it was 0-0,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said. “When you get that, it shows you the values of the players and that the respect toward the team is essential — that was really good to see.”

Martinez’s team has a chance to secure qualification for Euro 2024 on October 13 if they defeat Slovakia and if Luxembourg does not manage to defeat Iceland.

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