Euro 2024: Ronaldo’s Portugal cruises past Turkey to secure R16 spot

Portugal cruised into the Euro 2024 round of 16 on Saturday with a dominant 3-0 victory over Turkey, securing the top spot in Group F.

Bernardo Silva opened the scoring with a superb finish in the 21st minute. Shortly after, a humorous own goal by Samet Akaydin extended Portugal’s lead, and Bruno Fernandes added a third with a second-half tap-in, all in front of enthusiastic Turkish supporters in Dortmund.

Looking every bit like potential champions, Portugal’s star-studded squad had no trouble handling Vincenzo Montella’s spirited but limited Turkish team.

Cristiano Ronaldo, aiming to become the oldest goalscorer in European Championship history, will have at least two more opportunities to achieve this milestone. Coach Roberto Martinez confirmed that the 39-year-old is fit to play every four days.

Ronaldo demonstrated his unselfish play by setting up Fernandes for a simple goal in the 56th minute after beating Turkey’s offside trap. He also took a moment to pose for a selfie with a young fan who invaded the pitch during the second half.

With a perfect record of six points, Martinez’s team will face one of the four best third-place finishers in the next round and can approach their final group game against Georgia without any pressure.

Turkey, on the other hand, needs at least a draw against the Czech Republic on Wednesday to secure second place.

Turkish fans showed up in massive numbers at the Westfalenstadion, creating long traffic jams hours before the 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) kickoff. Some fans even led chants from the tops of cars as they slowly made their way to the stadium.

Inside the stadium, the Turkish supporters created a loud and hostile environment, jeering the Portuguese team during their pre-match warm-up. However, once the game began, Portugal’s superior quality became evident. Silva’s goal came from a deflected low cross by Nuno Mendes, confidently finished by the Manchester City midfielder.

Soon after, Akaydin’s poor backpass resulted in an own goal, despite Zeki Celik and goalkeeper Altay Bayindir’s attempts to stop it from crossing the line. These two early goals and Portugal’s dominance silenced the passionate crowd.

Fernandes sealed the victory by calmly finishing a pass from Ronaldo, his former Manchester United teammate, prompting Portuguese fans to celebrate reaching the last 16.

The game also saw a lighthearted moment when a young fan ran onto the pitch during a substitution stoppage. He managed to snap a photo with Ronaldo before being escorted off, to the amusement of the crowd. However, Ronaldo was less amused when five older fans tried to follow suit, resulting in boos and their removal by security.

Overall, Portugal’s commanding performance ensured their place in the knockout stages, while Turkey faces a crucial match to keep their hopes alive.