Ronaldo header gives Portugal 1-0 win over hosts Russia
Soccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo heads at goal REUTERS/Darren Staples
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo headed an early winner as Portugal beat hosts Russia 1-0 in the Confederations Cup on Wednesday to go top of Group A and spoil Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev's 100th cap.
European champions Portugal took the lead when captain Ronaldo headed a precise cross by Raphael Guerreiro past Akinfeev in the eighth minute and then held on as a re-energised Russia created chances in the second half.
Akinfeev had kept his team in the match early in the second half when he tipped a powerful header by Andre Silva round the post.
Soccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo scores their first goal REUTERS/Darren Staples
Russia squandered two scoring chances in stoppage time, with Georgy Dzhikya's header sailing over the bar while a Fedor Smolov drive floated wide.
The win moved Portugal top of the table with four points after they conceded an equaliser in stoppage time to draw their opening match 2-2 against with Mexico.
Russia stay on three points while, Mexico (1) take on New Zealand (0) later on Wednesday.
Soccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first goal with Bernardo Silva REUTERS/John Sibley
Russia face Mexico on Saturday in their last group game, when Portugal play New Zealand.
(Reporting by Moscow newsroom, editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)
Soccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Portugal’s Adrien Silva in action with Russia’s Yuri Zhirkov REUTERS/John SibleySoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Portugal’s Adrien Silva in action with Russia's Alexandr Erokhin REUTERS/John SibleySoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Russia’s Yuri Zhirkov in action with Portugal’s Andre Gomes REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovSoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match REUTERS/Darren StaplesSoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Russia’s Fedor Smolov in action with Portugal’s Eliseu REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovSoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match with Bruno Alves and teammates REUTERS/John SibleySoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Russia's Alexandr Erokhin in action with Portugal’s Andre Gomes REUTERS/Darren StaplesSoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 PortugalÕs Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Alves celebrate after the match REUTERS/John SibleySoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Russia’s Fyodor Kudryashov REUTERS/Darren StaplesSoccer Football - Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
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