THERE may be no “I” in team but there’s two in Cristiano Ronaldo.
Yet something strange happened in the 55th minute.
Faced with the choice of trying to open his account at his sixth Euros or killing off Turkey, Ronaldo unselfishly squared the ball for Bruno Fernandes.
And in what had threatened to be a really competitive game, Portugal were three goals ahead and cruising into the last 16.
In truth, it was by far the best moment of another low-key performance from Ronaldo.
Apart, perhaps, from when he happily posed for a selfie with a young pitch invader – the first of many.
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It was Ronaldo’s fellow elder statesman, Pepe, who impressed more as Roberto Martinez’s team stood firm against a vibrant Turkish side who were undone by a calamitous first-half own goal.
Not long after Bernardo Silva had given Portugal the lead, Samet Akaydin made a terrible error.
The Turkey centre back failed to realise that Altay Bayindir, Manchester United’s back-up goalkeeper, had come out of his goal.
As the ball trickled over the line it took Turkey’s hopes with it.
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Thanks to Pepe and a more solid-looking Portugal side, they never really recovered and Fernandes’ goal put them out of their misery.
Just like Turkey’s opener in Cologne, this must have felt like a home game for the men in white, with more than 30,000 of those in the ground supporting them.
But Portugal coped superbly with the initially intimidating atmosphere.
Their mental stability was surely helped by the return to a back four after Roberto Martinez’s quirky 3-4-3 against the Czech Republic, and this was a far more impressive performance from one of the tournament favourites.
The inclusion of Bayindir, for the injured Mert Gunok, was one of four changes by Turkey boss Vincenzo Montella.
Yet Turkey started like the same dynamic team seen in the 3-1 win over Georgia.
Twice in the opening minutes lively left winger Kerem Akturkoglu was close to getting a decisive touch on crosses from the right.
But moments after Pepe put in a crucial tackle on Orkun Kokcu, Portugal took the lead.
Kokcu’s touch on Nuno Mendes’ cross wrongfooted Ronaldo but not Bernardo, who swept the ball goalwards hard enough that Bayindir could not stop it.
Then came Akaydin’s calamitous moment. Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo were still blaming each other for a failed through ball by Cancelo as the Panathinaikos defender went to retrieve.
But Akaydin did not look up to check Bayindir’s position and hit a blind backpass which rolled over the line before the ‘keeper or Zeki Celik could stop it.
Turkey almost hit back immediately, but Portugal ‘keeper Diogo Costa kept out Akturkoglu’s near-post effort.
The game was now end-to-end and thrill-a-minute.
Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo fired off target. With 41 years’ worth of anticipation, Pepe intercepted Akturkoglu’s cutback.
Either side of Costa saving from Kokcu, Rafael Leao received a yellow card for diving for the second game in a row and then saw Akaydin harshly booked for a challenge on him.
Martinez removed yellow-carded Leao and Palhinha at half time, sending on Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves from his stellar bench.
Martinez’s men controlled the start of the second half and then took the game away from Turkey.
Ronaldo was just onside from Neves’ through ball, but he wasn’t. Faced with the choice of shooting or giving Fernandes a tap-in, he chose the latter.
Soon afterwards, and not for the first time in the game, the 39 year old mistimed a header that he would have buried in his prime.
No matter. The game was won. Turkey’s young superstar in the making, Arda Guler, was fit enough only for a late, ineffective cameo.
Pepe went off to a standing ovation from the Portugal fans. CR7 stayed on for the full 90, again, giving four more selfie-seekers the chance to try their luck.
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But the supporting cast for the Ronaldo show is emerging from his shadow.
And if it means winning another Euros, he is happy to play along.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
