Match story
- Portugal fired more attempts (12 vs 10 shots).
- Portugal was more accurate in front of goal (58% on target vs 20%).
- Portugal held more of the ball (56% possession).
Portugal defeated Slovakia 0-1 in Euro Championship - Qualification. The fixture is part of the Qualifying Round - 5 stage in the 2023 season. The match was played at Štadión Tehelné pole in Bratislava. G. Nyberg officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Slovakia vs Portugal meeting in Euro Championship - Qualification with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Slovakia and Portugal. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
Euro Championship - QualificationRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
No prediction, odds, or comparable team statistics are available for this fixture yet. When Sportra has model probabilities and market prices, they will appear here as interactive charts.
After the 2-1 win against Al Nassr in the 26-27 Saudi Pro League, Al Ittihad sent a sharp message to star Cristiano Ronaldo: "Cheating and still losing." Cristiano Ronaldo suffered his first setback of the 2026-27 campaign as Al Ittihad asserted their dominance on Matchday 4 of the Saudi Pro League. Following the final whistle, the victorious hosts seized the moment to fire a pointed message at the Al Nassr star on social media: “Cheating and still losing.“ Playing at Alinma Stadium, Al Ittihad surged to a fast start behind George Ilenikhena, who struck twice in the opening 22 minutes to build an early 2-0 cushion. Angelo managed to cut into the deficit in the 36th minute, but with a disciplined home defense sitting deep, Al Nassr were unable to break through for an equalizer in the second half. For Ronaldo, the fixture marked his third start of the 2026-27 season and his first full 90-minute appearance after appearing as a late substitute in the previous two matches. However, the Portuguese icon struggled to influence proceedings, managing just two shots on target across 16 total touches as Al Ittihad restricted his impact. One of the match’s lighter moments occurred when Al Ittihad captain Danilo Pereira received tactical instructions written on a slip of paper from manager Jens Wissing. Ronaldo approached his former international teammate to sneak a glance at the note, prompting Pereira to laugh and jokingly hold the paper out to the Al Nassr captain in a friendly exchange. كريستيانو رونالدو يحاول قراءة ورقة التوجيهات الخاصة بمدرب الاتحاد 🔥🎥#الاتحاد_النصر | #دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/5x5rZYxsdQ— رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) September 5, 2026 However, after securing the 2-1 victory to preserve their unbeaten start to the season, Al Ittihad took a direct shot at Al Nassr and their marquee superstar online. “Cheating and still losing,” posted Al Ittihad’s official English X account, producing a viral response that generated millions of impressions across soccer fanbases. Cheating and still losing! 🔥🤷🏻♂️#Alittihad_Alnassr pic.twitter.com/58nU2o0EhG— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) September 5, 2026 Tough day in the office for Al Nassr The early two-goal cushion allowed Al Ittihad to concede possession and protect their lead behind a compact defensive block. In the second half, Al Nassr held 62 percent of the ball and earned 11 corner kicks, but despite firing 13 total shots, Ronaldo’s side failed to unlock the equalizer. When asked about the team’s fight in his post-match press conference, head coach Ange Postecoglou stood firm: “I think it depends on how you evaluate the match. From what I saw, after the opening 15 minutes, there was only one team creating clear opportunities, and that was us. If you want to discuss character, this group proved last year and continues to demonstrate this season that they possess tremendous character.“ The mounting frustration was equally apparent in forward Joao Felix, who will be suspended for Al Nassr’s upcoming SPL fixture against Abha on Wednesday. Visibly incensed by officiating decisions during the match, the Portuguese international bypassed reporters in the mixed zone with a brief parting comment. “I won’t speak to you, because if I do, I’ll expose this league,” Felix stated as he was heading to the team bus.
With his latest goal for Barcelona against Valencia, Raphinha surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo and matched Lionel Messi in an iconic 21st-century La Liga benchmark. Raphinha has emerged as FC Barcelona‘s chief goalscoring threat during the opening stretch of the 2026-27 season, powering the club to the top of the table with staggering efficiency. With his latest strike in a 5-0 victory over Valencia, Raphinha surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s best four-match league start while matching Lionel Messi for an iconic 21st-century La Liga benchmark. Barcelona visited Valencia for Matchday 4 with an attacking trident featuring Anthony Gordon and Lamine Yamal on the flanks while Raphinha operated as the central striker. The Brazilian once again found his name on the scoresheet in the 50th minute with Barcelona leading 2-0, turning in an accurate cross from Fermin Lopez to redirect the ball into the back of the net. With that finish, Raphinha reached six goals across the opening four fixtures of the 2026-27 La Liga campaign, scoring in every single match thus far. He becomes just the second Barcelona player in the 21st century to accomplish the feat, joining Lionel Messi in elite company. The Barcelona legend was the first player in modern club history to score six goals through the opening four matches of a La Liga season, accomplishing the feat twice. Messi first reached six goals through four games in 2012-13 by netting three braces despite going scoreless on Matchday 3, before repeating the milestone in 2013-14 with a brace and a hat trick despite missing Matchday 2 through injury. Lionel Messi of Barcelona shoots for score in front of Adil Rami of Valencia. (Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images) Operating outside the mold of a conventional central target man, Raphinha stands as the competition’s premier goalscorer. The Brazilian opened his account with a brace in a 5-0 Matchday 1 win over Elche, scored once in a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, added another brace in a 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano, and extended his streak against Valencia. Barcelona sit atop the La Liga standings with a perfect 12 points from four matches, displaying lethal form in front of goal with 17 total team goals while surrendering just two at the defensive end. Cristiano Ronaldo left off the mark Cristiano Ronaldo routinely shattered goalscoring standards following his 2009 arrival at Real Madrid. However, unlike Messi and Raphinha, the Portuguese icon never matched that specific four-game scoring surge to open a La Liga season. Ronaldo’s personal best through Matchday 4 of a La Liga campaign stood at five goals, a mark he achieved across three separate seasons. He first set the standard during his 2009-10 debut campaign before replicating it in 2014-15 and 2015-16, highlighted by a five-goal masterclass against Espanyol on Matchday 3 of the latter campaign. Nevertheless, the Portuguese star produced an unprecedented scoring stretch later in that 2014-15 campaign by racking up nine goals across his first four individual league appearances. After sitting out Matchday 2 due to injury, Ronaldo hit nine goals through Matchday 5, scoring once against Cordoba, once against Atletico Madrid, three against Deportivo La Coruna, and four against Elche.
Mbeumo’s goal was a moment of individual inspiration but Michael Carrick will want more from Fernandes, Cunha and RashfordTunnel vision allowed Bryan Mbeumo seconds of focus, ignoring everyone in red around him, while those in blue provided a guard of honour. In a team game, it was an act of selfishness but sometimes they are the most satisfying, and Manchester United celebrated the single-mindedness when the ball rippled the inside of the netting.This is a new front four for United after Marcus Rashford spent last season at Barcelona but there should be greater familiarity between those who have already spent a year together. Bruno Fernandes is the instigator as a No 10 while Matheus Cunha, Mbeumo and Rashford try to create their own theories of chaos against defence through a complex potion of individual skill, tactical freedom and instinctive collaboration but the formula is yet to be perfected. Continue reading...
Cristiano Ronaldo's dream to claim the 2026 World Cup with Portugal has begun, currently at the Round of 32. Cristiano Ronaldo, even at 41 years old, remains a central figure for both his club, Al Nassr, and the Portugal national team. Still drawing global attention, the key question now is when the legendary striker will take the field again. Cristiano Ronaldo’s next game with Al Nassr is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, when they host Abha for Matchday 6 in the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League at Al Awwal Park. The Portuguese star heads to the game after suffering the first defeat of the season against Al Ittihad 2-1. The icon’s 2026-27 international campaign with Portugal following the 2026 World Cup is set to begin on Thursday, September 24, when they host Wales for Matchday 1 of the of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League. The forward’s last World Cup game came on July 6th, where Spain beat the Selecao in the Round of 16 with a narrow 1-0 win. In the 2026-27 season, which he has stated could be his last one as professional soccer player, the Portuguese icon scored 2 goals and provided 0 assists in 4 games for Al Nassr, while netting 5 goals in 5 UEFA World Cup qualifiers and 3 in the 2026 World Cup for Portugal, with his personal account in 978 career goals. Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal celebrates scoring a goal. Ronaldo faced long break due to FIFA schedule After his stunning bicycle-kick goal against Al Khaleej, Cristiano Ronaldo was rested for Al Nassr’s midweek AFC Champions League Two match. But from that point forward, the Portuguese star endured a 24-day gap without competitive action, a result of the upcoming FIFA competition schedule. From December 1 through 18, Qatar hosted the second edition of the FIFA Arab Cup, with the final between Morocco and Jordan played at Lusail Stadium, the same venue as the 2022 World Cup final. With several Saudi Pro League players involved, including stars of the Saudi Arabian national team, clubs, including Al Nassr, were unable to meet domestic player requirements, forcing the SPL into a temporary pause during the tournament.
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