Scotland managed to frustrate Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in a 0-0 draw at Hampden Park on Tuesday, avoiding a fifth consecutive competitive defeat. The result marked a critical moment for the Scots, who had been on the brink of a historic losing streak in competitive play.
Goalkeeper Craig Gordon produced a pivotal save late in the game, denying a powerful strike from Bruno Fernandes that could have given Portugal the win. Despite this, Scotland held on for their first point in the top tier of the Nations League, offering some respite after a difficult run of form.
Portugal, who remain atop Group A1, were unable to secure their spot in the quarter-finals of the competition with the draw. They will need to wait for another opportunity to confirm their place in March’s final stages.
Cristiano Ronaldo made his 216th international appearance in the match, also reaching a milestone of 200 starts for his country. However, the 39-year-old, who has scored 133 goals for Portugal, was unable to add to his tally. After the match, Ronaldo was visibly upset and stormed off the field, voicing his frustration at the officials.
Scotland, meanwhile, extended their competitive winless streak to over a year, with their last victory in such a match dating back to June. Despite this, Steve Clarke’s team showed resilience in their efforts to avoid defeat in front of their home crowd in Glasgow.
The Scots had an early opportunity to take the lead when Scott McTominay’s close-range header was saved by Diogo Costa just five minutes into the game. Portugal dominated possession as expected but struggled to create many clear chances, with Francisco Conceicao firing over the bar early in the second half.
Ronaldo came close to breaking the deadlock later, but his shot narrowly missed the target after a series of challenges by Scottish defenders. However, the best chance of the game fell to Bruno Fernandes, whose low strike was expertly parried by Gordon, with the Scottish goalkeeper collecting the ball on the second attempt.
Despite the draw, Scotland still faces the threat of relegation from the top tier of the Nations League. They trail Poland, who drew 3-3 with Croatia, by three points with two games left to play. Croatia, meanwhile, are second in the group, three points behind Portugal, whom they will host next month.
