FIFA World Cup: Portugal Survive Late Drama To Beat Turkey And Stay On Track

Portugal are via to a decisive Environment Cup qualifying enjoy-off ultimate future week after beating Turkey 3-1 in Porto on Thursday, but only just after Burak Yilmaz skipped a vital late penalty for the website visitors. The residence facet had been cruising at the Estadio do Dragao thanks to first-50 % ambitions by Brazilian-born midfielder Otavio and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota. But Turkey’s veteran skipper Yilmaz pulled a aim back in the 65th minute, placing up a tense complete. Turkey had been then awarded a late penalty when a foul on Enes Unal was detected by the German referee following a VAR evaluation, but Yilmaz set the location-kick in excess of the bar and Matheus Nunes secured Portugal’s victory in stoppage time.

The 36-12 months-outdated Yilmaz may well now never get the probability to participate in at a Earth Cup as Turkey’s hold out to return to the finals goes on.

They have not appeared at the Earth Cup because coming 3rd in Japan and South Korea in 2002.

Portugal have not missed out on the event considering that 1998 and they will now assume to safe a spot in Qatar when they host North Macedonia in a participate in-off decider up coming Tuesday.

At 37, Cristiano Ronaldo’s aspiration of Entire world Cup glory remains alive and handful of sides in global soccer can match the attacking threat of Fernando Santos’s workforce.

In this article Santos remaining Joao Felix on the bench and handed a shock commence to Otavio, the Brazilian-born Porto winger.

The 2016 European champions started out strongly and went ahead on the quarter-hour mark as a Bernardo Silva shot hit the submit and Otavio, successful just his third cap, netted the follow-up.

The next goal arrived three minutes ahead of the interval at the conclude of a flowing transfer, as Otavio clipped a cross from the edge of the box for Jota to head in at the back again submit.

Portugal had been cruising but then Turkey pulled a single back in the 65th moment as Cengiz Below slipped a go in for Lille ahead Yilmaz to score.

The property side, missing their initially-decision centre-again pairing of Pepe and Ruben Dias because of to Covid-19 and harm respectively, began to seem shaky and Turkey took edge.

Jose Fonte’s call with Unal in the box was initially skipped by referee Daniel Siebert but he awarded a penalty after examining the visuals, even with the Turkey player clearly exaggerating the effect of the obstacle.

Promoted

Yilmaz could have pressured added time but his 85th-moment kick grazed the bar and flew about, to the aid of the house crowd.

Substitute Nunes, also born in Brazil, designed it 3-1 in the fourth moment of stoppage time, in which all-time top worldwide intention-scorer Ronaldo also hit the bar as Portugal progress.