Portugal national football team captain Cristiano Ronaldo avoided a potential red card after kicking his former Manchester United teammate Martin Dubravka in the head during a UEFA EURO Qualifiers match against Slovakia.
Portugal took on Slovakia in a UEFA EURO Qualifiers match and secured a 1-0 win. A goal from Bruno Fernandes on the stroke of half-time sealed the win for Portugal, who sit atop the points table in Group J. The Manchester United captain rifled home after making a marauding run into the Slovakian box.
Portugal have now won all five matches they have played in the current UEFA EURO Qualifiers campaign. Cristiano Ronaldo and co. have 15 points from five matches while Slovakia sits second with 10 points from five matches.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo drew a blank against Slovakia. The Portuguese attacker also avoided a potential red card after catching Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in the head.
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Portugal captain CR7 avoids potential red card after dangerous challenge on former Manchester United teammate
Against Slovakia, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo misfired from close range, and, in an attempt to tap the ball in, slid in on former Manchester United teammate Martin Dubravka.
The dangerous challenge caused Martin Dubravka pain, and Cristiano Ronaldo apologised to the Slovakian international for it. Ronaldo also received a yellow card for the tackle but avoided a potential red card.
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Martin Dubravka and Cristiano Ronaldo were teammates at Manchester United for a brief spell during the Portugal captain’s second stint at Manchester United. Dubravka joined the Red Devils on a loan deal from Newcastle United in September 2022.
Newcastle recalled Dubravka from the loan in January 2023, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United parted ways in November 2022.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Portugal’s upcoming game against Luxembourg in the UEFA Euro Qualifiers. The 38-year-old will serve a one-game suspension after he picked up his third yellow card of the UEFA EURO Qualifiers campaign.
Portugal will take on Luxembourg in a match that kicks off at 12:15 a.m. Indian Standard Time on September 12th. Portugal had secured a 6-0 win over Luxembourg when the two sides met in the UEFA EURO Qualifiers earlier this year. Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals in that game.
