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Portugal have begun their Euros title defense in emphatic style after claiming a 3-0 victory over Hungary to go top of Group F on Tuesday.
Portugal were aiming to make in three wins on the trot across all competitions and stamp their name as one of the tournament’s favorites.
Hungary, meanwhile, headed into the game on a seven-game winless streak against Portugal and were looking to end this poor run of results.
Portugal utterly dominated the proceedings in the first half. They had over 67% of the possession as Hungary sat deep, opting to hit back with counterattacks.
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The first half finished goalless and Portugal failed to make the most of their chances with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Jota failing to hit the target from close range.
However, Fernando Santos’ men upped the ante in the second half. They were rewarded with the opening goal five minutes away from time through Borussia Dortmund full-back Raphael Guerreiro.
Ronaldo made up for his first-half missed sitter as he doubled Portugal’s lead from the penalty spot after Willi Orban hacked down Rafa Silva in the box.
With that goal, Ronaldo became the all-time leading goalscorer at the UEFA European Championship.
The Juventus man then completed the rout in the 92nd minute after latching on to a neat pass from Silva to round up Peter Gulacsi and tap into an empty net.
Portugal player ratings
Rui Patricio 6/10
The Wolverhampton Wanderers man was largely undisturbed in the first half as the Hungarians were pegged back. However, he was called to action on a few occasions in the second half as Hungary pushed forward for a winner.
Nelson Semedo 7/10
Nelson Semedo put in an outstanding performance in the game. He was solid at both ends of the pitch as he often marauded forward to join the attack while diligently going about his defensive duties. The Wolves man won a game-high 11 duels, while completing over 90% of his passes.
Ruben Dias 6.5/10
The Portugal defender put in a neat and tidy outing against the Hungarians. Despite picking up a first-half booking, he remained calm and collected, and stood his ground whenever called to action.
Pepe 6.5/10
The veteran defender put in a vintage performance at the center of the defense for Portugal. He played the role of helping Fernando Santos’ men play the ball out from behind.
Raphael Guerreiro 7/10
The Borussia Dortmund man put in a solid shift down the left flank. He linked up well with Diogo Jota in attack. Raphael Guerreiro broke the deadlock in the 84th minute with a neat finish.
Danilo Pereira 6/10
The Juventus man played alongside William Carvalho as a deep-lying midfielder in the game. He was solid defensively, winning several key battles at the center of the park and preventing the Hungarian forwards from growing into the game. He finished the game with two clearances, two interceptions and three tackles, while winning seven of his 12 attempted duels.
William Carvalho 6/10
Carvalho put on an industrious performance for Portugal at the center of the park. Playing in a deeper midfield role, he provided vital defensive cover for his defenders.
Bruno Fernandes 6.5/10
Bruno Fernandes was a constant threat to the Hungarian defenders thanks to his eye for goal and adept reading of the game. He linked up well with his teammates and created a few decent goalscoring chances. He was replaced by Jao Moutinho in the 89th minute.
Bernardo Silva 7/10
The Manchester City man had a slow start to the encounter but gradually grew into the game. He was a menace to the Hungarian duo of Attila Fiola and Atilla Szalai down the right flank. He occasionally displayed his neat footwork before sending dangerous crosses into the penalty area.
Diogo Jota 6.5/10
Diogo Jota had a decent outing for Portugal. He was vivacious down the left flank and found threatening pockets of space in the attack. However, he failed to impact the game as he struggled to find the target.
Cristiano Ronaldo 7.5/10
It was a tale of two halves for the five-time Balon d’Or winner. He squandered a glorious opportunity from pointblank range in the first half, but made up for it from the penalty spot with three minutes remaining on the clock. Ronaldo put the icing on the cake clock as he scored his second goal of the game in the 92nd minute to hand Portugal a three-goal lead.
Player ratings for Portugal substitutes
Andre Silva 5/10
The Frankfurt striker replaced Diogo Jota in the 81st minute as Portugal opted for fresh legs in attack. He failed to make any impact in the game.
Renato Sanches 5/10
He came in for midfielder William Carvalho with nine minutes remaining on the clock but made no telling contributions.
Rafa Silva 8/10
The full-back put in the highest quality performance since coming on to replace Bernardo Silva. He won the assist leading to Portugal's second goal before providing the assist for the third goal.
Jao Moutinho N/A
Moutinho came on in the final minute of regular time and made no telling contribution.
