Portugal 4-0 Lichtenstein: 5 talking points as Cristiano Ronaldo nets brace in record-breaking appearance

Portugal brushed off Liechtenstein 4-0 in their opening match of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers on Thursday (March 23).

Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva put A Selecao up by two before a brace from Cristiano Ronaldo, including a superb free-kick, gave them a resounding win. It also meant Roberto Martinez got off to a winning start as their head coach, having been appointed in January.

Ronaldo and Co. were dominant from the off and Cancelo opened the scoring in the eighth minute. However, the Blue-Reds prevented their mighty hosts from extending their lead any further in the remainder of the half.

Silva doubled their advantage soon after the restart before Ronaldo fired home a penalty. He doubled his tally on the night with an unstoppable free-kick shortly after as the Al-Nassr star celebrated his record-breaking appearance in style.

Portugal visit Luxembourg for their next qualifying match on Sunday, March 26.

Here are the five talking points from the match:

#5 Roberto Martinez era starts off with a bang

Roberto Martinez won his first match as Portugal manager, having been sacked by Belgium last year

Head coach Roberto Martinez oversaw his first match since taking charge of Portugal's national team in January against Lichtenstein. It's fair to say that he couldn't have gotten off to a better start.

A Selecao were dominant in the game from the off, but struggled to score more than one goal in the opening half. However, their persistence paid off after the break as they struck thrice while also holding their own defensively.

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Yes, it's only Liechtenstein, one of the weakest sides in the world, but the Spaniard won't mind as his tenure started on a good note.

#4 Benjamin Buchel rescued Liechtenstein from suffering a humiliation

Lichtenstein goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel pulled off a series of fantastic saves to keep the score down to 4-0

For a side ranked 198 in the world, losing 4-0 to one of the top 10 best sides in the world isn't necessarily a humiliation for Lichtenstein. However, the scoreline could have been much worse if not for their goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel.

The 33-year-old made seven saves on the night, some of which were from very close range as he kept Portugal from widening their scoreline. Buchel was vigilant to the home side's movements and rushed out of line whenever he had to. He also showed sharp reflexes, deflecting or diverting plenty of shots away from danger.

His best moment of the night was perhaps a spectacular double save midway through the second-half. Buchel first kept out Ruben Dias' header from point-blank range following a corner and then denied Goncalo Inacio on the rebound.

#3 Joao Cancelo packs a punch for Portugal

Joao Cancelo was superb for A Selecao in their win over Lichtenstein

Cristiano Ronaldo may have bagged all the headlines on the night but Joao Cancelo was truly the Player of the Match with a spectacular performance.

The on-loan Bayern Munich full-back caused Liechtenstein all sorts of problems with his electric runs and devastating link-ups. He also opened the floodgates with an early strike, though his team took a little longer to add to his goal.

Time and again, Cancelo maneuvered his way through the Blue-Reds defense to send in brilliant crosses. He was also a menace with his pace, even winning a penalty as the visitors threw caution to the wind while trying to stop him.

Overall, Cancelo, playing as a right wing-back, recorded 116 touches, two big chances created, six successful dribbles and three shots on target. He also won a foul and 11 of his 16 duels, while making an interception and a tackle to boot.

He was undeniably the wrecker-in-chief for Portugal and reminded everyone of his potential once again after a few difficult weeks at club level this season.

#2 Liechtenstein capitulated after the break

Portugal found the back of the net thrice in the second half

Portugal broke the deadlock as early as the eighth minute, leading many to believe that they could run away with the game before half-time.

However, Liechtenstein held firm for the remainder of the half despite enormous pressure to keep the scores at 1-0. The Blue-Reds hardly got a whiff of the ball as the hosts dominated possession, but held them from carving out clear-cut chances, staying compact at the back.

Ranked a lowly 198 in the world, this was supposed to be a cakewalk for Portugal, but Lichtenstein made life difficult for them. Unfortunately, though, their defensive resolve crumbled to pieces after the break.

A Selecao doubled their advantage just two minutes into the restart through Bernardo Silva. It then went from bad to worse for the visitors when Cancelo won a penalty and Ronaldo duly converted from the spot.

Lichtenstein then conceded a free-kick to Portugal after Palhinha was fouled just outside the box. Ronaldo fired it into the back of the net once more to put the game well beyond doubt.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo shines on a night full of records

Cristiano Ronaldo added another feather to his cap and two more goals to his record on Thursday

All eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday night and understandably so. The Portuguese captain marked his 197th appearance for the national team, moving past Bader Al-Mutawa on the all-time list to create a new record.

Ronaldo marked the occasion with a brace, netting a neat penalty and a stunning free-kick. By doing so, he extended his all-time goalscoring record to 120 international goals, including 100 in competitive games, another record.

Among active players, only Lionel Messi comes close, but even he is still 21 goals behind his arch-rival on the international stage.

Ronaldo, who scored a wonderful free-kick with Al-Nassr just days before, struggled to find the back of the net in the opening stanza against Lichtenstein. That should have been a warning, though, as he wasn't going to be denied all night, was he?

Ronaldo's penalty was his first for Portugal since netting a penalty against Ghana in the 2022 FIFA World Cup group stages six games ago. It ended a worrying drought and fans will hope to see him continue in the same vein for the rest of the calendar year.