Portugal Lost To Croatia In UEFA Euros 2024: Cristiano Ronaldo was very near to being physically attacked by a reckless fan following Portugal’s disappointing loss against Georgia in the 2024 UEFA Euros.
Portugal took on Georgia in Matchday 3 of Group F. At this stage in the tournament, the Portuguese had already confirmed their place in the round of 16. On the other hand, Georgia needed an unlikely victory to reach the knockout rounds of this tournament for the first time.
In what was a lightning start to the match, Georgia’s star striker, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, sprinted down the pitch with the ball and scored the first goal of the contest in just the second minute.
Portugal was playing a rotated squad in this game because they had already qualified for the next round. Despite that, this team is filled with quality and should not be losing this match.
Check Out:
This game also saw yet another underwhelming performance by Cristiano Ronaldo. The 39-year-old has failed to score even once in this tournament.
Georgia surprisingly doubled their lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 55th minute and converted in the 57th. They would sit on this lead for the full 90 minutes and confirm their place in the round of 16.
After having conceded two goals, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez made a couple of substitutions, one of which was to take out Ronaldo to bring in Goncalo Ramos to bring some fresh legs into the attack.
Cristiano, who is playing his club football for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, was not happy with the change, as he was seen kicking a bottle after being substituted 24 minutes before the end of the game.
Fan Almost Injures Cristiano Ronaldo After Match
But something even more extreme happened after the match concluded. As Georgia players were celebrating one of the biggest wins for the national side and a place in the next round, Portugal players were making their way back to the locker room.
Check Out:
When CR7 started going down a tunnel, a zealous fan jumped from the stands right in front of him. At this point, Ronaldo was descending the stairs, so the fan landed right in front of him on the stairs, nearly wiping the superstar footballer out.
Luckily, a steward stopped in just in time to defend the 39-year-old, tackling the fan out of the way.
Watch: A fan nearly wipes Cristiano Ronaldo down the stairs.
Despite the loss, Portugal finished on top of Group F and will now face Slovenia in their Round of 16 contest on Tuesday, July 2 at 12:30 AM (IST) in Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park (aka Waldstadion).
As for Georgia, they finished third in the group with four points and will face Spain in the Round of 16 on Monday, July 1 at 12:30 AM (IST) in Cologne’s RheinEnergieStadion.
Check Out:
Get the Latest Copa America 2024, UEFA EURO 2024, English Premier League, La Liga, Saudi Pro League, and MLS updates, along with All You Need to Know about Football at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Facebook & Instagram.
