In the highly anticipated clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, it was CR7 who emerged victorious as Portugal defeated Sweden 1-0 in the first leg of the 2014 World Cup play-offs.
The first half was goalless, with neither Ronaldo nor Ibrahimovic displaying their trademark talents. The Luz stadium witnessed a physically intense match with fierce duels.
The first notable opportunity came in the 5th minute when Meireles delivered a deep pass to Moutinho in the area, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Sweden responded with Elmander’s dangerous shot just wide of Rui Patricio’s post.
Portugal dominated with 63% possession but struggled to break through the solid Swedish defense, despite numerous attempts from Postiga, Nani, Ronaldo, and Pepe.
The second half started with Portuguese dominance, and despite several alerts, the Swedish defense remained resilient. In the 82nd minute, Cristiano Ronaldo finally broke the deadlock with a header from a teammate’s pass.
This late goal energized the Swedes, but they couldn’t find an equalizer, and the match ended with a 1-0 victory for Portugal. CR7 secured the win in the first leg over Ibrahimovic, setting the stage for an exciting second leg on Tuesday.
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