Wednesday 6 July 2016

Ronaldo, Nani send Portugal into Euro 2016 final

LYON, FRANCE: Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and inadvertently set up the other as Portugal ground out a 2-0 win over Wales on Wednesday to march into the Euro 2016 final.The Portuguese superstar, who has had to soak up a lot of criticism for a lacklustre tournament by his high standards,
majestically powered in a 50th-minute header to put his side in front.Ronaldo then saw his shot turned in by Nani for a second goal three minutes later, ending Wales' remarkable run at their first major finals since 1958. The Portuguese, who had not won a single game in the tournament over 90 minutes, next meet hosts France or Germany who play their semi-final on Thursday."We've been dreaming about this from the start," Ronaldo told reporters. "We knew it would be a long way but we've fought all the way."Wales kept their opponents quiet in the first half but could not recover the two-goal deficit, ending a scintillating run that has captivated millions back home and turned their players into heroes.The Welsh, with midfielder Aaron Ramsey suspended and replaced by Leicester City's Premier League winner Andy King, had an early spell of possession but a tight Portugal defence kept them at bay.Portugal, bidding for their first Euro final since losing on home soil to Greece in 2004, had their first chance in the 16th minute, a low drive by Joao Mario after a clever flick from Ronaldo.

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