(Football news) Portugal defeated North Macedonia 2-0 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers final. It was overall a composed professional performance by the Portuguese team. North Macedonia's dream run is over but reaching the finals in itself was an incredible achievement for them. The good news for football lovers is that Cristiano Ronaldo will be at the World Cup which will most likely be his last. 

At the start of the game Portugal really struggled to get hold of the ball due to some rigorous pressing by North Macedonia. Portugal had to depend on long balls and throw ins just to get the ball out of their half. In the 14th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo was through on goal but dragged his shot wide of the far post. 18 minutes later, Bruno Fernandes intercepted a cross field ball by Stefan Ristovsci before playing it to Ronaldo who slipped a nutmeg pass for Fernandes to smash into the back of the net.

The two Manchester United players combined to give Portugal a much needed goal in the first half. Portugal managed to control the game till Diogo Jota set up Fernandes who got his 2nd of the game in the 65th minute. Both the goals by Fernandes were incredible first time shots hit with power and precision. Ronaldo had a decent game where he had a couple of missed chances and quite a few misplaced passes. The win showed that Portugal can win games with Ronaldo underperforming which makes them even more dangerous when he is on his A game which he usually is.

The man of the match without question was Pepe. The Porto man missed the match against Turkey due to Covid but came back for this one and showed no signs of it. He dominated the game with his awareness and power throughout the 90 minutes. He won headers from defensive set pieces and long balls. The centre back even played a few good passes himself. His return was very crucial and Portugal will just be stronger when Ruben Diaz becomes available again.

Also read: Poland defeat Sweden to qualify for the 2022 World Cup