Ronaldo hits hat-trick as Portugal crush Lithuania

Ronaldo hunts down Daei

When Ronaldo hit is hat-trick goal – Bernardo again involved with the assist – a historic scoreline was on the cards given that it was 6-0 with around half an hour of the match still remaining. Ronaldo has now scored 98 goals for Portugal, and is just 11 short of catching the top all-time international goalscorer, Iran’s Ali Daei. There is little doubt that CR7 will claim the outright record.

Portugal slowed the pace a little, substitutions further broke the rhythm yet the chances kept on coming, Paciência and Bruma with the best of them but Setkus kept out their efforts. Despite conceding six goals and making a terrible mistake for Paciência’s goal, the Lithuania goalkeeper stood out as the best performer for the Baltic team.

Indeed, as satisfying a night as it was for Portugal, so weak were Lithuania that it is difficult to draw too many conclusions, but the vibrancy with which Ricardo Pereira and Gonçalo Paciência in particular took their opportunity suggests Fernando Santos could well be using them in his starting XI in coming games, starting with Sunday’s showdown against Luxembourg.