Cristiano Ronaldo strikes late for Portugal to break Scotland hearts

Scotland were denied a famous win over Portugal as Cristiano Ronaldo’s late double condemned Steve Clarke’s side to a narrow 2-1 defeat in Lisbon.

Scott McTominay’s first-half header had given the visitors a deserved lead at the interval, but Ronaldo struck twice in the final 20 minutes to snatch victory for the hosts.

The result means Portugal remain top of Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League, while Scotland drop to third after two games.

Scotland made a confident start to the match and took the lead in the 24th minute. Kieran Tierney’s cross from the left was met by McTominay, who powered a header past Rui Patricio from close range.

Portugal gradually began to assert their authority on the game, but Scotland defended resolutely and frustrated the hosts for long periods.

However, Ronaldo finally made the breakthrough in the 78th minute. The Manchester United forward latched onto a cross from Joao Cancelo and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.

And Ronaldo completed the turnaround five minutes later, scoring from the penalty spot after Nathan Patterson had fouled Diogo Jota.

Scotland pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but Portugal held on to secure the victory.

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Scotland manager Steve Clarke said: “I’m proud of my players. We played really well tonight and deserved more from the game.

“We had a game plan and we stuck to it. We knew Portugal would have a lot of possession, but we defended well and created chances of our own.

“We’re disappointed not to get something from the game, but we can take a lot of positives from our performance. We’re still in a good position in the group and we’re looking forward to the next game.”

Portugal manager Fernando Santos said: “It was a difficult game, but we showed great character to come back and win.

“Scotland are a good team and they made it difficult for us, but we found a way to win in the end.

“I’m happy with the performance of my players and I’m confident we can continue to improve as a team.”