4 September 2005, by Tom Kundert

Portugal crush Luxembourg in relentless march towards Germany

Portugal 6-0 Luxembourg

Without moving into top gear Portugal swept aside a fragile Luxembourg side in the Algarve yesterday.

Goals from central defenders Jorge Andrade and Ricardo Carvalho opened the way before Pauleta and Simão each grabbed a brace.

The win leaves Portugal requiring a maximum of 4 points from their remaining 3 matches to ensure top spot and automatic qualification for the World Cup 2006.

Portugal started slowly and it required a fine diving stop from Ricardo in the 3rd minute to prevent Luxembourg from taking a shock lead.

Spurred on by a near capacity crowd at the Algarve stadium, the home side gradually began to turn the screw. Maniche, Pauleta and Deco all peppered the Luxembourg goal from long range, but a combination of some wayward shooting and impressive goalkeeping by Oberweis kept Portugal at bay until the 24th minute.

Jorge Andrade, who has found the net three times already this season for his club Coruña, took his rich goal-scoring vein onto the international stage, nodding in Figo’s pinpoint free-kick. Soon after Ricardo Carvalho made it two heading in a Figo corner.

Andrade and Deco impress

Portugal were now dominating at will, with Deco and Jorge Andrade particularly active, the former proving impossible to contain, while the big central defender made a number of incisive forays to support Portugal’s incessant attacking.

Pedro Pauleta, who has also started the season at PSG in good form, scored the goal of the night after 37 minutes when he took down a superb 50-metre Jorge Andrade pass with his first touch and sent a beautiful lob over the goalkeeper with his second.

Scolari brought on João Moutinho for Maniche at half time and the 18-year-old Sporting dynamo capped an accomplished display by setting up Pauleta’s second after 56 minutes.

Another substitute Simão Sabrosa also made a lively entrance, scoring a quick-fire brace, the first of which was an expertly converted 20-metre free kick.

Portugal now travel to Moscow in good heart with a comfortable five-point cushion over Slovakia and Russia. Standings.

Portugal
Ricardo, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Jorge Andrade, Nuno Valente, Costinha, Maniche (João Moutinho, 46), Figo, Deco (Hélder Postiga, 68), Cristiano Ronaldo (Simão Sabrosa, 62), Pauleta
Yellow Card: Deco, 29

Luxembourg
Oberweis, Feder Stiel, Heinz, Lang (Schnell, 40), Reiter, Alphonse Leweck, Strasser, Sebastien (Sabotic, 68), Pace (Sagramola, 62), Collette, Hoffmann
Yellow Card: Leweck, 58

Goals:
[1-0] Jorge Andrade, 24
[2-0] Ricardo Carvalho, 30
[3-0] Pauleta, 37
[4-0] Pauleta, 56
[5-0] Simão Sabrosa, 79
[6-0] Simão Sabrosa, 84