Portuguese footballers were responsible for a remarkable 22 goals this week, with 19 players scoring in fourteen different countries. Seleção captain Cristiano Ronaldo’s winner for Manchester United is the biggest headline, while fellow internationals Gonçalo Guedes and Andre Silva also found the net in Spain and Germany respectively.
Beto strengthened his case for a call-up to Fernando Santos’ plans with another goal in Italy, and David Costa notched his first strike of the season for Lens in France. There were further goals in the English Championship, Greece, Turkey, Poland, Indonesia, Armenia, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Romania and Israel.
Cristiano Ronaldo was United’s match-winner yet again on Saturday, scoring the only goal in the Red Devils’ 1-0 victory at Norwich City. United kept a clean sheet for the second Premier League match running, addressing long-standing defensive issues, but it was generally a poor showing from the visitors, with their attacking players looking particularly off form.
Ronaldo had a frustrating afternoon up front, but with 15 minutes remaining made the crucial breakthrough when winning a penalty via a foul by Max Aarons. Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul – a penalty-saving expert – attempted to delay proceedings to disrupt Ronaldo, but the Portugal man confidently stroked home the spot kick to give United the three points.
The goal puts Ronaldo on 13 goals from just 16 starts for United in all competitions. Only three players have scored more goals in the English top flight than Ronaldo so far this term: countryman Diogo Jota, Jamie Vardy of Leicester and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Never. In. Doubt. ?
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 11, 2021
? @Cristiano #MUFC | #NORMUN pic.twitter.com/4R2nQf1eXW
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Guedes back with a bang for Valencia
Gonçalo Guedes was rested for Valencia’s win at Celta Vigo last weekend, dropping out of Los Ches’ starting line-up in La Liga for the first time in eight months, and the Portuguese made sure he returned in style on Saturday against Elche.
Guedes was reportedly unhappy at being rested by coach Jose Bordalas, having been selected from the start for 27 consecutive league matches since March. However, the former Benfica man was restored for the home meeting with Elche, and Guedes opened the scoring midway through the second half with an accurate finish to help his team on the way to a 2-1 win.
Silva continues to grow in Germany
André Silva is beginning to hit his stride with new club RB Leipzig after a slow start to the season. Leipzig recently dispensed with coach Jesse Marsch and drafted in promising young boss Domenico Tedesco, and a 4-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday was the perfect start for the new man at the helm.
Silva scored the second for Leipzig with a typical striker’s goal from inside the area, although the Portugal man should have added a second when presented with an open goal after the break, only to strike the bar with his effort. The former Porto man now has four goals in his last five outings for the Bundesliga side.
Costs shines in Lens Ligue 1 defeat
Portuguese youngster David Costa was in fine form for Lens in Ligue 1 this weekend, as he begins to show signs on kicking on with the French club. Costa scored his first goal of the season, then provided an assist as Lens took a 2-0 half time lead against Nantes, but the visitors were pegged back after the break and succumbed to a 3-2 defeat.
Related article: “I am very proud” – Lens’ Portuguese youngster Pereira da Costa scores his first professional goal in Ligue 1
Costa, who is 20, put Lens ahead with a crisp finish on 7 minutes, before sliding Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga through on goal to make it 2-0 after just a quarter of an hour. Costa was starting his fourth league match of the season, having been recalled to the line-up for the first time since October in last week’s 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain.
Nice to see Portugal U19 international David Costa doing well this weekend with a goal and assist inside 15 minutes in France pic.twitter.com/QvaHeiBtZH
— Sean Gillen (@SeanGillen9) December 13, 2021
The rest: Paixão, Cafú on target
Cafú scored his first goal for English Championship side Nottingham Forest, coming off the bench to get the last in a 4-1 win at Swansea City. Former Benfica product Cafú has been with Forest since last October, but his swift right-foot finish from inside the box was his first time on the scoresheet in England.
Flávio Paixão continues to prove a force in Polish football at the age of 37. The striker’s penalty in Lechia Gdansk’s defeat to Jagiellonia Białystok was his 6th goal from 12 starts in the Ekstraklasa. In Greece, meanwhile, there was a Portuguese scorer on each side as Panaitolikos (Frederico Duarte) drew 2-2 with Ionikos (Dálcio) in the Super League.
In Turkey, there was a first goal of the season for ex-Braga midfielder João Novais of Alanyaspor, who recorded an emphatic 6-2 win at Yeni Malatyaspor. Across the border in Armenia, well-travelled forward Hugo Firmino struck twice but was on the receiving end of a 6-2 thrashing as his Pyunik were beaten by Ararat; later José Embaló scored as Alashkert won 2-0 at BKMA .
Former Gil Vicente defender Ricardinho scored in Voluntari’s 1-1 draw with Universitatea Craiova in Romania, while in the Bulgarian First League Lokomotiv Sofia beat Arda 2-0 with the help of a goal from Celso Raposo. In Luxembourg, where Portuguese are routinely prevalent, Tino Barbosa hit a double for Differdange beat Etzella Ettelbrück, and Amâncio Fortes scored as Jeunesse d'Esch won 4-1 at Rodange, for whom Marco Semedo scored the consolation.
Hapoel Beer Sheva remain top of the Israeli Ligat ha’Al, with former Benfica stopper Miguel Vítor scoring in a 2-0 win over Hapoel Nof Hagalil. Carlos Fortes continues to be one of the stars of Indonesia’s Liga 1 with a brace for Arema, coached by Portuguese Eduardo Almeida, in a 2-1 win at Borneo.
Carlos Fortes getting commentators very excited in Indonesia pic.twitter.com/ZPxpsi0QcQ
— Sean Gillen (@SeanGillen9) December 13, 2021
By Sean Gillen
