In a disappointing outing, Cristiano Ronaldo struggled to make an impact as Portugal faced DR Congo. Following Lionel Messi’s remarkable hat-trick against Algeria, expectations were high for Ronaldo to deliver a similar performance. However, DR Congo’s disciplined defense effectively neutralized the Portuguese star throughout the match.
Ronaldo managed only three attempts on goal, none of which were on target. Despite winning two out of three aerial duels, he could not propel his team to a victory. Notably, Ronaldo recorded just five touches in the opposition box and delivered only one pass into the penalty area.
His complete statistical breakdown reveals the challenges he faced during the match: an expected goals (xG) of 0.46 with an expected goals on target (xGOT) of 0.00, and an expected assists (xA) of 0.05. Furthermore, he maintained an impressive passing accuracy of 90%, completing 19 out of 21 passes.
Portugal’s next match in the World Cup is set for June 24 against Colombia, as they seek to bounce back from this performance. In a noteworthy development, João Neves has now positioned himself as one of Portugal’s youngest World Cup scorers.