Roberto Martinez made the unexpected decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal's Nations League matchup against Scotland.
Surprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo was benched for Portugal's Nations League match against Scotland on Sunday night.
In Portugal's first Nations League matchup against Croatia on Thursday, Ronaldo struck the game-winning goal, marking his 900th goal overall. However, Diogo Jota of Liverpool started up front in lieu of the 39-year-old Al-Nassr striker for the Scotland match, keeping him out of the starting lineup.
What Happened?
In a pre-game interview with RTP, Portugal's manager Roberto Martinez gave his reasoning for starting without Ronaldo, stating: "It's tactical." I wish to distribute the work. Cristiano was the player versus Croatia with the most sprints during the 72-hour game format. Now, it's just a matter of keeping the player safe and having a backup plan."
Alongside Ronaldo, Sporting CP sensation Geovany Quenda was named a substitute. Martinez gave the team that defeated Croatia four opportunities, and Nelson Semedo, Antonio Silva, and Joao Palhinha were also selected into the Portugal starting lineup. Martinez responded, "He is our captain and he knows that it is very important for us," when asked if he had a direct conversation with Ronaldo prior to revealing the squad. The effort must be managed as well. In addition to the two that played 45 minutes, our eleven now includes four new players. It's critical to keep Cristiano safe after his excellent performance against Croatia."
What's Next?
Ronaldo will return to Saudi Arabia later this week ahead of Al-Nassr's next league game against Al-Ahli on September 13. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has hit two goals in his first two Saudi Pro League appearances this season and will be out to increase his tally as Al-Nassr chase down leaders Al-Hilal.
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