Despite qualifying for the Euro 2024 finals, Cristiano Ronaldo and his squad annihilated Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-0 in the qualification round.

*Scoring sequence: Ronaldo (penalty) 5′, 20′, Fernandes 25′, Cancelo 32′, Felix 41′.

Despite the encounter at Bilino Polje Stadium having only procedural significance for Portugal, coach Roberto Martinez nonetheless fielded a good squad.

Last weekend, his team beat the host country Slovakia by a score of 3-2 to advance to the championship round. Ronaldo scored twice in that game, making him the first player in history to qualify for the Euro six times. He now has 125 goals in 202 matches for Portugal.

Even at age 38, this superstar performed admirably yesterday, scoring twice in as many minutes. The first goal was scored from the penalty spot after a handball infraction was called on Adrian Leon Barisic. The Portuguese skipper took a shot that goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic didn’t see coming.

Fifteen minutes later, Ronaldo got a pass from Joao Felix and slid the ball under Sehic’s pressure to score. With nine goals apiece, the Al Nassr striker and Romelu Lukaku are now tied for first place in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2024.

Bosnia and Herzegovina responded to the roar of the home audience by standing to their feet. However, they fell right into Portugal’s trap as they tried to respond. After beating the offside trap, Fernandes volleyed the ball wide from a long pass, and Sehic had no time to adjust. Fernandes caught the ball near the sideline not long after, continuing the counterattack. Joao Cancelo, on the outside of the penalty area, caught his cross and sent it soaring into the bosom of the Bosnia and Herzegovina goal.

The misery for the home team has hardly just begun. When they let Otavio get through their offside trap, Dalot’s pass went right to him. The opposition team’s midfielder set up Felix for an easy goal by passing the ball to him. Despite the offside call, Portugal was awarded the win, as VAR had intervened for the second goal as well.

Portugal, with a five-goal lead, slowed down in the second half. They weren’t as successful offensively, but they also avoided any red cards or serious injuries. Coach Martinez frequently uses his bench players. Importantly, Otavio substituted Joao Neves, a 19-year-old midfielder making his Portuguese national team debut, in the 85th minute.

With this result, Portugal keeps its unbeaten record in Group J in Euro 2024 qualifying intact. Ronaldo and his team have two more games left, on November 16 against Liechtenstein and November 19 against Iceland. Martinez thinks this style of play will best prepare his kids for the upcoming championship.