Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, defeated New Zealand 4-0 in the Group A match of the Confederations Cup at the Saint Petersburg Stadium, securing their place in the semifinals as leaders of their group.
The European champions dominated the weak Oceanic team with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo (34', penalty), Bernardo Silva (37'), André Silva (80'), and Nani (90+1'). This victory allows Portugal to top their group, as the other match ended with Mexico defeating Russia 2-1.
Therefore, the Seleçao will play their semifinal match on Wednesday in Kazan against the second-placed team of Group B, which will be decided on Sunday, most likely Germany or Chile.
New Zealand could only hold on for 20 minutes against Cristiano Ronaldo and company before the match turned into a monologue, with Portugal creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities. The Kiwi goalkeeper, Stefan Marinovic, prevented a bigger goal difference for Portugal with his interventions.
Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot just after the half-hour mark, and from that point on, the All Whites disappeared, except for a few minutes at the start of the second half when they had a great chance to equalize.
Nevertheless, the victory for Portugal was never in danger.
Portugal finishes the group stage with 7 points, the same as Mexico, but the Europeans lead the group thanks to their goal difference (+5 compared to Mexico's +2). AFP.
PRE-MATCH
The modest New Zealand, the only team already eliminated from the Confederations Cup, presents itself as the sacrificial victim for Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese national team, who will seek a resounding victory to secure their place in the semifinals of the tournament.Portugal vs. New Zealand: match schedules
| COUNTRY | TIME |
| Mexico | 10:00 hours |
| Peru | 10:00 hours |
| Ecuador | 10:00 hours |
| Colombia | 10:00 hours |
| Chile | 11:00 hours |
| Argentina | 12:00 hours |
Once he opened his goal-scoring account in the tournament in the last match against Russia (1-0), Ronaldo has another one of those opportunities that he rarely lets slip away to add points in his quest for a fifth Ballon d'Or, which many already consider assured.
In this Group A, the European champions are tied at the top with Mexico, both with 4 points, but Mexico is ahead on goals scored in the tournament (3 to Portugal's 4).
Ronaldo's numbers are a boost of confidence for Portugal: 19 goals in his last 13 matches this season (both with his club and the national team). He now has a total of 74 goals in 141 international matches.
Just like in the second match, Portuguese coach Fernando Santos could make changes to the starting lineup again, some to give rest to his key players and others out of necessity.
This is the case of left-back Raphael Guerreiro, one of the standout players in the first two matches, but who had to be substituted due to injury against Russia.
Possible Lineups
New Zealand: Stefan Marinovic - Tom Doyle, Tommy Smith, Andrew Durante, Themi Tzimopoulos, Michael Boxall - Ryan Thomas, Bill Tuiloma, Michael McGlinchey - Chris Wood, Marco Rojas.Portugal: Rui Patricio - Nelson Semedo, Luis Neto, José Fonte, Eliseu - André Gomes, Danilo, Adrien Silva, Bernardo Silva (or Nani) - Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma (or André Silva).
SOURCE: AFP