Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 41-year-old Pepe once again proved it with their actions in the European Cup
In the second round of the 2024 European Championship Group F match held on the 22nd, Portugal defeated Turkey 3-0 and advanced to the round of 16. Cristiano Ronaldo made his eighth assist in the European Championship, tying the historical record.
Portugal and Turkey both won in the first round. Since the Czech Republic and Georgia tied in another match in the second round of Group F on the same day, no matter which team wins this match, Portugal and Turkey will directly secure first place in the group.
Turkey had several shooting opportunities at the beginning of the game through high-pressure defense, but failed to create any real threat. Portugal broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, with Nuno Mendes making a cross from the left and Bernardo Silva scoring the goal without being guarded at the back post.
Seven minutes later, there was a serious communication miscommunication between the Turkish goalkeeper and defender, and Akaidin passed the ball directly into his own goal without any pressure.
After the change of sides, Ronaldo successfully made an offside in the 56th minute. Facing a one-on-one opportunity, he chose to make a selfless pass, assisting Bruno Fernandes to push the ball into the empty goal. Portugal secured the victory 3:0.
![Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 41-year-old Pepe once again proved it with their actions in the European Cup](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/51d3da7ffc8acebdcd405fd4ffdf5453.webp)
39-year-old Ronaldo and 41-year-old Pepe contributed wonderful performances on both offense and defense, which made fans sigh: veterans never die, they just fade away. Ronaldo performed well on the offensive end of this game, and in the second half he selflessly assisted Bruno Fernandes to score a goal, becoming the assist king in the history of the European Cup with 8 assists. In addition, Ronaldo is also the historical scorer of the European Cup, with a total of 14 goals.
Although Ronaldo and Pepe are older, they still performed well in the game.
Pepe played a key role in this match, with a pass success rate of 97%, 7 clearances, 1 interception and 2 steals. Portugal was able to keep a clean sheet, and Pepe played an indispensable role.
39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 41-year-old Pepe, as the two oldest players in Portugal, still have key performances at such an age. The next performance of the "80-year-old combination" is also worth paying attention to.
Although Ronaldo failed to score in the first two group matches, this assist allowed him to tie the record for assists in the history of the European Championships set by Czech star Bobovsky. The 39-year-old Portuguese superstar is currently the player with the most appearances, goals and assists in the history of the European Championships.
![Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 41-year-old Pepe once again proved it with their actions in the European Cup](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/2de0c7d5c58d542451ad979fc3dc6500.webp)
"Turkey started well, but after we scored, we took control of the game. We were very focused on defense and very happy to keep a clean sheet," Portugal coach Martinez said after the game.
Martinez was full of praise for Ronaldo's assist: "That was an extraordinary scene. Facing the goalkeeper, Ronaldo passed the ball to B Fee. This is an example that should be displayed in football academies, showing that the team is the most important."
Turkey coach Montella said: "The 'own goal' was due to miscommunication on the field. Sometimes this happens. Unfortunately, it happened to us today. I hope it will happen to our opponent next time."
Turkey will face the Czech Republic in the final round of the group on the 26th, and they need a draw to ensure their qualification. "We need to look at the positive side, we also have some good things. We need to prepare for the next game and get everything back on track," Montella said.
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