Cristiano Ronaldo Ready to Win Another EURO after Scoring Brace in Final Warm up Match

With a magnificent double, Cristiano declared himself fit for Euro 2024, and Portugal finished their preparations with a 3-0 friendly win against the Republic of Ireland.

The 39-year-old, who had previously missed a deflected free kick, scored his 129th and 130th goals for his country, marking his 207th senior appearance, one week before Roberto Martinez's team plays the Czech Republic in Leipzig in Group F.

The second round of John O'Shea's audition for the position of Ireland head coach concluded depressingly as the hosts won comfortably in Aveiro thanks to the lovely goals of skipper Ronaldo in the 50th and 60th minutes and Joao Felix in the first half.

The Republic may not have been expected to defeat a team that was ranked sixth and 54 places above them by FIFA, but O'Shea's warnings to be “horrible" to play against were in vain as the team that had shown they could frustrate and ultimately defeat Hungary a week earlier turned on them in the face of an unrelenting assault.

With Jake O'Brien, starting for the first time for Ireland, handling Bruno Fernandes' cross in the thirteenth minute after the Manchester United midfielder had taken Rafael Leao's ball and been pushed wide by goalie Caoimhin Kelleher, they had begun with enough assurance.

After Fernandes, Ronaldo, and Dalot combined to put Felix up, Kelleher had to stop his 18th-minute effort with his foot. O'Brien again stayed strong to prevent Joao Cancelo's approach to goal, and Robbie Brady unsettled Diogo Dalot as the visitors warmed to their job.

The relief was short-lived, however, as Ireland slept off at the next corner, allowing Cancelo and Fernandes to play it short and feed Felix, who drove a low shot into the bottom corner.

Four minutes later, Ronaldo, who missed the friendlies against Finland and Croatia last week, aimed for his goal for the first time from a 25-yard free-kick. It clipped Adam Idah in the defensive wall and rebounded off the upright, with Seamus Coleman preventing Leao from converting the rebound.

From a Ronaldo lay-off, Fernandes curled a 29th-minute shot into the side netting. Joao Neves was in charge of the centre of the field, and Felix was probing as the Portuguese shifted gears to prick Ireland back deep within their half.

Ten minutes before halftime, Idah made a rare venture into enemy territory. He held off on passing to Sammie Szmodics, whose shot was blocked by Goncalo Inacio. But seconds later, after Coleman had fought his way into the Portugal penalty area, the Norwich forward blasted into the side netting.

Ronaldo was annoyed as referee Chris Kavanagh waved down his lengthy claims for a stoppage-time penalty after Ronaldo went to the ground under Brady's push. Leao shot wide after cutting inside menacingly from Antonio Silva's sweeping crossfield ball.

When he pounced on Fernandes' wise lay-off, the Al-Nassr forward almost got the last laugh, but he sent his well-aimed shot straight at Kelleher as Ireland made it to halftime without any further calamity.

The home team, who had made five changes, continued to control possession after the interval and, unavoidably, via their captain and talisman, extended their advantage after five minutes.

Ronaldo had moved wide to the right to take a long pass from replacement Ruben Neves, then he cut inside Liam Scales and sent a left-foot effort into the top corner, leaving Kelleher powerless.

On the hour, he doubled his total, scooping home replacement Diogo Jota's cross as the visitors were wilting under constant siege.

On a night of scant delight for the few travelling supporters behind his goal, Kelleher palmed away a Fernandes effort and, after fortunately recovering from a tangle with Ronaldo with the ball, had another attempt by the midfielder deflected wide.

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