Portuguese Football in English
Udinese 5-1 Cagliari
Beto became only the second-ever Portuguese to score three times in Serie A this weekend, ending his recent goal drought with the first hat-trick of his career for Udinese against Cagliari on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo had scored the only two previous Luso hat-tricks – coincidentally both also against Cagliari – but Beto takes his tally in the Italian league to 11 with his exploits having recently gone nine games without a goal.
The proliferation of Luso coaches in South America shows little signs of slowing down, with two more bosses from Portugal arriving in Brazil and Argentina to bolster the numbers.
Luís Castro is the new man at the helm with traditional Brazilian giants Botafogo, where he completes a four-man Portuguese powerbase at some of the country’s top clubs. Meanwhile, Pedro Caixinha’s latest stop sees him take the reigns at Talleres de Cordoba in Argentina’s top flight, becoming the first man from Portugal to do so.
Senegal 1-0 Egypt [1-1 on agg, Senegal win 3-1 on pens]
Portuguese Carlos Queiroz is no longer coach of Egypt after their World Cup qualification bid ended in defeat to Senegal on Tuesday evening in Diamniadio.
The Pharaohs suffered yet another heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Senegal, having also lost the final of the African Cup of Nations to the same opponent earlier this year. This time, the 3-1 defeat on penalties cost Queiroz and his side a place at Qatar 2022, and the veteran coach announced his departure in a press conference after the match.
Egypt 1-0 Senegal
Egypt are on the brink of returning to the World Cup after a narrow victory over African champions Senegal in the first leg of their play-off, and coach Carlos Queiroz was in confident mood after the match.
An early own goal by Saliou Ciss gives the Pharaohs the slenderest of advantages ahead of the return leg in Diamniadio on Tuesday. The nations meet just weeks after contesting the African Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won on penalties in Cameroon.
As Portugal prepare to contest the World Cup qualifying play-offs, Gonçalo Guedes and Diogo Jota are perhaps the two most in-form players in front of goal. Jota’s winner for Liverpool in the FA Cup this weekend was the perfect way to follow his strike at Arsenal in midweek, while Guedes continued the most lethal season of his career with a winner for Valencia at Elche.
Meanwhile, Francisco Trincão finally scored for the first time in the Premier League for Wolverhampton Wanderers in their entertaining defeat to Leeds United. In other goals, Tiago Tomás struck late to earn Stuttgart a memorable win in the Bundesliga and Bruma was on the mark for PSV in the Dutch Eredivisie.
