Portuguese Football in English
Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid (5-3 PKs)In a rematch of the 2014 Champions League Final in Lisbon, Sergio Ramos scored the opener only a quarter hour into the match, but substitute Yannick Carrasco scored an equalizer to force extra time.
But after 30 minutes of extra time, neither team could break the deadlock, and in the penalty kick shootout, Cristiano Ronaldo sealed victory for the All-White half of Madrid.
Ligue 1 has been fertile ground for Portuguese talent over the last few years. Five French-based players will represent the Seleção at the UEFA European Championships in June.
In general 2015/16 was a good season for Portuguese footballers and coaches in France. Seleção fans certainly hope there will be more good news from there in June and July…
PortuGoal takes a look at the top Portuguese performances in France this season.
After impressing hugely in his Braga days, Éder’s career seemed to have been ruined by the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament injury, which he suffered in early 2013. He was never the same player after returning for the Arsenalistas, and a switch to English Premier League side Swansea last summer failed to kick-start his career.
Éder’s luck seems to have changed, however, following a second move in 2015/16, this time on loan to French club Lille. The 28-year-old has been a revelation for the Ligue 1 outfit, and Seleção fans will be hoping he can bring his best form to the national team at Euro 2016. Éder looks certain to be Portugal’s only recognised striker in Fernando Santos’s squad in France.
PortuGOAL takes a look at Éder’s rebirth.
Portugal’s chances of success at Euro 2016 undoubtedly depend to a large extent on how talismanic captain Cristiano Ronaldo and stalwart defender Pepe perform in France.
PortuGOAL readers have the chance to check out the form of the two Real Madrid stars in person, by entering the Anyoption-hosted El Clásico competition.
The winner of the competition receives round-trip airfare, a luxurious hotel stay, and VIP tickets to El Clásico in Barcelona on the weekend of 2 April. Five of the runners-up will receive an official jersey of the team of your choice.
When the idea for this article was first floated, I was planning to write about how I believed José Mourinho was the right man to turn things around at Chelsea, after a poor first half of the 2015-16 season.
I still believe that he is the right man for that role. However, with events unfolding yesterday, it became necessary to go back to the drawing board. And so now I find myself writing about the “Special One” in a past tense.
