Will Cristiano Ronaldo start against Turkey in UEFA Euro 2024?

Ronaldo had an underwhelming outing against Czechia in first group game.

Portugal kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a thrilling 2-1 comeback win against a resilient Czechia at the Leipzig Stadium, securing all three points. The match was far from easy for the team in red and green, as Czechia took a well-deserved lead in the 62nd minute with a fantastic strike by Lukas Provod.

The Czechs stunned Portugal with their well-organized defense and deadly counterattacks. However, the 2016 Euro champions dug deep and equalized just seven minutes later through an own goal by Czech defender Robin Hranac after a mix-up in the box. The game seemed destined for a draw with little time remaining, but substitute Francisco Conceicao became the nation’s hero with a crucial goal in stoppage time, securing a dramatic triumph for Portugal.

Despite the win, questions were raised about Roberto Martinez’s side, which started the match strong but struggled to convert their dominance into goals.

One of the biggest talking points was the underwhelming performance of global sensation Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal captain, who broke the record for the most appearances at the competition by featuring in his sixth Euro, was not at his usual best, missing several clear goal-scoring opportunities throughout the game

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to start against Turkey

Despite the widespread criticism for his poor first-match showing, Cristiano Ronaldo is still one of Portugal’s best players. The 39-year-old striker will be even hungrier now to deliver the goods in a key Group F encounter against table-toppers Turkey, who won their opening match 3-1 against Georgia.

Heading into the tournament, Ronaldo enjoyed a prolific season at his club, Al-Nassr FC, where he finished the league campaign as the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot winner with a record-breaking 35 goals and 11 assists (44 goals and 13 assists across all competitions).

To add to this, he led Portugal to an unbeaten UEFA European Qualifiers campaign with 10 wins out of a possible 10 and finished second on the top scorer’s chart with 10 goals.

This talented Portugal squad that encompasses world-class players in every position will look to be at their creative best against Turkey to serve chances for their star talisman, who will be itching to be back in business. Portugal is placed in Group F of Euro 2024 alongside the likes of the Czechia, Turkey, and Georgia.

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