Cristiano Ronaldo scores winner as Scotland suffer third late defeat in a row

Scotland have suffered a third agonising late defeat in a row with a 2-1 Nations League loss to Portugal in Lisbon.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 901st career goal with just two minutes left on the clock to seal all three-points for the home-side as Steve Clarke’s men conceded late on yet again.

It follows on from injury-time defeats to Hungary at Euro 2024 and Poland at Hampden on Thursday.

Scott McTominay, who has become a bit of a talisman for the country in recent years, sent a bullet header into the top corner to score his 11th international goal and give Scotland an early lead.

After a good opening spell for Steve Clarke’s side they were forced to defend for most of the first-half and had Angus Gunn to thank for keeping them in-front at the break.

But Bruno Fernandes equalised early in the second when he produced a long-range strike past the Norwich goalkeeper.

Portugal ramped up the pressure in the closing stages and Gunn made a series of good saves to keep the score level until the 88th minute when Ronaldo popped up with the winner.

Scotland were on the front-foot from the start as they tried to take the game to the hosts and John McGinn did well to win an early corner after a bursting run down the left-hand side.

Billy Gilmour’s corner was headed behind for another that was eventually cleared by Diogo Jota.

They found themselves in-front soon after when McTominay kept up his good record for the national team with his second in two Nations League games and tenth in his last 17 caps.

Andy Robertson took the ball down the wing before laying it back to Kenny McLean who curled into the Napoli midfielder and he headed past keeper Diogo Costa from close range to make it 1-0 on the 7th minute.

Portugal then had a good spell of possession as they looked to get themselves back level.

Jota, Nuno Mendes, Antonio Silva and Rafael Leao all came close to getting an equaliser in the first-half but Scotland held out and took their lead into the break.

When you are behind at half-time and needing a goal there can’t be many better players to bring on than veteran forward Ronaldo who scored his record-breaking 900th career goal on Thursday night.

And Roberto Martinez called on his legendary captain to start the second-half in the hope he could produce another bit of match-winning magic, even at the ripe old age of 39.

It was Ronaldo’s old Manchester United teammate Fernandes who got Portugal back level early in the second-half.

The midfielder fired a long-range shot into Gunn’s bottom corner to make it 1-1 on the 53rd minute.

Scotland had a good spell of possession midway through the half as they looked to get themselves back in front and won a flurry of corners, firstly when Ryan Christie’s strike deflected wide off Ronaldo, then when Costa punched an Andy Robertson cross behind and an Anthony Ralston shot was cleared by Joao Felix.

Clarke made his first changes of the match when he replaced McLean and Lyndon Dykes with Ryan Gauld and Tommy Conway for the last 20 minutes.

Felix then came close to giving Portugal the lead when he was played through following a nice move from the home side that cut Scotland’s defence open.

But Gunn did well to keep it out with a strong save to deny the Chelsea winger with just over ten minutes left on the clock.

The keeper was forced into action again when he made a stunning save from a Fernandes shot before Ronaldo hit the outside the post with the rebound.

And Ronaldo came a couple of inches away just moments later when he hit the woodwork again, this time on the inside of the post from a header, before Gunn sprung into action again to deny what would have been a certain goal by Felix.

It was real backs to the wall stuff for Scotland going into the last five minutes and Gunn was the thorn in Portugal’s side again when he kept out a Dias header.

But it was almost looking inevitable that they would get their goal eventually and it was Ronaldo who turned home from close range to make it 2-1 in the closing stages.

That makes it two defeats from two for Scotland in the Nations League and two wins from two for Portugal who top the group that also included Poland and Croatia.