MOSCOW (AP) – Cristiano Ronaldo set aside his legal troubles to score the winning goal for Portugal on Wednesday in a 1-0 victory over hosts Russia in the Confederations Cup.
Ronaldo headed Portugal in front in the eighth minute at Moscow’s Spartak Stadium. The European champions struggled to kill off the game despite several chances and could have conceded when Georgy Dzhikiya headed narrowly over in stoppage time.
A day after Ronaldo was summoned to court in Spain over allegations relating to a complex tax fraud, his goal was simple. He found space on the right flank and crept in behind defender Fyodor Kudryashov to head in Raphael Guerreiro’s lofted cross at the far post.
It could have been 2-0 in the 50th if not for Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, playing his 100th international game, and his acrobatic one-handed save to keep out Adrien Silva’s header. Guerreiro limped off injured in the 65th.
Russia failed to register a shot on target, though Fyodor Smolov should have done better when he sliced a shot wide from a good position shortly before half-time.