Ronaldo grabs fi rst goal as Portugal beat Russia

Portugal went top of Group A at the Confederations Cup following a 1-0 win over Russia on Wednesday, Cristiano Ronaldo making the diff erence for the European champions. Th e Real Madrid star found the net after just eight minutes, beating goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev with a strong header from close range, and Stanislav Cherchesov’s side were unable to fi nd a response. Russia were high on confi dence following their 2-0 win over New Zealand, whereas morale was somewhat low in the Portugal camp after they conceded a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Mexico. It was all Portugal in Moscow, though, and Ronaldo eventually led his side to victory amid a tumultuous personal period off the pitch. Th e 32-year-old has been linked with a move away from Madrid following scrutiny over his tax aff airs in Spain. Fernando Santos’ men now meet New Zealand on Saturday in their fi nal game of the group stage, while Russia face Mexico on matchday three