Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to score a late winner, helping Portugal overcome an early setback to defeat Scotland 2-1 in the Nations League on Sunday. The result extended Portugal’s strong start in the competition.

Scotland initially shocked the hosts with a seventh-minute goal from Scott McTominay, who powered in a header from Kenny McLean’s pinpoint cross. The Scots were hopeful of securing their first win against Portugal since 1980, but it wasn’t to be.

Portugal equalized in the second half through Bruno Fernandes, whose well-placed shot beat Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the 54th minute. Despite Gunn’s impressive saves throughout the match, including world-class stops against Rafael Leão and João Félix, Portugal kept pressing for a winner.

Ronaldo, who entered as a substitute, secured the victory in the 88th minute with a simple tap-in, marking his 901st career goal. The 39-year-old striker converted Nuno Mendes’ cross, once again delivering in a crucial moment for his country.

Portugal now leads League A Group 1 with six points, having also beaten Croatia earlier in the campaign. Croatia sits second with three points after their win against Poland, while Scotland has suffered two late-goal defeats in a row.

Scotland’s traveling fans had plenty to cheer about early on, but their team’s inability to hold onto a lead continued to haunt them. The Scots have now gone eight competitive matches without a win, conceding late goals in five of their last six games.

Despite a valiant effort, Scotland’s struggles in closing out games remain a critical issue as they look to end their winless run.

Portugal vs Scotland Highlights

Erik ten Hag faced another setback as he managed his former club, FC Utrecht, in a testimonial match on Sunday.

This latest defeat adds to the mounting pressure on the Dutch manager, who is already reeling from Manchester United’s recent losses to Liverpool and Brighton.

The testimonial match was held in honor of Mark van der Maarel, a beloved club icon who retired recently after an impressive 15-year career at the Galgenwaard Stadium.

Van der Maarel, 35, spent his entire professional career at Utrecht, earning widespread admiration from fans and teammates.

The game saw a team of current Utrecht players take on a squad of former players, with ten Hag leading the latter. He had played for Utrecht briefly in 1995 and later managed the team for two years starting in 2015.

Ten Hag’s return to his old club was hoped to provide a morale boost before he resumes his duties at Manchester United early next week. However, his team fell short, losing 2-1. Urby Emanuelson and Ruud Boymans scored for the current Utrecht squad, while Van der Maarel’s late goal was not enough to secure a win for the former players.

Despite the defeat, ten Hag lauded Van der Maarel’s contribution, saying, “If you stay at this club for so long, you are a character. He has truly earned this.”

Van der Maarel, who debuted for Utrecht in 2009, made 397 official appearances for the club, placing him third on Utrecht’s all-time list for most games played.

Manuel Ugarte has dispelled concerns about his fitness with a standout performance for Uruguay in their recent World Cup qualifier.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag had earlier suggested that the £50.8 million midfielder might require time to fully integrate into the team. However, Ugarte, despite starting under Uruguay’s head coach Marcelo Bielsa, displayed no signs of sluggishness during Uruguay’s 0-0 draw against Paraguay.

The 23-year-old delivered a commanding performance, completing 52 passes and winning 12 duels before being substituted in the 79th minute. His efforts drew praise from Bielsa, who highlighted Ugarte’s exceptional ball recovery skills, which became a focal point for fans during the match.

Bielsa told reporters, “We had players with great ability to recover the ball. I think what the fans appreciated the most was the number of times Ugarte and our full-backs regained possession.”

After the match, Ugarte, formerly of PSG, expressed his readiness to join Ten Hag’s Manchester United squad. “I’m very happy, hungry, and excited. I feel great and have prepared myself well. While I haven’t played many minutes this season, physically, I feel very good,” he said.

United’s disappointing start to the season, with just one win in their first three Premier League matches, has been a cause for concern. However, Ugarte’s strong performance should reassure Ten Hag that his fitness is not an issue.

Last week, Ten Hag had mentioned that it might take “a couple of weeks, maybe even months” to fully integrate Ugarte into the team. But after this impressive showing, those concerns may now be behind him.