Sweden and Portugal resumed hostilities in the second leg of their World Cup qualifier tonight, separated by a late Cristiano Ronaldo header in Lisbon last Friday.
A match largely billed as a straight shootout between Ronaldo and Swedish talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not disappoint, with the pair sharing five goals in a frenetic finish at the Friends Arena.
Ronaldo was the man who emerged victorious though, slamming home a clinical hat-trick to almost single-handedly drag Portugal through to Brazil, breaking Swedish hearts in the process with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Real Madrid maestro made the difference and ensured that he did not miss next summer's South American showpiece.
Match statistics:
Sweden:
Shots 10
On target 5
Possession 57%
Corners 5
Fouls 11
Portugal:
Shots 16
On target 6
Possession 43%
Corners 4
Fouls 15
Was the result fair?
On the balance of play over the two legs yes, Portugal had the killer instinct to match their commitment to play on the break and were worthy winners. Sweden controlled possession for large spells but were unable to provide Ibrahimovic with effective service until very late in the second leg.
Sweden's performance
Erik Hamren's side pressed early on but were largely frustrated in their attempts to breach a deep, stubborn Portuguese defence. Sebastian Larsson's miss turned the match on it's head, with the hosts caught cold with ruthless precision on three separate occasions by Ronaldo, who showed no mercy as the match opened up through necessity late on.
Portugal's performance
Paulo Bento's side are often accused of being a one-man team, but when he is arguably world football's best player is that such a bad thing? Ronaldo was given the freedom to switch flanks at will tonight and gave Mikael Lustig and Martin Olsson nightmares throughout. Joao Moutinho and Merieles also deserve praise for producing a diligent display in central midfield, while the decision to go with a physical presence in attack with Hugo Almeida also paid dividends.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Cristiano Ronaldo: No prizes for originality here, although Moutinho runs Ronaldo close after that stunning through-ball which laid on the opening goal. Ronaldo was nothing short of breathtaking tonight under extreme pressure to overshadow Ibrahimovic, who comes up empty-handed despite scoring a swift brace.
Biggest gaffe
Unfortunately Sunderland midfielder Sebastian Larsson must take this unwanted accolade, after deciding to take a touch at 0-0 with the goal at his mercy. The Sunderland midfielder simply had to pick his spot from close range following fine approach play from Ibrahimovic, but dithered and turned round to see Ronaldo break the deadlock just 60 seconds later.
Referee's performance
Howard Webb was largely very impressive this evening, particularly with the spotlight thrown on play-acting by both teams following a contentious first leg. Webb kept play flowing when possible and definitely made the right call when he booked Kim Kallstrom for diving, despite furious Swedish claims for a penalty kick.
What's next?
Portugal can now begin preparations for Brazil in earnest much to Bento's relief, while Herman is likely to leave his post as Sweden coach in the final year of his contract.
Liam Power
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