Portugal lose in Ronaldo homecoming match

Mar 28, 2017 - 10:49 PM Cristiano Ronaldo has scored on his emotional return home but Portugal squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Sweden in an international friendly on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).

The game was Ronaldo's first with the national team in his hometown of Funchal on the Madeira Islands, delighting the nearly 10,000 fans - including his mother and son - who packed the tiny Estadio do Maritimo.

The game's opening goal arrived on 18 minutes when Ronaldo got on the end of a Gelson Martins to finish from close range.

The Portugal captain then set up the move that led to an own goal by Sweden defender Andreas Granqvist in the 34th minute.

However, Viktor Claesson scored on 57 and 76 minutes to draw Sweden level before a Joan Cancelo own-goal in the third and final minute of stoppage time handed victory to Sweden.

On Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), the Madeira airport outside Funchal will be renamed after Ronaldo in a ceremony attended by the Real Madrid player and his relatives. Funchal already features a Ronaldo statue, a museum about the player, and a hotel complex named after him.

Spain have defeated France 2-0 in Paris with goals from David Silva and Gerard Deulofeu and a hand from the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) system, which was being tested.

Antoine Griezmann thought he had opened the scoring for France just after half-time but his header was ruled out for offside after it was referred to VAR.

Silva sent Spain ahead with a 68th minute penalty, netting his 30th international goal after Deulofeu was brought down in the area by Laurent Koscielny.

Then the Everton winger, currently on loan at AC Milan, notched the second himself on 77 minutes after a brilliant move involving Sergio Busquets, Isco and Jordi Alba.

The strike was initially ruled offside by the assistant referee before the VAR system showed it was a fair goal with Samuel Umtiti playing Deulofeu onside.

"The video helped giving credit where credit was due," Spain coach Julen Lopetegui said, when asked about the impact on the video replays on the result.

France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged Spain's superiority, as his side lost for the forst time since the EURO 2016 final, and said video technology could be good for "fairness in sport."

"If the final decisions are correct, then why not, but it does change football a bit," Deschamps said.

"It played against us tonight but I guess it will be the same for everybody. That's the way football is going and we need to adapt to it,"

Italy have beaten the Netherlands 2-1 in caretaker Dutch coach Fred Grim's first and possibly only match in charge.

The Dutch went down playing positive attacking football, unlike the meek capitulation in Saturday's 2-0 World Cup qualifier defeat to Bulgaria that cost Grim's predecessor Danny Blind his job.

The Netherlands took the lead in the 10th minute when a shot by Quincy Promes deflected off two Italian defenders into the net.

But before the cheers had died down at the Amsterdam Arena, Italy scored through Eder before Italy took the lead in the 32nd minute with Leonardo Bonucci pouncing on a loose ball to hammer it into the roof of the net.

Russia have fought back from two-goals down to snatch a 3-3 draw with Belgium.

Victor Vasin scored after just three minutes for the hosts before Kevin Mirallas replied for the Belgians on 17 minutes.

Christian Benteke bagged a double late in the first half to put Belgium ahead.

Aleksei Miranchuk reduced the deficit on 74 minutes before Alexander Bukharov scored the equaliser in stoppage time.

Hordur Bjorgvin Magnusson's sweetly-struck, first-half free-kick has handed Iceland a 1-0 victory over Ireland.

Other winners included Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estonia, FYR Macedonia and Georgia while Austria and Finland have drawn 1-1.

Source: AAP