Portugal held 1-1 by DR Congo as Ronaldo and Silva struggle

Portugal were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening World Cup group game. Joao Neves put the hosts ahead after six minutes with a perfectly directed header from a Pedro Neto cross, but Yoane Wissa levelled in first-half stoppage time by glancing home an Arthur Masuaku cross.

After taking the lead, Portugal appeared to relax and created only a handful of clear openings. Joao Cancelo had an acrobatic effort correctly ruled out for offside, Cedric Bakambu struck the post, and substitute Francisco Conceicao injected pace and guile before feeding Cristiano Ronaldo, who squandered two of Portugal’s best chances.

Ratings highlighted a mixed display: Joao Neves and Francisco Conceicao were among the higher scorers with 7/10, while Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo were marked 3/10. Several other regulars were graded around five or six, and manager Roberto Martinez was given a 3/10 for a tactical setup that backfired.

Portugal

portugal, dr congo, world cup, joao neves, pedro neto, yoane wissa, arthur masuaku, cristiano ronaldo, roberto martinez, bernardo silva