Bruno Fernandes scores in big game (for once!), Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal off to World Cup – The Warm-Up

WEDNESDAY’S BIG STORIES REVENGE OF THE BIG DOGS Ad/> In the aftermath of Italy’s 1-0 defeat to North Macedonia in Palermo last week, the scene resembled a Renaissance painting of a lost battle. World Cup Qualification UEFARonaldo: I will decide when I retire from international dutyYESTERDAY AT 19:31 The vanquished lay stretched out on the grass, a distraught Marco Verratti buried his head in his hands, Giorgio Chiellini stood staring into the middle distance while Roberto Mancini, like a defiant, wounded general, could only turn his face away.

For that kind of overblown melodrama and navel-gazing on a national scale, it’s hard to beat an upset in a World Cup qualifier. Given that they shocked Germany last year and made it to Euro 2020 – albeit losing all three of their group games – maybe North Macedonia’s underdog status was a little overstated.

They couldn’t repeat the trick in Porto, unfortunately, with two goals from Bruno Fernandes allowing Portugal (in a big game, no less!) to take revenge on behalf of European football’s established order. Nonetheless, Blagoja Milevski’s side gave us a timely reminder that there’s still jeopardy in international football and that, contrary to conventional wisdom, it’s unbelievable entertainment when the most storied teams fail to make it to major tournaments.

We may not have got to see Cristiano Ronaldo turn on the water works, but Verratti’s tears will have to do. SHOCK AND AURIER This may have been his first red card with Ivory Coast, but somehow the words “totally needless sending off in an international friendly” seem tailor-made for Serge Aurier.