IT IS tough to drop a player with 130 international goals and five Ballon d'Or trophies - even if he is just seven months shy of his 40th birthday.
But Roberto Martinez must now decide whether his threat to Cristiano Ronaldo was real or just a soundbite for the cameras.
Substitute Francisco Conceicao's emphatic close-range finish three minutes from time gave Portugal a win that their superiority deserved.
But, after insisting on the eve of the game that Ronaldo does not get into his team on reputation alone, Martinez might find his No.7 continues to be the main topic of conversation.
If a couple of journeymen Czech defenders can put the squeeze on your star forward, then it surely can't be long until his time is up.
Five years ago, Ronaldo would have left Leipzig with the match ball and the headlines.
In 2024, he was relieved that Robin Hranac's unfortunate 69th-minute own goal wiped out Lukas Provod's spectacular opener before Conceicao came on to win the game late on.
This story is from the June 19, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
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This story is from the June 19, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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