Match Report: Sweden 2-3 Portugal (WC Playoffs)

Cristiano Ronaldo stunned Sweden after scoring a hat-rick in the World Cup Playoffs.

Cristiano Ronaldo was all on the scoreline after he struck a hat-rick as Portugal defeated Sweden(2-4 on aggregate) to book their place in the 2014 World Cup.

CR7 had scored the only goal of the first leg in Lisbon on Friday night but in the second leg he opened the scoring j10 minutes after half-time.

This was a football war between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo,  Ibrahimovic soon scored 2 goals in the match to put the scoreline 2-2 on aggregate.



But Portugal were still ahead due to away goals and Ronaldo struck two superb goals after Ibrahimovic scoring the equaliser for Sweden. He first levelled things up in the match and then scored his hat-rick to take his goal scoring tally to 13 goals in his last six games and became his country's leading scorer in the win against Sweden.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic applauded Ronaldo's brilliance when he scored the second goal as Pourtugal qualified for the 2014 World CUP.

Portugal lost their striker Helder Postiga by a injury in the warm-up and so Hugo Almeida replaced him, while Sweden made no changes to their starting lineup.

After a good start, It was Portugal who came close just after the 15 minutes of the match. when Bruno Alves jumped to meet Jose Mountinho's inviting ball at the farpost and his downward header was well saved by Andreas Isaksson.

Ronaldo struck a ferocious left foot shot from 25 yars out, 10 minutes before the break, but Isaksson made a brilliant save to deny Cristiano Ronaldo, The action wasn't finished yet. After less than a minute,Ronaldo again tried his luck from 12 yards out after Joao Pereira icked him out but the ball sailed over the crossbar.

 Sweden were struggling to stop the Portugese skipper, seven minutes before the break he corssed to the back ost for Almeida, but the striker headed the ball just wide near the post from close range.

Two minutes before the half-time, Ronaldo again had the chance to score when Nani's cross found him at the far ost, but again he couldn't score past Issakson.

Three minutes into the second half, Sweden had the best of their opportunities when Rui Patricio denied Sebastian Larsson 10 yards out after Ibrahimovic pulled the ball back.

Just a minute later Mountinho set Ronaldo with a brilliant throughball and this time he made sure that it was his with a ferocious left- foot shot to give lead to the visitors.

Sweden had no idea what to do, but the PSG striker Ibrahimovic headed the ball home in the 67th minute from a corner.

Ibrahimovic made a superb comeback for Sweden , when he scored a super freekick through the wall from 18 minutes to go in the match  to make the score tie on aggregate.

But Ronaldo couldn't stop scoring goals as he levelled Portugal 2-2 with a left-foot finish as Sweden were caught on the break 13 minutes from full time and then after a minute, Ronaldo scored his hat-trick by rounding the keeper and finding the net once more.

Ronaldo again got the chance to almost become Portugal's best scorer, but this time he was off target with the ball going inches wide, but that was not going to affect his superb performance for his team.