Cavani scored either side of Pepe’s powerful header to book Uruguay’s place in the quarter-finals
Uruguay made it to the World Cup quarter-finals for the second time in the last three occasions after Edinson Cavani’s brilliant double saw them edge to a 2-1 win over Portugal in a scrappy encounter in Sochi.
Cavani gave La Celeste a dream start when he got on the end of Luis Suarez’s menacing cross. Replays show that the ball actually struck the PSG man’s face en route to the net.
Pepe brought Portugal on level terms ten minutes after the break with a towering header – getting on the end of Raphael Gurreiro’s searching cross following a trademark Portuguese short corner from the left.
But Uruguay regained the lead moments later through Cavani, who produced a delightful curling shot into the corner of the net, giving Rui Patricio no chance as Oscar Tabarez’s men booked themselves a quarter-final date with France on Friday at Nizhny Novgorod.
STAR MAN
This was a game where the stage was set for the likes of Suarez or Cristiano Ronaldo but it was Cavani who stole the show.
Defenders Diego Godin and Jose Giminez produced a mammoth shift at the back and Suarez was brilliant up top – causing problems for his opponents all game.
However, it was Suarez’s strike partner who scored the two crucial goals to send Uruguay through.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Both of Cavani’s goals were great to watch but his second goal was the better strike.
Cavani steered the ball magnificently beyond the reach of Patricio – who is no slouch between the sticks – to ensure Uruguay would make the last eight.
LINE-UPS
Uruguay: Muslera, Caceres, Godin, Gimenez, Laxalt, Torreira, Vecino, Nandez(Sanchez 81), Bentancur (Rodriguez 63), Suarez, Cavani (Stuani 74)
Subs not used: Campana, Varela, De Arrascaeta, Gaston Silva, Maxi Pereira, Gomez, Coates, Urreta, Martin Silva
Portugal: Patrício, Ricardo Perreira, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro, William Carvalho, Adrien (Quaresma 65), João Mário (Fernandes 85), Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Guedes (Andre Silva 74)
Subs not used: Lopes, Bruno Alves, Joao Moutinho, Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Gelson Martins, Mario Rui, Cedric, Beto
By Jackson Cole
