World Cup 2018: Classy Cavani strikes send Uruguay through

Portugal 1-2 Uruguay, Fisht Stadium, Sochi
(Pepe 55' - Cavani 7', 62')

He started the tournament with a spectacular hat-trick but Cristiano Ronaldo ended his World Cup with a booking for dissent as Edinson Cavani stole the show with a spectacular brace.

Uruguay were one of only three sides to emerge from the group stage with a 100 per cent record and began in suitably confident fashion.

They didn’t have to wait long to take the lead once again. Cavani found a pocket of space on the right and swung a crossfield ball out to his long-term striking partner Luis Suarez. The Barcelona forward delayed just long enough to return the favor with a wicked, whipped cross to the backpost. Cavani still had plenty to do but powered a header in to the front post. It was the fourth time the pair have combined for a World Cup goal.

Portugal’s star man was on the fringes of the game as Uruguay’s wily backline found a way to keep Ronaldo largely under wraps. The European champions’ talisman failed to touch the ball in the opposition penalty area in the first half.

But the Real Madrid man was still a worry for the Uruguayans and Diego Godin was drawn to him after Portugal worked a corner short. But Raphael Guerreiro’s cross went over Ronaldo and Godin allowing Pepe a free header which he gratefully headed home from eight yards out.

Having looked content to defend their lead, the South Americans were stung in to action. Rodrigo Bentacur picked up a ball from his keeper Fernando Muslera, drove towards the Portugal box and slipped in Cavani, who opened up his body to curl a sumptuous right footed finish past Rui Patricio.

Muslera almost handed Portugal an equalizer in the 70th minute when he inexplicably dropped a cross. The loose ball fell to Bernardo Silva but the midfielder lost his composure and blazed over.

Cavani limped off shortly after before re-appearing on the bench with a heavily-strapped lower leg but, after that, there were only a couple of minor alarms for the two-time world champions.

While Ronaldo and co. make plans to return home, Uruguay’s thoughts turn to a quarter final with France on Friday, though they may have to do it without Cavani.

As it happened

FULL TIME! What a time to be alive - what a day of football!

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are both knocked out of the World Cup on the same day! 

It was billed as Ronaldo vs Suarez, buit Cavani stole the show.

It's was billed as two sides who like to play ugly football, but turned into quite the spectacle.

Uruguay will face France in the World Cup quarter finals! 

90+4' - SHOT! 

Quaresma pops up at the back post unmarked after bodies hit the floor in the box. Control, volley. Saved by Muslera. Corner. Rui Patricio, the keeper, wins the header, but Uruguay are able to clear.

90+3' - Ronaldo's protests after a no call for a foul on Quaresma earn him a yellow meaning he'd miss the next match.

90+2' - CHANCE!

Suarez holds up the ball to take time off the clock, but the chance opens up as Cristian Rodriguez comes haring down the left. The cross is just too long for him though.

90+1' - Four minutes added on.

90'- SHOT!

Ronaldo lines one up from 25 yards and slices it well off target...

90' - It's not quite as flashy as a seven-goal thriller, but it has to be respected... 

89' - Ronaldo picks the ball up on the edge of the area. The fans want the shot. He opts to be unselfish and gives possession away.

88' - With 10 goals this is the most prolific day of knock-out football at the World Cup since the 17th of June 1970, when two semi-finals produced a total of 11 goals.

87' - Portugal are piling on the pressure. Suarez is tired and failing to provide a release for Uruguay. Can they hold on?

86' - SHOT!

Fernandes has just come off the bench. Goes for the hero moment, but sends his 30-yard effort straight at Muslera.

84' - PENALTY CLAIM!

Portugal wanted it, but it was was never going to be given. Diego Godin uses all his know how to shepard Ricardo Perreria off the ball in the box. There was contact. Fair contact.

83' - Godin goes on a rare foray forward. Loses the ball, allowing Portugal to break. Cross comes in from the left, but it's too high for Ronaldo. Desperation creeping in for Portugal now.

82' - Bernardo Silva finds Ronaldo on the right wing now. He darts past one player to get into the box only to have the ball poked away by Gimenez.

81' - Corner for Portugal. Again they go short. Quresma gets closed down and Uruguay win the ball back. 

79' - Ronaldo has two shots from range in quick succession. Both were blocked. Let the bodies block the ball, let the bodies block the ball. Seriously, I can't get it out of my head! 

77' - Muslera has handed goal kick duties over to Diego Godin. tired legs will be a factor but the goalkeeper?

75' - Ricardo Perreira has time and space to pick out a cross, but synonymous with how things have gone for Portugal he slips, kicks the ball off his own foot and sends it behind for a goal kick.

73'- A thing of beauty below. Cavani looks is some discomfort though. What a shame if that's the end of his tournament.

71' - Oh how nice. Cavani has picked up an injury and he's helped off the pitch by Ronaldo. I'm sure that was all sportsmanship and nothing to do with preventing time wasting! 

70' - WHAT A CHANCE! 

Fernando Muslera comes off his line for a cross, fails to catch the cross and makes a hash of his attempts to the get the ball back. Bernardo Silva eventually gets the shot off, but with the goal gaping fails to hit the target. Great chance.

67' - The ball skims off the head of Ronaldo. Portugal keep the chance alive through Fonte and Joao Mario before Guerreiro's cross is wayward. the Dortmund left-back really hasn't played well.

67' - Quaresma's first involvement off the bench is to win his side a corner.

65' - Bernardo Silva get to the byline, but can't pick out a team mate.

64' - Well I guess Uruguay can go back to defending to the hilt. Do Portugal have a second in them?

62' - GOAL! 

Uruguay find themselves in a 3-on-3 situation and execute it to perfection as Edinson Cavani is played through on goal to slot home his and Uruguay's second.

He just opened up his body to caress it into the far corner. A lovely finish. 

59' - Uruguay are having to change their whole approach to the second half. They were ready to defend to the hilt.

57' - The thunderclap can be heard at the Fisht Stadium. They may be out, but Iceland's legend lives on...

55' - GOAL!

The corner is taken short and played in to wards the back post where Pepe is on hand to send a thunderous header past Muslera.

He has a habit of scoring big goals in big games at big tournaments. There's another one to add to the list.

Uruguay concede for the first time at this World Cup! 

55' - CHANCE! 

Joao Mario's backheel almost catches Uruguay out, but the ball doesn't fall indly for a Portugal player. Corner...

54' - Uh oh! 

53' - Watching Uruguay I can't help but have Bodies by Drowning Pool in my head. Except the lyrics right now are: Let the bodies block the ball, let the bodies block the ball...

50' - If I were doing an over/under bet on Ronaldo having five shots on goal in the second half. How many of you would back under?

48' - Joao Mario sends in another cross, but this one doesn't trouble Uruguay at all!

47' - A look at Ronaldo's touches in the first half. A bit all over the place, but not really in the rights places.

SECOND HALF! Ronaldo has just held an intense team talk with his team mates in the tunnel before taking to the pitch. Will it make the difference? Portugal have toiled in their attempts to break Uruguay down so far...

HALF TIME! 

Cavani & Suarez > Ronaldo? 

HALF TIME! It's advantage Uruguay at the break! Edinson Cavani's early header is the difference between the two sides at the break. Ronaldo hasn't really had his chance to shine just yet against a Uruguay side who have sat increasingly deeper as the half has worn on. Still plenty of fight left in this one...

45' - Corner to Portugal. Taken short. Joao Mario sends it into the mix eventually, but Muslera is off his line to beat Fonte to the ball.

44' - Uruguay are not happy. Suarez is down holding his head. Replacs show there was nothing in it from Raphael Guerreiro. Theatrics, I told you!

43' - Uruguay are such a machine. Definitely of the well-oiled variety. They turn up and never lack the fight required to succeed at the highest level. Oh and they love a few theatrics in winning fouls!

41' - An alternative view of the goal... 

40' - There is audible anticipation every time Ronaldo picks up the ball. He throws in a few stepovers before giving the ball up. Ends up watching, seemingly in anguish, as it makes it way to the left flank. The Real Madrid man then tries to attack the cross and ends up headbutting Guedes more than anything. That's the latest from Ronaldo watch!

37' - Cavani wins a free-kick about 30 yards from his own goal. Kind of tells you everything you need to know about how deep Uruguay are sitting and how hard he's working.

35' - Caceras' cross is flicked on by Vecino, but Cavani can't control his shot on the bounce.

34' - The difference between the two sides right now... 

32' - Free-kick for Portugal. Ronaldo's effort loops off the wall and out of harm's way.

31' - In Diego Godin, Jose Gimenez, Jose Fonte and Pepe, you have four of the most old-school, no-nonsense defenders around. None of them are giving an inch. which makes Suarez's pin-point cross from earlier all the more impressive. 

29' -  Portugal have lost each of their last nine World Cup games in which they’ve conceded the first goal.

28' - Ronaldo and Co. have had 62% of possession so far and are starting to turn up the pressure.

26' - CHANCE! 

Joao Mario sends in a free-kick, which somehow manages to bounce through a number of bodies. Jose Fonte was the closest to it. all it needed was a touch.

25' - An early goal is exactly what this game needed to steer clear of the pre-match predictions of an ugly game of football. Portugal are on top, but aren't really troubling this disciplined Uruguay side, who look ready to pounce on any mistake made.

22' - SAVE!

Free-kick for Uruguay. 25 yards out. Suarez goes low and through the wall with the effort, which is well saved by Rui Patricio! He did really well to react in time. 

20' - Ronaldo cuts in from the right, across the face of goal, but is stopped in his tracks. It's worked to Guedes, but his cross is headed clear by Godin.

18' - Ricardo Pereira's cross from the right wing is gobbled up by Muslera. He'll take those all night long.

16' - Goncalo Guedes is the latest to chance his arm from range only to see his shot blocked by one of the numerous Uruguayans behind the ball.

15' - This game is a lot more open than I thought it would be. 

14' - CHANCE!

Luis Suarez finds himself one-on-two in the final third, drops the shoulder and gets the shot off. However, a deflection on the ball takes all the pace out of the effort.

13' - SHOT!

Ronaldo tries it from 30 yards and sees his shot blocked. It may take one of those to break Uruguay down though.

12' - Worth remebering that Uruguay haven't conceded at the World Cup. In fact, they haven't conceded in the calendar year. 

10' - CHANCE!

Jose Fonte heads wide at the back post, but it wouldn't have counted as he was adjudged to have fouled his marker.

9' - Portugal are looking a little shell shocked right now.

7' - GOAL!

Luis Suarez picks out Edinson Cavani at the back post, who heads home with aplomb to break the deadlock. 

Uruguay's deadly duo have looked very lively in the opening exchanges and gets their just rewards.

Cavani switches the play to Suarez, who beats his man before whipping in a stunning cross, the pace of which meant Cavani just needed to get a touch to turn it home. 

6' - SAVE! 

Ronaldo seems to be relishing the challenge, plays a one-two with Bernardo Silva before getting a first-time shot off. A comfortable save for Muslera.

5' - Jose Fonte goes sliding in the concede the first corner. Godin and Pepe get a talking to for their tussling, but nothing comes of the corner.... Ronaldo tries to break and gets clattered.

3' - CHANCE! 

Joao Mario's cross is deep towards the back post. Bernardo Silva does well to get his ehad to it, but can only put it behind for a goal kick.

2' - Cavani vs Pepe: 1-0 to Pepe who wins a foul in an aerial duel!

1' - Cavani looks for any early through ball to Suarez which is cut out. Portugal give possession right back to Uruguay though.

KICK-OFF! 

Uruguay get the action underway. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has equalled another record. The question is whether he'll have a chance to break it in the quarter finals?  

19:58 - Muslera to finally be beaten?

Uruguay are the only side yet to concede in Russia. Fernando Muslera has faced just six shots on target, but should be in for a much busier night against Portugal!

19:56 - Portugal, tournament specialists?

Portugal have lost only one of their last 17 games at major tournaments if you don't count losses on penalties. 

On the flip side though, they've lost their last three World Cup knockout games. 

19:52 - Ronaldo vs. Suarez 

Cristiano Ronaldo has four goals to his name, Luis Suarez has two. Both sides are reliant on their star's producing when it matter most.

The thing is Portugal and Uruguay aren't known for conceding that often. Some call it ugly, others call it effective.

Hopefully the clash of styles won't result in a stalemate.

19:50 - Team news

Here's how they line-up... 

19:45 - Ronaldo's time to shine?

We've already lost Lionel Messi from the World Cup 2018 in Russia after France's win over Argentina, surely Cristiano Ronaldo can't follow suit? We can't lose the two best players in the world on the same day, can we?