Cristiano Ronaldo threw his arms around in a fit of rage before storming down the tunnel after Portugal were held to a goalless draw by Scotland. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner failed to shine as the hosts earned their first Nations League point at Hampden Park.
Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie wasted early chances for Scotland before Ronaldo missed the target with an audacious bicycle kick. Rafael Leao went close to scoring for Portugal in stoppage time but was denied by a brilliant block from Nicky Devlin.
The visitors thought they had carved out a final chance to break the deadlock when they forced a corner in the dying seconds of the match. However, they were not allowed to take it with the referee instead choosing to blow the full-time whistle.
Ronaldo was left furious and exploded into a fit of anger, waving his arms around and shouting as he remonstrated with the referee. Unable to control his emotions, he stormed down the tunnel on his own without acknowledging the travelling fans.
Bernardo Silva also appeared to exchange some choice words after the full-time whistle as tempers flared between the two sets of players.
The result saw the hosts avoid the unwanted history of becoming the first Scotland team to lose five straight games. They produced a resolute display at the back to keep a clean sheet, while Portugal were nowhere near their brilliant best in attack.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke was delighted with the performance of his players, who he felt were fully deserving of a point against superior opposition.
“The point was important for us after the work the group put in to get off the mark,” he said. “We were defensively sound, the shape of the team was good. We denied a lot of space in behind.
“Good concentration in the box, determined defending at times, some really good blocks which you need against sides like Portugal. Everyone contributed to earn the point. Everyone keeps talking about confidence, but they know they can play well.
“We maybe didn’t play as well as we could on the ball, which could be down to fatigue, but I don’t think they lack confidence. Tonight’s point will give us more confidence.”
