PORTUGAL at last put in a performance worthy of their pedigree when they outplayed, outran and outwitted a Uruguayan side that was certainly up for the challenge.

Ronaldo’s men now proceed to the knockouts, while Uruguay will need to beat Ghana on Friday and hope that South Korea don’t upset Portugal.

Tuesday night’s first half was entertaining without being exhilarating, with few shots at goal but Portugal controlling matters for the most part.

It was the 17^th game at Qatar 2022 to be goalless at the break, but this was another destined to not stay that way.

That proved to be the case as Portugal’s superiority paid off in the 54th minute when Bruno Fernandez lofted a ball goalwards and Ronaldo, who did well to stay onside, got the tiniest of flicks to put it past the keeper and into the far corner for 1-0.

Hold on: VAR says ‘no touch’ and Fernandez is credited with the goal. But C7 won’t mind…not half!

The desperate Uruguayan warriors threw everything into the fight for survival, and Gomez was unlucky to see his fine strike bounce off the post.

Substitute Luis Suarez also went narrowly wide, while De Arrascaeta fluffed his lines with the goals at his mercy.

They paid the price just before the 90th minute when the unfortunate Gimenez handled the ball as he fell and VAR confirmed the penalty.

Uruguay keeper Rochet expected a rocket, but Bruno Fernandez was as cool as Bruno Mars, waiting for the keeper to move before tapping it into the opposite side of the goal.

He nearly scored two more in added time: one narrowly wide and one hitting the post.

So, a brace for Fernandez, who, together with Bernardo Silva, were the chief operators in the Portuguese engine room that sends them through to the knockout stage via the 2-0 victory.