Spain striker Diego Costa produced a splendid display against Portugal when the two sides met in the group stages of the FIFA World Cup 2018, scoring two goals. However, he admitted that Portuguese skipper Cristiano Ronaldo was a notch above him and praised him for his performance. Diego Costa (left) heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Spain and Portugal played an all-time World Cup classic when the two sides faced off last week in a Group B clash at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia, with the match ending at 3-3 at the end of the 90 minutes. Portugal took the lead twice in the encounter but the Spaniards fought back to make it 3-2 in their favour in the second half.
They looked to be home and dry as the final whistle approached but a splendid free-kick by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 88th minute gave his side its third goal and saw them escape with a point. It was Ronaldo’s third goal of the match as well, as he completed a memorable hat-trick at the biggest stage of them all and showcased his abilities yet again.
For Spain, their best player was striker Diego Costa, who scored a brilliant solo goal to enable his team to make it 1-1 in the first half, before adding a second with a well-taken finish from close range. The striker was at his bullying best and produced a fantastic performance that brought his side so close to a win.
However, after the match, Costa admitted that the Portuguese superstar was a notch above the rest. Speaking to Cadena COPE, he said, “You have to congratulate Cristiano. Criticise him and look what happens. It’s better to leave him alone, I wish I was like him.”
He added, “I’m very happy, but we had the game tied up and a foul let them equalise. It was a very nice and well-contested match, but we leave here with a strange feeling. We came back from behind and had it in our hands yet let it escape.”