“I guess he was frustrated that he didn’t score” - Premier League star opens up on Cristiano Ronaldo provoking teammate after Ireland clash last month

Ireland star Nathan Collins claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo provoked his teammate Jake O'Brien after Ruben Neves scored a late winner in their FIFA World Cup qualifier. He recalled the Portuguese superstar was frustrated after missing his penalty in the game and hit out at Jake O'Brien after the final whistle.

Speaking to the media ahead of the World Cup qualifier at home, Collins said that he was unaware of the provocation from Ronaldo. He saw the incident after the game and still does not understand why it was done by the Portuguese superstar, and said (via Sports Joe):

“It was Jake O’Brien, not me. I guess he was frustrated that he didn’t score himself potentially, I didn’t see it. I only seen it afterwards, I didn’t really understand why, I don’t know.”

Talking about the upcoming game, the Ireland star said they are keen to get the win and are willing to put the pressure on Portugal. He believes that the opponents left by Cristiano Ronaldo could make mistakes and said:

“In the game I’m not thinking about wrecking their heads or being this that and everything, you just get on with the game. But potentially you’re wrecking their flow but also putting pressure on them because I feel when they are under more pressure they might make more mistakes, and not be as confident as they are at home when their fans are backing them.

“There can be slight tactics where if we want to go forward quicker, if we want to take our time on a set piece, if we want to set something up, there are little things. We just want to make sure the fans are behind us and the only way we do that is by putting in a good performance in the first five or ten minutes.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty miss in the previous meeting did not prove costly as Ruben Neves scored in the 91st minute to seal a 1-0 win.

Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal will face a challenge, says Roberto Martinez

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has admitted that Portugal will face a tough test against Ireland. He believes that the home fans will make it harder for his players as they will be pushing their stars, and said (via Independent):

“Ireland needs to win and the atmosphere we’re going to find will also be a challenge. It’s important to remember that November is always a difficult stage for Portugal, I don’t know why, but it’s always a difficult period."

Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal are on top of their group, while Ireland are third after four matches.