For once, the leading man fluffed his big line

We’d seen the script so many times, not least in Faro in September.

11 November 2021; Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal in action against Shane Duffy of Republic of Ireland during the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying group A match between Republic of Ireland and Portugal at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

He came, he saw, he shook his head. He winced. He dispensed withering looks like a candy machine and slapped his thighs when a pass went astray or an Irish player dared to make contact.

The abiding image of Cristiano Ronaldo last night, though? Shane Duffy’s ‘chokehold’ obviously but, that aside, it was the trademark, rueful glance that morphs into a half-smile as another chance went begging. You wouldn’t say he fluffed his lines exactly, but his should have been the defining piece of dialogue.