01:40 am: Well, we will leave you with this. Thanks for joining us on what has been another fascinating night at the World Cup... 10 goals scored. TEN! And here we were, thinking the knockouts are going to be cagey..
01:32 am: Two great players depart the World Cup, two good teams progress. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what the sport is about.
01:29 am: 30th June, 2018.
Lionel Messi and #ARG: Out of the World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo and #POR: Out of the World Cup
As a wise old man once said... Football, bloody hell!
FULL TIME! IT’S ALL OVER! URUGUAY ARE THROUGH!
93rd minute: Suarez almost finds Rodriguez at the other end after some dogged work up the field. Down the other end, Quaresma thinks he has won a free kick but the referee waves play on.
Even if Portugal go through, he will miss their next match.
92nd minute: A danger cross from the left flank into the Uruguay penalty area but Laxalt just about clears it.
91st minute: CR7 cuts in from the left, dribbles, drives the ball at goal.. but it is well wide. Not been his night...
4 minutes added on.
88th min: A rare spell of Uruguay pressure ends with an over-hit cross from the left flank. 2 mins and stoppage time left in the game. Can Portugal dig deep and find an equaliser?
87th min: We are camped in the Uruguay half now, but the pressure is released after a WILD shot on goal from the left flank by Fernandes. CR7 and Santos not imprressed. Not one bit.
85th min: Change for Portugal, Joao Mario is off, Manuel Fernandes is on.
83rd min: Quaresma with another trademark outside the boot cross, almost finds CR7 in the box – just over. Portugal not going down without a fight.
81st minute: Another chance Portugal! Silva reaches the left byline and cuts the ball back in, Gimenez, however, is a rock at the back. Blocks the ball away, another Portugal corner. Can they make this spell of pressure count? Not if they waste a corner like that... they work it short and the chance is gone.
77th minute: Quaresma with a lovely delivery into the box from a corner, Ronaldo was rushing in, making one of those darting runs to the near post and almost gets his head to it! SO CLOSE! Had he managed to make contact, it was a guaranteed goal one thinks.
74th minute, Uruguay lead 2-1: Substitutions for both teams. Goalscorer Cavani goes off for Cristian Stuani, Andre Silva is on for Portugal to replace Guedes.
71st minute: MASSIVE MOMENT IN THE GAME, perhaps. Cavani’s night is over as he limps off the pitch, helped off by CR7 who gives him a shoulder and earns applause from the fans. Uruguay down to 10 for the time being.
70th minute: CHANCE BERNARDO SILVA! A rare moment of vulnerability shown by Muslera as he comes to gather a chipped ball into the box but he was, in fact fouled in the leadup to that chance.
65th minute: A couple of subs to report... Adrien Silva is replaced by Quaresma. Bentancur makes way for Rodriguez.
MOMENT OF SHEER GENIUS BY CAVANI: Uruguay go route one, Muslera’s goal kick is not dealt with by Pepe – how things change quickly! – Nandez runs at the Portugal defence and releases Cavani down the left after a neat dummy by Suarez, the PSG man curls one past Rui Patricio first time. The technique! The class! Wow. Brilliant.
62nd minute: GOALLLLL CAVANI!!!! OH WOW THAT IS A STUNNING, STUNNING GOAL! WHAT A WORLD CUP WE ARE WITNESSING!
61st minute: Portugal work it short and win another corner... nothing comes of it. Uruguay can breathe and get their bearings back.
In case you missed the first goal...
60th minute: Guedes with a shot from distance, wins a corner.
After 59 mins, it’s 1-1: Suddenly there is panic at the back for Uruguay, suddenly Portugal have their tail up. Amazing how a goal changes a football match.
55th minute: GOALLLLLLL PORTUGAL!! Out of nowhere this match has burst into life! The best defence perhaps at Russia 2018 does the cardinal mistake of leaving the opponent CB unmarked in the box - PEPE HEADS HOME!
54th minute: CHANCE PORTUGAL! First time that Uruguay have looked shaky at the back, Adrien Silva does well to find Joao Mario who back-heels to CR7, who sets up Bernardo Silva – he slips while shooting and gets a corner.
52nd min: A corner for Portugal and Bernardo Silva’s delivery is very poor. Uruguay almost break forward but Guerrero steals the ball back and has a go at goal himself, it’s high and wide.
50th min: Sedate start to the second half proceedings in Sochi. Reminder that Uruguay have not conceded since the start of 2018. It will not be easy to break them down.
46th min: CR7 with a passionate rallying call in the huddle before his team walked out on the pitch. Can he do a Eusebio? We are off in Sochi...
SECOND HALF: Players make their way out. Play about to get underway... history is against Portugal. Current form of the Uruguayan defence is against Portugal.
STAT: CR7 has had his share of possession from either flank but not a single touch inside Uruguay’s box.
HALF-TIME: 1966! That was the last time that Portugal won a World Cup match after trailing. North Korea went 3-0 up, but Eusebio scored 4 goals to help his side to a 5-3 win. Can CR7 emulate his hero Eusebio? He has 45 minutes to save Portugal’s World Cup.
HALF-TIME: It’s 1-0 to Uruguay. Cavani’s header gave them a lead, which never look threatened by Portugal. Fernando Santos’ men look clueless in front of the wall that is Uruguay’s defence.
45th min, into two mins of stoppage time: Another aimless ball into the box collected by Muslera, comfortably. Ronaldo still hasn’t touched a ball in the box. Portugal need some fresh legs and ideas. 1-0 Uruguay.
44th min: Suarez goes down screaming in Portugal’s half after a challenge by Guerrero. Portugal break forward and win a corner with CR7 down the other right flank. Uruguay incensed the play wasn’t stopped for a “head” injury, the replays show Suarez’s head wasn’t touched. Typical Suarez.
42nd min: Are Portugal time-wasting here? Rui Patricio takes forever to take a goal kick! They are looking short of ideas at the moment.
38th min: Another Portugal cross from the right flank, another harmless header. Guedes and Godin going at it together, the latter does enough to put off the Portugal man who can only weakly glance it towards goal.
After 35 mins, Uruguay lead 1-0: There’s a fine line being patient and ponderous with the ball, Portugal are on the latter side at the moment. Looking a bit clueless when going forward. Also Caceres has been great for Uruguay going forward as well, along with Cavani and Suarez.
STAT: Suarez has now assisted 12 out of the 44 goals Cavani has scored for Uruguay. What a partnership.
31st minute: Guedes goes down like he’s been hit by a truck just outside the Uruguay penalty area after a foul by Bentancur. CR7 time, then.... his shorts are rolled up... he breathes in, he breathes out... he starts his run-up... and he hits the wall. (Like he usually does, if we are to be honest)
29th minute: Uruguay look threatening every time Cavani or Suarez have the ball in Portugal’s half. The Europeans have their hands full – quite literally there, as Ricardo Pereira tries to stop Cavani by removing his shorts.
26th min: Free kick from the right flank for Portugal after Godin fouls Bernardo Silva... the delivery is good, Carvalho the target but Uruguay clear again. That defensive unit is something else.
22nd min: Cavani, Suarez combine again, dribbling at pace through the heart of Portugal’s defence. Free kick from a dangerous position as Suarez is bundled over.... and its a great low save by Rui Patricio! Suarez curled it beyond the wall low and hard, the GK saw it late but got down in time.
20th min: Uruguay have the ball after a good phase for Portugal. Ronaldo was shaping up to have another go, cutting in from the left but there is no space for him. Another cross comes in from the right flank with CR7 shaping to show off that heading skill of his, but Godin clears.
18th min: More Portugal possession down the right flank, and once again the final ball is poor.
17th min: Sustained spell of possession for Portugal but Uruguay have men back in numbers. The men in white work the ball sideways and to the right flank repeatedly but no final ball forthcoming.
14th min: Oh, another chance Uruguay! Cavani and Suarez combine again. The former feeds Suarez this time, and it’s a one-on-two situation. Fonte covers the angle well and concedes a corner. Delivery from Torreira is good again, but Portugal clear.
6th min: First shot on target and who else by CR7. Let’s it fly from outside the box but it’s straight at Muslera.
11th minute: Fonte called for a foul inside the Uruguay penalty area from a set-piece. CR7 and Portugal have all to do.
That goal won’t feature in the best of the World Cup list perhaps but what a wonderfully worked effort by Cavani and Suarez. Two stunning crosses, one lovely take and a brilliant header to wrap things up. Beautiful, beautiful goal.
7th min: GOALLLLL URUGUAY! CAVANI! WHAT A MOVE URUGUAY! Cavani starts the move with a lovely cross from the right flank to find Suarez on the left flank. The Barca man cuts in and sends a brilliant cross back to Cavani who heads home from close range. WHAT A GOAL!
5th min: Arsenal target Torreira with a cheeky shoulder barge on Ronaldo to prevent a Portugal counter from the corner.
4th min: Uruguay have the first corner of the match. Suarez releases Rodriguez down the right flank, and his cross is blocked away by Fonte. The space Suarez had in that move would be a worry for Portugal.
2nd min: Suarez, Cavani, Ronaldo – all involved in the opening exchanges here. Portugal with the first half-chance as Joao Mario sends a cross over from the left flank, Silva can only head over. Bright start to the game.
1st minute: KICKOFF!
11:29 pm: Two veterans at the sidelines... the animated Fernando Santos versus the calm, composed Oscar Tabarez. Who’s going to come out on top in what promises to be a tactical battle?
11:28 pm: Two men who each other well from their time in Madrid, exchange teams and do the coin toss. CR7 will be up against the Atleti center-back pairing.
11:25 pm: National anthem time... starting with Uruguay who are in blue tonight while CR7 and Co are in all-white. (Their regular jersey would have worked fine here, why couldn’t they play in that? Anyway.. we digress!)
11:22 pm: We have live pictures from Sochi... will Ronaldo break his World Cup knockouts duck unlike Messi?
11:17 pm: These two sides haven’t faced each other since 1972, when a certain Eusebio was in the squad. His heir to the Portuguese throne, Ronaldo will lead the team today but they’ll have to watch out for Uruguay’s set-pieces.
All 5 of Los Charruas’ goals have come from set-pieces. Similarly, Uruguay might get stung from long range. 3 of Portugal’s 5 strikes have come from outside the box.
11:10 pm: This is the fifth time at World Cups that Uruguay have qualified from the group stages without conceding a goal, the others being 1930, 1950, 1954 and 2010.
On each of those occasions, they reached the semi-finals and finished champions in the first previous two instances. Good omens?
11:00 pm: This is the second time in the Round of 16 that Uruguay are facing an European team. That meeting at Italia’ 90 finished 2-0 to the hosts, as Los Charruas were dumped out of the tournament. Oscar Tabarez was in charge of the team, 28 years ago.
10:55 pm: Fernando Santos on Portugal and Ronaldo ahead of the game:
We have to play as a team. If Ronaldo plays alone we will lose. It is true, though, that when both teams cancel each other out, that is where the individuals come to the fore. I hope my team can be as strong as Uruguay, and that Cristiano can then make the difference.
10:50 pm: Seven players are in danger of missing the quarter-finals if their team progresses from this Round of 16 clash.
Uruguay: Rodrigo Bentancur
Portugal: Bruno Fernandes, Adrien Silva, Raphael Guerreiro, Ricardo Quaresma, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cedric
10:30 pm: Another round of statistics.
Bastian Schweinsteiger with 38 appearances has played in the most number of matches at World Cups and Euros combined. Cristiano Ronaldo is currently tied second with Miroslav Klose on 37 but will equal Schweinsteiger tonight.
Like his Argentine nemesis, Ronaldo is yet to score a goal in the knockout rounds of a World Cup. Has played 424 minutes in the latter stages without a strike to his name.
He is still in the running for the Golden Boot with 4 goals to his name. Harry Kane leads the chart with 5 currently. Only Eusebio with 9 has scored more World Cup goals than Ronaldo’s 7. All of Eusebio’s goals came at England 1966, making him the only Portuguese player to win the World Cup Golden Boot.
Only one of Fernando Santos’ last 32 competitive matches in charge of Portugal has ended in a defeat, a 2-0 reverse to Switzerland in World Cup qualifying in Basel. They have won 23 times during this span of matches.
10:20 pm: The line-ups are in and no real surprises here.
Fernando Muslera starts as goalie for Uruguay who are captained by Godin. Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani start up front for Oscar Tabarez’s men.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal with Goncalo Guedes picked to partner him in attack. Bernardo Silva is also expected to be a part of the attacking trio up top, with Joao Mario, Adrien Silva and Willian Carvalho marshalling the defence.
10:10 pm: Some quick stats ahead of the game
If Uruguay win today, this will only be the second time that Los Charruas have won their first four matches. The only time they had one it previously, they won the World Cup in 1970.
Fernando Muslera became Uruguay’s all-time appearance maker in the World Cup with 14 matches in his last outing against Russia. Ladislao Mazurkiewicz and Edinson Cavani (both 13) are second on this list.
Oscar Tabarez at 71 years and 119 days will become the oldest manager to take charge of a World Cup knockout match. The only man to do it prior to Tabarez was Cesare Maldini, who at 70 years and 130 days took charge of Paraguay in a 1-0 loss to Germany in a Round of 16 match in 2002.
10:00 pm: Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 4 of Portugal’s 5 goals will be their main man tonight as they look to add the World Cup title to their Euro one.
Uruguay, on the other hand, are yet to concede at this tournament as the twin walls in defence Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez have been rock solid. They, however, return to the scene of Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Spain, one which Sochi will remember for a long time to come.
Welcome to the second match of the day. Uruguay, who are yet to score a goal this World Cup take on European champions Portugal in another feisty affair in Sochi. One doubts whether it will live up to the standards set in our first match between France and Argentina, which ended in a 4-3 win for Les Bleus.
To relive the action from that game, go here.