LUSAIL, Qatar (Reuters) – A scintillating 17th-minute strike from Goncalo Ramos and a powerful header from Pepe gave Portugal a 2-0 halftime lead over Switzerland in their World Cup last-16 match on Tuesday.
Brought into the team in place of captain Cristiano Ronaldo for his first World Cup start, Ramos fired into the top corner at the near post from a seemingly impossible angle.
Pepe added the second just after the half hour mark when he beat two defenders in the air to head home a corner. Ramos almost scored again just before halftime when his low shot was superbly saved by Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
The winners face Morocco in the quarter-finals.
(Reporting by Martin Petty; Editing by Ken Ferris)
