Portugal share a glorious 3-3 draw with Spain in World Cup thriller.

Portugal share a glorious 3-3 draw with Spain in World Cup thriller.

Sometimes footballing banquets can give you the most awful indigestion and this was no exception to the rule. On the second day of this slow burning World Cup in Russia, Portugal and Spain locked horns in the most spellbinding, transfixing, gripping, mind blowing World Cup qualifying group match of the tournament. By the end most of the Sochi crowd were simply wiping their eyes with genuine amazement and wonderment.

In a pulsating, fascinating and occasionally flawless display of technical excellence from both of these sides in the classic Iberian derby, Portugal and Spain served up the tastiest dishes of the day with football that swung from defence to attack in the most delightful fashion. It is at times like this that you begin to realise why you fell for football hook, line and sinker as an impressionable teenager.

But it was one man who quite literally seizes a game by the scruff of the neck, times his moment in the sun and then scores a goal of quite outrageous individuality. A couple of weeks ago Cristiano Ronaldo had once again picked up another valuable Champions League Final winners medal against Liverpool and once again in front of a captive and captivated world audience Ronaldo delivered a free kick of such superlative technique that maybe it should have won something for artistic merit.

With three minutes of the game gone Ronaldo's Portugal immediately announced their intentions when Ronaldo tucked home a penalty after a poor Spanish defensive challenge in the penalty area had given the Portuguese their first footprint on the game. It was now that the game flared into an explosive firework display of end to end, flowing, fluctuating football that ebbed and flowed, backwards and forwards, never letting up for a moment.

Then somebody must have flicked the switch because from that point afterwards both teams decided to go at each other like bloodhounds in a haunted forest. Portugal frequently lunged and darted at the Spanish with menacing swishes of the sword while Spain, who once held lengthy bragging rights over their neighbours, pushed and prodded with those familiar one touch dabs of their oil paints. It was the neatness and delicacy that we've come to expect from Portugal against the equally as intricate but simple and beautiful Spanish.

Literally twenty minutes into the game Spain were back on level terms when Diego Costa, once the scourge of Premier League defenders at Chelsea, scored the most technically ingenious of equalisers. Turning, twisting and then deliberately leaving his opponent on his backside, Costa twirled and swirled in the most confined space before slamming the ball firmly into the roof of the net. Typical Costa and typical Spain. 1-1. Game on.

Minutes later Spain struck once again when Portugal must have thought somebody had snatched their initiative after cruising through the early stages of the game. A high, towering free kick from way out in Spain's own half  dropped easily onto the head of Sergio Busquets and the defender's brilliant nod back into the penalty area eventually found Costa yet again and the dark skinned, swarthy striker with a hint of Latin about his face, steered the ball furiously into the Portuguese net. How football can change its mind in a matter of minutes.

Then as if the game was balanced on some very sophisticated scales Portugal made it abundantly clear that this was personal, snarling and growling ominously at their opponents as if refusing to believe that they could ever be beaten by their Iberian rivals. This game meant much more than a friendly glass of muscatel at the end of the game just to prove that they were still good friends.

With the game now approaching its fever pitch climax Portugal gingerly picked their way through the Spanish defence but as if by predestined fate the man with the dark matinee idol looks re-connected with the game yet again. There are moments when football matches at any level can produce one man with a natural ability to decorate and embellish a game with his intuitive genius. Cristiano Ronaldo stood head and shoulders above every player with a moment to savour and relish at the same time.

After a frenetic burst of Portuguese attacking movements Ronaldo began to hover around the Spanish penalty area like one of those famous modern day drones in the sky. Suddenly he picked up the ball from just outside the area and smacked another drilled towards David De Gea. The Manchester United, then uncharacteristically fumbled the ball and the ball dribbled under his body and into the net. Portugal were back in the game and the psychological balance of the game seemed to sway back in Portugal's favour. Not so.

Spain poached the ball back again like children in a playground who stubbornly refuse to give the ball back when they may feel as if they're being too selfish or just plain awkward. The white shirts of Spain, still recovering from the  major shock of losing their manager before gaining a new one before the match, now poured forward like a cascading waterfall, the likes of veteran Andres Iniesta, the ever lively Koke, effervescent and everywhere Jordi Albi and the roving, roaming Sergio Ramos all joining forces with some of the loveliest football of the evening.

Then as if inspired by the occasion itself Spain took the lead with what looked to be the most important goal of them all and what a gem it was. After some careful orchestrations from David Silva and the quickest transfer of passes Nacho, from quite a distance, manoeuvred himself into position, pulled back his shooting leg and then drove the ball with an air of precision engineering as the ball seemed to bend and dip in front of De Gea in the Spain goal before flying into the net off a post.

But that was not to be the final grand performance because Portugal had one last trick up their sleeve. Now that William Carvalho, strongly fancied to become a Premier League player next season, Cedric Soames and the on loan to West Ham Joao Mario became much more focused on salvaging at least a draw from the match. Ronaldo began to sniff the scent.

Cometh the hour cometh the man. For a number of seasons now the so called pretty boy from Real Madrid and once Manchester United showed that he too could produce the destructive weapon when it was sorely needed. With the game in its final act Cristiano Ronaldo did what he'd been threatening to do for most of the evening.

You may think him vain, arrogant and narcissistic but the man who Sir Alex Ferguson once turned into the darling of Manchester United lined up a free kick in his sacred territory. Standing straight as a soldier and hitching up his shorts in some strange affectation, Ronaldo strode forward with only one objective in mind. A soft shoe shuffle towards the ball was followed by a lofted golf putt of a free kick that barely lifted off the ground at first but then whistled past Spain keeper De Gea into the roof of the net.

And that was that. Portugal and Spain, in what looked to be the juiciest and spiciest match of the World Cup so far shook hands diplomatically after accepting an honourable draw. If this is the benchmark for the rest of the World Cup then we may be in for a street carnival, a siesta, a fiesta of football, a colourful kaleidoscope of football that far exceeds any expectations and reaches the most cultivated level of refined beauty.

These are the early days of World Cup formalities and introductions. The image of Vladimir Putin somewhat patronisingly gesturing towards a Saudi sheikh after the Russians had rattled up a roulette of goals against Saudi Arabia in the opening game, still leaves us with a slightly embarrassed and painful image on our minds. Still, as long as we are left with a generous helping of caviar in our football none of us should have any complaints. Make that a vodka for Mr Southgate please.