Portugal vs Spain, Fifa World Cup 2018: Ronaldo scores hat-trick in six-goal thriller; As it happened

Hello and welcome to the highlights of Group B's second match of Fifa World Cup 2018 between European champions Portugal and former champions Spain at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi.

Cristiano Ronaldo will be the name on everyone's lips. What a night it was for the Real Madrid superstar. 

 The 33-year-old became the first man to score a hat-trick against Spain in a World Cup final. He gave Portugal the lead as early as in the fourth minute from the spot after he was brought down inside the penalty area. 

Even as Diego Costa got Spain the equaliser, Ronaldo put Portugal ahead just minutes before the break with a customary shot, thanks to a howler (handling error) from David de Gea. 

Costa, on the back of some brilliant effort from Andres Iniesta and David Silva, got Spain back on level terms after which Isco fired a stunner from outside the 30-year-box to put Spain in the lead for the first time in the day. 

And then the Ronaldo free-kick happened! What a mad, mad night of football!

Full-time: The group-stage stunner ends in a draw and fittingly so. What a night of football it was!

Cristiano Ronaldo asserts his greatness with a hat-trick in Portugal's opening match. He was carrying the burden of expectations but he delivers in style. 

87 min: Goal! Hat-trick for Cristiano Ronaldo. What a stunning free-kick from just outside the box. A foul was committed on him and he makes Spain pay. 

It was perfect from Ronaldo. He hits over the wall and under the crossbar as David de Gea watches it sail into the nets. Delightful!

80 min: Andre Silva, the man who played all the qualifier matches for Portugal, replaces Guedes. Spain are getting their men back to thwart Portugal's chances of getting an equaliser. They will be more than happy to keep the ball to themselves. 

77 min: Diego Costa is being substituted by Iago Aspas. What a night for the forward. He wiped off Portugal's lead twice. 

70 min: Spain's Iniesta gets a standing ovation from the La Roja fans as he is being replaced by Thiago. 

68 min: Earlier, Portugal made two changes in quick succession in the offensive third. Joao Maria came in for Bruno Fernandes and Bernado Silva was replaced by veteran Ricardo Quaresma.

58 min: Goal! Spain are ahead for the first time today. They have been relentless here. Nacho, the man who gave away the penalty, scores what seems to be the goal of the night. 

Andres Iniesta and Isco were putting pressure from down the left flank and a deflected cross provides an incoming Nacho a perfect opportunity for a volley. He drills it past the defenders and the ball goes into the net off the post. 

What a screamer that. A lot of power from Nacho and Rui Patricio had no chances of stopping that.  

55 min: Goal! Diego Costa does it again, he wipes out Portugal's goal for the second time in this match. 

Joy for Fernando Hierro, relief for De Gea!

It all started when Joao Moutinho committed a foul outside the 30-yard box. The free-kick is headed into box from the far post and Costa guides it in past Rui Patricio. 

46 min: No changes in personnel on either side. Spain have been the better sides, with a lot of productive spells in the first-half. However, Ronaldo has given the lead for Portugal. 

Fernando Santos' men will not sit back with a one-goal lead. Spain would want to claw back again. Expect some high-quality action in the second-half as well. 

The referee brings the first half to an end. What a brilliant 45 minutes!

Will David de Gea's handling error prove costly for Spain? 

"Big mistake, de Gea was probably caught in two minds," says Wes Brown while analysing the Manchester United goalkeeper's goof-up.

Portugal had started the match with a lot of intent and following Nacho's foul on his Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo inside the penalty area. The big man did no mistake as sent De Gea the wrong way to score the opening goal. 

However, Diego Costa brought Spain back into the match after which the La Roja pressed forward. Chances came their way as Andres Iniesta and David Silva were troubling Pepe and Co. by cutting inside frequently. 

Isco rattled the post even as Portugal were squandering a lot of opportunities on the break. 

Out of nowhere, another costly error from Spain made sure Portugal went into the break with a one-goal lead. 

44 min: Goal! Cristiano Ronaldo puts Portugal back in the lead. David de Gea should have stopped that.

That came from nowhere, given the problems Spain were creating for Pepe and co. 

Cedric puts a long ball from the right as Ronaldo fires a straight, low shot. De Gea fumbles, allowing the ball to roll into the net. 

Ronaldo does it for Portugal just when it was looking like Spain was taking control of this match. 

Two for the big man. Is there a hat-trick on cards?

42 min: Isco gets a shot from outside the box. It curls in but in the end becomes an easy take for Rui Patricio. 

34 min: Spain are pressing forward, creating a lot of trouble for Pepe & co. Andres Iniesta is cutting from the left at will and delivering some wonderful balls for David Silva. 

He shoots with his left foot but the ball goes wide. 

26 min: Isco rattles the crossbar from outside the box. He wants to know whether it actually went in. However, VAR is not being used. 

24 min: Goal! Diego Costa gets the equaliser for Spain. After receiving a high ball just outside the penalty area, the striker holds on to the ball exceptionally well to drill it into the low corner past Rui Patricio. 

VAR was employed to check if Costa had fouled Pepe in the buildup but the replays showed nothing. 

22 min: Nothing comes off the corner for Spain but Portugal break on speed again. This is another brilliant chance for Santos' men as Ronaldo is yet again free on the left. However, Guedes once again fails to finish well. 

21 min: This is exhilarating football. Andres Iniesta makes a good run from the left before finding Silva in the box. The Manchester City star's shot is deflected away.  Another corner for Spain. 

19 min: Spain's Sergio Busquets gets the first yellow card of the match. 

18 min: Free kick for Portugal. Ronaldo takes it but hits it straight into the wall. This is a great, great start for Fernando Santos' men. 

17 min: Great opportunity for Portugal on the counter. Goncalo Guedes sears forward as Cristiano Ronaldo runs up the left flank.

However, the 22-year-old had to do all the work on his own after his senior teammate slowed down while thinking about off-side positions. Guedes slams it straight into De Gea who came off his lines to stop the counter-attack. 

12 min: Spain haven't been bogged down after conceding an early goal.  David Silva and Isco have been busy down the left flank and the former almost got things levelled in the 10th minute.

Spain also get their first corner in the 12th minute. They took it short but nothing came off it. 

With the campaign opening-goal, Ronaldo becomes only the fourth player after Uwe Seeler, Pele and Miroslav Klose to score goals in four World Cups. What a start to the Real Madrid forward. Portugal fans couldn't have asked for better from the slow-starters. 

Goal! Ronaldo does it for Portugal as early as in the fourth minute. His 82nd international goal gives the European champions a great start. 

The Real Madrid forward was brought down inside the box by his teammate Nacho. The referee didn't waste a second to signal a penalty for Portugal. 

Ronaldo does it in style by sending it towards the top-right corner with David de Gea going the opposite direction. Scenes!

Spain get the ball rolling. They have four players who are playing against their Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. And the Real Madrid superstar gets his first touch sooner than expected. 

Good start from Portugal, early pressure from them.  

The two teams are here. The national anthems are being played. And, as expected, it's an electrifying atmosphere at the Fischt Stadium. 

Here are some numbers to crunch ahead of the big game. Cristiano Ronaldo has only scored three goals so far over three World Cup appearances and he has never scored against Spain at the quadrennial tournament. Will that change today? 

The two teams are here. The national anthems are being played. And, as expected, it's an electrifying atmosphere at the Fischt Stadium. 

Here are some numbers to crunch ahead of the big game. Cristiano Ronaldo has only scored three goals so far over three World Cup appearances and he has never scored against Spain at the quadrennial tournament. Will that change today? 

Spain have had to go through a lot over the last two days after coach Julen Lopetegui was sacked, leading to last-minute drama. Sporting director Fernando Hierro was hurriedly appointed as the head coach. 

However, former Spain international Luis García, who is carrying out duties as a television commentator with SPN Sports India, believes Spain have the experience to pick themselves up and deliver on the big night. 

The likes of Andres Iniesta Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, and David Silva are going to be key for them, given their experience of playing such big-ticket matches in the past. 

Hierro though has promised that he wouldn't tinker with the combination that had worked wonderfully well for Lopetegui. Under the newly-appointed Real Madrid manager, the La Roja never faced a defeat in 20 matches, winning 14 of them. 

While you're eagerly waiting for the kick-off, here are some visuals from Spain's team hotel and the Fischt Stadium in Sochi. How is the Spanish team's body language, given they had to go through a hell lot of a drama 48 hours before their opening game. 

We're just a little than an hour away from the biggest match of the day. Meanwhile, the line-ups of Portugal and Spain have just come in. 

While Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal is expectedly on the bench following his injury in the Champions League final last month, Fernando Hierro has oped for Nacho to replace him.

Meanwhile, Fernando Santos' line-up doesn't have any major surprises. Jose Fonte and Pepe are their centre-backs while 22-year-old Goncalo Guedes starts their opener. 

We are here for the third game of the day, the Group B tie between the Iberian rivals. 

We have witnessed two heart-breaking late goals in Uruguay-Egypt and Iran-Morocco. While the La Celeste piped Egypt in the afternoon match, Iran, aided by an injury-time own goal from Moroccan substitute Aziz Bouhaddouuz, clinched three points to go atop Group B. 

We are here for the third game of the day, the Group B tie between the Iberian rivals. 

We have witnessed two heart-breaking late goals in Uruguay-Egypt and Iran-Morocco. While the La Celeste piped Egypt in the afternoon match, Iran, aided by an injury-time own goal from Moroccan substitute Aziz Bouhaddouuz, clinched three points to go atop Group B.