Portugal 3-0 Norway: Liverpool target Raphael Guerreiro scores superb free kick in friendly victory

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Portugal did not miss Cristiano Ronaldo as they prepared for Wembley with a couple of spectacular goals and a comfortable victory against Norway.

Ricardo Quaresma fired the Portuguese into the lead before Raphael Guerreiro and Swansea flop Eder extended the lead after the break.

Captain and talisman Ronaldo will miss the friendly against England in London, on Thursday, along with his Real Madrid team-mate Pepe and Fenerbahce pair Nani and Bruno Alves. However, the quartet are expected to join the squad on Saturday.

Raphael Guerreiro, who has been linked with Liverpool and Dortmund, slotted home a curling free kick

Manager Fernando Santos had granted Ronaldo and Pepe time to bask in the glory of another Champions League triumph and recover from their efforts in Milan.

Nani and Bruno Alves had been time off after their disappointment in last week’s Turkish Cup final when they were beaten by fierce rivals Galatasaray.

Without the vastly experienced quartet there was the chance for others to perform, including Southampton’s Jose Fonte and Cedric Soares and a couple of 30-somethings with distant Chelsea connections.

Ricardo Carvalho captained his country at the age of 38. The Monaco centre-half is expected to be the oldest outfield player at the Euros. He lasted an hour, before he was replaced by Danilo Pereira.

Ricardo Quaresma put the Portuguese ahead with a spectacular dipping shot in the 13th minute

Quaresma, who played briefly on loan at Chelsea, opened the scoring with an eye-catching strike.

He jinked inside from the left and curled a shot in with his right foot, although there was very little by way of resistance from Norway and not even a token effort to save it from goalkeeper Rune Jarstein.

It was a popular goal in Porto’s Estadio do Dragao, where Quaresma played in two separate spells. At 32, he is playing for Beskitas and he was the star of this friendly until he went off after an hour.

This was one of those nights when his array flicks and feints came off. Quaresma, however, has always been wildly inconsistent. His talent has never been in question.

Portugal gave a composed performance and was mostly in control of the match on Sunday night

Within seconds of the first, Portugal were almost two ahead. Cedric whipped a dangerous low cross in from the right but Eder at full stretch could only divert it wide.

Eder, who made no impact at Swansea and has signed for Lille where he was on loan for the second half of the season, will go to France with the No.9 shirt, although he is unlikely to start when Ronaldo is back.

Manchester United target Joao Mario caught the eye with impressive display against Norway

Norway’s depleted team looked as if they might be swept aside but they grew in confidence before half-time.

Bournemouth’s Josh King one chance curled over from tight angle and Veton Berisha went close with a header.

King’s pace troubled Portugal’s central defenders and he created a better chance when he sped away from Fonte late in the first-half, only to be denied by ‘keeper Anthony Lopes.

Norway were far more composed in the first 10 minutes after the interval and enjoyed good possession. It was easily their best period and their moment if they were to get back into the contest.

Bournemouth forward Josh King was back in action for Norway after missing the last game due to injury

Veton Berisha glanced a header against the bar from a left-wing cross by Anders Trondsen before the visitors slipped further behind to a goal every bit as impressive as the first.

It was a free-kick curled into the top corner by Lorient left-back Guerreiro from five yards outside the penalty box. ‘Keeper Jarstein had no chance as it swerved over the defensive wall and in off the post.

Portugal stretched on from here as Santos ran through six substitutions. Eder converted the third, a simple finish from a low cross by Joao Mario, who was quietly effective on the right.

Portugal are in Group F at this summer's European Championship along with Austria, Hungary and Iceland

It was Mario’s last touch of the game before he made way for a late cameo from 18-year-old Renato Sanches, recently signed by Bayern Munich from Benfica and winning his third senior cap.

This was Portugal’s eighth international at the Estadio do Dragao and they have not lost since the first – against Greece in the opening game of Euro 2004.

Next stop Wembley.