Watch: Ugly scenes mar Mexico win while Ronaldo hands victory to Portugal over Russia

Ugly scenes marred Mexico’s Confederations Cup victory over New Zealand as Oribe Peralta got his side out of jail at Sochi’s Fisht Olympic Stadium.

Players from both sides became involved in an unseemly melee deep into injury time after Mexico skipper Diego Reyes dragged back Michael Boxall, who then lunged at substitute Hector Herrera.

Gambian referee Bakary Gassama reviewed the incident before remarkably issuing only yellow cards to all three players involved in the initial clashes, but no more.

The Mexicans, who saw Ryan Thomas denied an 85th-minute equaliser by the woodwork, survived a major scare after Chris Wood had fired the Kiwis into a half-time lead and then squandered a series of further chances before Raul Jimenez and Peralta spared their blushes.

Manager Juan Carlos Osorio made eight changes to the side which drew 2-2 with Portugal on Sunday, but saw his under-studies fluff their lines in a poor first-half display.

Tommy Smith might have stabbed the Kiwis ahead with just 10 minutes gone when he only just failed too make the most of fellow defender Boxall’s header down with the Mexicans struggling to cope at set-pieces.

Giovani dos Santos could have eased the nerves three minutes later when he was picked out in front of goal, but he headed wastefully wide.

Smith tested goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera with a firm header, but it was Wood who was causing most of the problems, and Osorio was grateful to his goalkeeper for denying the Leeds striker one-on-one after he made the most of injured defender Carlos Salcedo’s misfortune, much to Osorio’s fury.

But it was Wood who finally broke the deadlock three minutes before the break when midfielder Clayton Lewis turned the ball around the corner to put him through on goal, and he finished expertly to give New Zealand a shock lead.

Osorio sent on midfielder Herrera at the break and his side perhaps should have been level within four minutes when Javier Aquino’s shot from a tight angle was well saved by Stefan Marinovic and Giovani blazed over from the loose ball.

Wood passed up another glorious opportunity when he got in behind the Mexican defence once again four minutes later, and he was made to pay within seconds when Jimenez smashed an equaliser past Marinovic.

But they finally got their noses in front with 18 minutes remaining when Peralta swept home Aquino’s astute pull-back, although substitute Rafael Marquez was fortunate to escape a red card for an ugly challenge seconds later.

Mexico’s luck held five minutes from time when Thomas’ piledriver crashed against the bar and ran to safety before the red mists descended.

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo’s 74th senior international goal was enough to hand Portugal Confederations Cup victory over hosts Russia.

The 32-year-old Real Madrid star’s early header secured a 1-0 win at Moscow’s Spartak Stadium and left Fernando Santos’ men a point clear of the Russians at the top of Group A.

Only goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who was winning his 100th cap, denied Portugal victory by a greater margin as he made vital saves from Ronaldo and Andre Silva either side of half-time.

Russia were poor before half-time and although they improved after it, they were repeatedly hit on the break as they committed men to the search for an equaliser.

Ronaldo, making his 141st appearance for his country, needed just eight minutes to make his mark, although the opening goal was far from all his own work.

With the Russians attempting to sit in and deny Portugal space in the middle of the field, Raphael Guerreiro was given just that wide on the left to deliver an inviting cross to the far post, where the Real Madrid striker made the most of defender Fedor Kudriashov’s misjudgement to head home.

Ronaldo proved the main threat throughout the first half as the hosts offered little going forward, and he tested Akinfeev with a 25th-minute free-kick before forcing the keeper to block with his legs seven minutes later.

Russia might have been level as the half-time whistle approached, but striker Fedor Smolov could not adjust his feet in time to steer Aleksandr Golovin’s cross on target.

Skipper Akinfeev kept his side in it when he clawed away Silva’s 50th-minute header from close range, and he was in the right place at the right time to repel Cedric Soares long-range effort nine minutes later.

The Russians, who beat New Zealand 2-0 in their opening fixture, belatedly launched their push and might have been level just after the hour when Alexander Samedov’s teasing cross was only fractionally too high for Smolov in the middle.

But Ronaldo passed up a glorious opportunity to extend his side’s lead just past the hour when he headed wide from Andre Gomes’ cross as Portugal broke at pace.

However, it was Russia who finished strongly with substitute Aleksandr Bukharov appealing in vain for a last-gasp penalty after going down in the box before defender Georgy Dzhikya heading inches over Rui Patricio’s crossbar deep into injury-time.