Francisco Conceicao scored a late winner to fire Portugal to a 2-1 victory against the Czech Republic as Cristiano Ronaldo made history in the Euro 2024 clash in Leipzig.
Ronaldo, now the first player to feature in six European Championships, was selected in Roberto Martinez’s starting lineup for this landmark match.
The 39-year-old had several opportunities to mark the historic occasion with a goal. During the first period, Ronaldo came close on three occasions, heading wide early on and later forcing two strong stops from Jindrich Stanek.
Despite dominating the first hour, Portugal was left stunned when Lukas Provod produced a stunning strike to give the Czech Republic a surprise lead.
However, Ivan Hasek’s side couldn’t hold onto their advantage for long. Just seven minutes after taking the lead, the Czech Republic conceded an equalizer as Stanek deflected the ball onto Robin Hranac, who could only watch it roll into the net.
Portugal thought they had been denied the chance to claim all three points when Liverpool’s Diogo Jota had a goal ruled out, but that disappointment was short-lived. Conceicao slotted home a dramatic 92nd-minute winner to secure the victory.
Ronaldo’s quest to convert his first-half chances was a focal point of the match. Despite the rain-drenched pitch, Ronaldo was eager to add to his staggering 130-goal international tally.
His first sight of goal came in the eighth minute, sending the ball wide after rising high to meet Rafael Leao’s lofted cross. Portugal’s array of world-class talent dominated possession, challenging the Czech Republic to remain disciplined and compact in their defensive shape.
As the contest moved past the half-hour mark, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes produced a sublime pass that sent Ronaldo through on goal, but the Al-Nassr forward couldn’t find a way past the sprawling Stanek.
Ronaldo threatened again on the stroke of half-time, cutting onto his left foot before stinging Stanek’s palms with a powerful effort.
In the second period, the Selecao continued to probe and push for the opener. However, it was the Czech faithful who celebrated first with Provod’s sensational long-range shot.
Provod latched onto Vladimir Coufal’s neat layoff, whipping an unstoppable strike into the far corner and sparking scenes of jubilation among the Czech contingent.
Their lead proved brief as Stanek failed to adequately deal with Nuno Mendes’s downward header, pushing the ball against the unfortunate Hranac and causing it to roll into the net.
Jota then thought he had netted an 87th-minute winner, tucking the ball home after Ronaldo’s header crashed against the upright. However, a swift VAR review revealed that Ronaldo had strayed offside, offering a reprieve to the exhausted Czech Republic side.
Just as the Czech Republic began to believe they had secured a point, Conceicao came off the bench to make a decisive intervention in his third international appearance.
The Porto midfielder took advantage of Hranac’s failure to deal with a Pedro Neto cross, firing the ball under Stanek to snatch all three points in dramatic fashion.
Looking ahead, Portugal will celebrate their impressive turnaround before focusing on Saturday’s tricky encounter against a confident Turkey side following their 3-1 win over Georgia.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic will need to regroup quickly for their second group game against Georgia at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg.
