Roberto Martinez’s team is one of the tournament’s favorites after winning all of their qualifying games, but they had to wait until the very end to defeat their determined opponents. The Czech Republic was spending much of the game defending in the first half before shocking Portugal with Lukas Provod’s whipped second-half strike into the far corner.
Their hopes of victory were dashed soon after when goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek parried Nuno Mendes’ header, which bounced off Robin Hranac and into his own net. Diogo Jota’s goal was ruled to be offside late on, but Portugal celebrated in stoppage time when Conceicao scored. The goal ensured that Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking sixth European Championship appearance ended in victory.
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Portugal shows a desire to push for the win.
Portugal was in good form heading into this tournament, and their sizable fan base in Leipzig was optimistic that they could add to their already impressive 2016 European Championship victory. That confidence appeared to be justified as they dominated from the start of the game, keeping the Czech Republic at bay. However, they struggled to convert good build-up play into chances, and the few they did create were well dealt with by goalkeeper Stanek.
Ronaldo was the focal point of Portugal’s attack, and while his overall contribution was limited, he did have two of his team’s best chances in the first half, both of which were denied by the Czech goalkeeper. When he fired a trademark free-kick tamely at Stanek in the second half, only to be ruled offside when Jota turned in his cross late on, it appeared that neither he nor Portugal would have a successful night. But they demonstrated the kind of determination that their fans believe will carry them far in Germany, taking the three points deep into stoppage time. Another young star, 21-year-old substitute Conceicao, delivered the winning goal from close range, as has become a recurring theme in this tournament.
