Key events
A strange coincidence to parse, that. Portugal were the better side on balance, far more threatening over the piece without ever hitting their straps. But both of their goals involved an element of luck, Jindřich Staněk flicking the ball off the foot of Robin Hranáč for the first, the hapless Hranáč slipping to inadvertently set up Francisco Conceição for the late winner. Then again, when you’re doing most of the press, you’ll get more from the rests. The Czechs fought well and that will help them; Portugal will be relishing a dramatic win, knowing they can play much better.
LINE: Portugal 2-1 Czech Republic
Ronaldo screams with delight as the final whistle blows! Portugal they have earned it to the death!
90 minutes +3: Tomáš Chorý replaces Tomáš Holeš. Barák flicks a pass down the inside right channel. Lingre tries a header over Costa and into the top left corner, but the ball always goes over the bar and the flag goes up for offside anyway.
GOAL! Portugal 2-1 Czech Republic (Conceição 90+2)
Portugal could not be denied! Pedro Neto stole the ball from the left wing and entered the penalty area. He crosses low, dangerously. Hranáč tries to cross but slips and can only equalize with Francisco Conceição making his debut in the competition and only six yards out. Conceição can’t miss! The winner!
90 minutes: There will be four added minutes.
89 minutes: Vitinha, Nuno Mendes and Joao Cancelo and are replaced by Nelson Semedo, Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceição.
NO PURPOSE! Portugal 1-1 Czech Republic
VAR cancels the goal in double quick time! Ronaldo was inches from the offside when he won the first header. If he had clipped his toenails last night, or perhaps worn a thinner vest under his shirt, he might have been dressed. It was so close!
GOAL! Portugal 2-1 Czech Republic (Jota 87)
Cross from the right by Joao Cancelo. Ronaldo rises high at the far stick and heads over Stanek and wide of the right post. The ball came back to Iota, who put a header into the right side of the net. What a header from Ronaldo and what a reaction from Jota!
85 minutes: Iota almost manages to overpower a Feeder on the left, but just when it looks like he’s fought off, the defender comes back to block and stop the attack.
83 minutes: The pace slows down a bit as everyone cares a little more about everything they do. Nobody wants to lose that now.
81 minutes: … having said that Portugal it seems more likely that it is the Czechs who build the next half-chance. A cut ball from the right line was met by Sevcik on the penalty kick. He falls back and can’t get any purchase on the shot. The ball is blocked and falls to Soucek, who shoots low to the right from the edge of the box.
80 minutes: A new Czech double change, with Antonin Barak and Petr Ševčík replacing Pavel Schulz and top scorer Lukasz Provod.
78 minutes: Vitinha sends a daisy cutter to the bottom left. Staněk turns it around the post. Fernandes takes the corner… and it flies over everyone’s heads. He wasn’t up to it with the old dead balls tonight.
77 minutes: Just like Portugal were visibly shaken after the first goal, so the Czechs looked desperate after that own goal. Suddenly they look a yard slower, with Portugal first for almost everything and again looking most likely. Meanwhile, on the subject of all those long-range goals, here’s Niall Mullen: ‘Is it me or has there not been a complaint about the tournament ball? Usually, keepers, pundits and kit dealers line up to decry the random flight of a new innovative ball with special flight technology. This time the players just seem to want to stick it in the net, repeatedly. Maybe they should stick with this one forever?’
75 minutes: A long pass looks like Ronaldo’s release down the left… but he doesn’t have the pace and the flag pops up for an offside anyway. “Screaming at long distances,” begins Charles Antaki. “That’s what we want: long-distance screams. Even if it ends now, Euro 2024 has delivered.”
73 minutes: To be fair to Portugal, the cross was decent, Nuno Mendes raced well to win the header and Ronaldo forced the error by lurking. But it was still a clumsy mistake by Stanek. Anyway, here we are now, Portuguese tails in the air, and Silva has a shot from the edge of the box. The keeper does a much better job of blocking this time.
71 minutes: It was Stanek’s fault more than Hranach’s, but that’s the defender’s name on the record. The target was met with almost complete silence for a nanosecond as the entire field tried to figure out what had happened. Then a roar from Portugal fans as the truth became clear. Big luck for Portugal; a self-inflicted wound for the Czechs.
GOAL! Portugal 1-1 Czech Republic (Hranáč 69 og)
From the right comes a cross. Nuno Mendes, at the far post, heads down and crosses the goal. Staněk parried at Hranáč’s feet, pushing the ball into the defender’s leg. Hranáč can do nothing about it as the ball bounces off him and past his own keeper. Everything in slow motion.
68 minutes: Provod’s screeching strike was the Czech’s first shot on target and is his 11th from outside the box so far this tournament. “Czech Republic leads against the run of play. And the Czechs jump in the crowd. Here all week, try Svíčková.” Gary Byrne, ladies and gentlemen, does most of my work for me.
66 minutes: Jota’s first action is a high kick to Provod’s head. Undertake that to score a goal against us.
65 minutes: On the touchline, Roberto Martinez performs the internationally recognized palms down mime for CALM DOWN. Portugal they certainly look shaken.
64 minutes: Portugal immediately responded with a double change. Rafael Leao and Diogo Dalot are replaced by Gonzalo Inacio and Diogo Jota.
GOAL! Portugal 0-1 Czech Republic (Wire 62)
Well, that was worth the wait! Portugal they had the ball, but the Czechs are in the lead! Dudera is chasing what appears to be a lost cause down the left. He receives the ball and crosses long. Koufal gathers down the right and cuts for Vodro who touches before curling a screamer across Costa and into the left side of the goal! What a strike!
61 minutes: The Czech Republic makes a double shift. Mojmír Chytil and Ondřej Lingr come on for Jan Kuchta and the unsuccessful – and newly booked – Patrik Schick.
59 minutes: Joao Cancelo releases Bernardo Silva down the inside right channel. He chooses to cross low instead of shooting, hoping to find Ronaldo. Hranáč slides in to tap in at the cost of a corner from which, you already know the result, nothing happens.
58 minutes: This free kick is in officially designated Ronaldo™ territory. He shoots at the goal. The ball swings back and forth but somehow flies straight to Staněk who collects.
57 minutes: Schick flips Joao Cancelo in the air like a pancake and it’s a direct free-kick from a central position, 25 yards out. Yellow card for Chic as well.
56 minutes: Ronaldo pulls his neck back again with a view to heading home, but Koufal steps in and removes his eyebrows just in time. Staněk then has to clear the ball from the middle of a crowded field. Portugal begin to cause problems for the Czechs.
55 minutes: Ronaldo tries to do just that, but Diaz’s cross from the right deflects his header over the bar and nothing comes of the corner.
54 minutes: The Czech Republic continue to sit happily at the front of their own box. No way to Portugal. Nothing much happens, so Joe Pearson’s mind wanders to Portugal’s star striker: “Of course you can score easily in Riyadh, but can you do it on a rainy Tuesday night in Leipzig?”
52 minutes: Silva breaks in from the right and Dalots fires over the bar. This match is really not going well at all.
50 minutes: It rains quite heavily in Leipzig. It’s nothing compared to the storm in Dortmund from earlier, but you wouldn’t want to be caught in it without a joke.
48 minutes: Fernandez plays a sweet pass down the right for Silva, who clears a cross off the line just in time to win a corner from Krejci. The net goes back to Vitinia, whose cross is no good, flying miles over the bar. He raises his hand in apology to his teammates.
46 minutes: Dalot lowers his shoulder to slide inside the box on the right and heads the crossbar into the top left corner. It always passes, but it was a worthy effort nonetheless. If it was right on target, Staněk could have been in trouble.
The Czech Republic start the second half. No changes. “I hope you’re pleased with yourself with this ‘ctrl+jinx’ goalless games-so far pre-game talk,” begins John Collin, because someone he had to clip me around the ear for him. “If only this Portugal team had some firepower and/or options from the bench, they would certainly be contenders. Where is Eder?
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HALF TIME: Portugal 0-0 Czech Republic
Portugal was the better side; as underdogs tonight, the Czech Republic will be happier. The goalkeepers didn’t have much to do.
45 minutes: Leão teases Coufal again down the left. He gets to the line and cuts for Fernandez, but Holesh covers and clears for a corner. And something happens on this one, Ronaldo takes some space and time just inside the box to hit the goal. Straight into Stanek, who parries well.
44 minutes: … and eventually Nuno Mendes, trying to force something to happen, fires a pass down the inside left channel to absolutely nobody. Kick from the door.
43 minutes: Portugal pass it on patiently. They’re not going anywhere.
41 minutes: Coufal intersects with Portugal I’m messing around. Portugal have committed a lot of people in attack, but all the other Czech players are sitting at the back and Koufal has no one to pass to. Chic eventually shows up, but upon receiving the ball, quickly loses it. Poor Kufal, whose efforts deserved better support.
39 minutes: Kufal finds some space in the overlap on the right. He crosses for Schick, who fails to clear his header from six yards. Diaz cleared instead. Portugal counter, with Leão trying to get past Coufal on the left, just outside the box. It passes… and is booked for simulation. There wasn’t much contact, that’s for sure. Strange decision to pass because it looked like he passed his man.
37 minutes: Czech captain Soucek goes down clutching his right leg. Playback stops for a while. Then it springs up again. A professional break to break the momentum Portugal has built
