Cristiano Ronaldo made history by participating in his sixth European Championships as Portugal kicked off their Euro 2024 journey with a 2-1 victory against Czechia.
The iconic striker had only seven international caps when he debuted in Euro 2004, but he arrived at this year's tournament with an impressive 207 appearances for his national team.
Ronaldo failed to score in his 208th cap, but Portugal managed to secure a 2-1 victory against Czechia on Tuesday evening.
Portugal dominated possession in the early stages, with Bruno Fernandes controlling the midfield and Rafael Leao making frequent runs down the left flank.
Ronaldo missed a golden opportunity with an early header that was saved brilliantly by Czechia goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek, but video replays later revealed that the Al Nassr superstar was caught offside.
Stanek thwarted Ronaldo once more just before halftime, as Portugal dominated the game but faced difficulties in creating any significant opportunities against Czechia's resilient defense. This marked the inaugural instance in Euro 2024 where a match remained deadlocked at 0-0 during the interval.
Portugal heavily emphasized crosses, delivering the ball into the box nearly 20 times before halftime. This strategy persisted into the second half, with Roberto Martinez's team pressing for an early goal.
Nevertheless, they soon found themselves trailing when Lukas Provod skillfully curled the ball into the net from outside the box, setting the stage for another possible upset.
Portugal's pursuit didn't last much longer. Just nine minutes later, the score was leveled when Stanek deflected Nuno Mendes' header into the path of the retreating Robin Hranac, leaving him helpless as the ball ricocheted into the goal.
As time passed, Portugal believed they had secured a victory when Diogo Jota from Liverpool scored from a rebound off a header by Ronaldo. However, the semi-automated offside technology promptly verified that the 39-year-old had slightly strayed offside - a remarkable endorsement for the system.
The devastation quickly turned into joy when, in the 92nd minute, newcomer Francisco Conceicao capitalized on a lucky bounce to score a powerful goal from a short distance, leading Portugal to a win.
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