Portugal took the advantage in Group A with a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic. An end-to-end game saw them take the lead twice through Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo, but Inter target Ricardo Quaresma confirmed a vital victory and they move three-points clear at the top of the table. They now await the result of Switzerland’s encounter with Turkey knowing a draw would see them become the first side to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Portugal started this game at the top of Group A on goal difference after both they and the Czech Republic picked up three points in their opening fixture. But while Portugal Coach Felipe Scolari was happy to keep the same starting XI, Karel Bruckner introduced Marek Matejovsky and Milan Baros at the expense of David Jarolim and Jan Koller to try and add more pace and creativity in attack.

A lively start saw both teams pushing forward, with Libor Sionko and Cristiano Ronaldo both having efforts charged down on the edge of the penalty area in quick succession.

It took just eight minutes for Portugal to open the scoring, though. A close one-two between Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco set the former through the Czech defence with Petr Cech charging out of his goal to smother the chance. The ball squirmed loose though and Deco scrambled home, ricocheting through the legs of Marek Jankulovski who was trying to cover the goal line.

The Bohemians tried to hit back straight away as a clever quick free-kick sent Jankulovski into the area on the right, but he sliced his shot wide on his weaker foot under pressure from Paulo Ferreira. Portugal continued to look the most dangerous though, as the Czech Republic’s attack-minded full-backs struggled to deal with their opponents’ quick breaks in wide positions.

The chances continued to come for both sides, with Petit failing to trouble Cech with a tame long-ranger and Baros heading over from a looping Zdenek Grygera cross.

But it was Sionko who found the equaliser for the Czech Republic in the 17th minute after earning a corner himself with some excellent work on the right wing. As Jaroslav Plasil drilled the resulting set-piece towards the penalty spot, the FC Copenhagen winger flicked the ball into the net with a brave diving header.

Jan Polak picked up the first booking of the game after 23 minutes, when he was penalised for a strong sliding challenge on Pepe. Portugal showed their speed on the break by striding straight up the pitch, with Deco fizzing a powerful shot just past the far post following a diagonal run from the left wing. It was clear that Scolari had instructed his players to shoot on sight as Cristiano Ronaldo forced a comfortable save from Cech with a similar effort soon after.

Sionko again came close from a corner, this time from the left-hand side. Ricardo came for the cross but couldn’t reach the ball, but luckily for the Portuguese goalkeeper, Sionko couldn’t find a teammate with his cutback from the back post and Pepe scrambled clear. However, Portugal were clearly having problems defending the Czech set-pieces.

Scolari’s team finished the half strongest and a succession of corners perhaps should have given them back their advantage, but Ricardo Carvalho’s heavy touch wasted his chance after a deflected Deco cross had found its way all the way through to the Chelsea defender at the far post. Almost immediately Cech was called into action to parry a powerful long-range drive from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo brought the half to the end with a trademark free-kick, but Cech anticipated well to gather the ball at his near post as Greek referee Kyros Vassaras blew his whistle for half-time after a relentless first period.

Paulo Ferreira came out for the second half with a bandage above his left eye after suffering a nasty cut in a clash of heads in the first 45 minutes. He continued to struggle to contain Sionko on the wing, and the Czech player broke into the penalty area but Baros couldn’t get on the end of his slid pass across the six-yard box.

Some quick close passing on the edge of the Czech penalty area saw Nuno Gomes scramble his way free for a shot, but he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and the tame shot was easy for Cech to catch. The former Fiorentina striker seemed determined after the break and he caught David Rozehnal, who hesitated on the ball at the back, and forced a corner as he attempted to power in high at the near post.

Cech was certainly the busier of the goalkeepers in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, stopping a Simao snapshot with an outstretched leg, before gathering a miss-hit Cristiano Ronaldo volley from the edge of the area.

But Portugal were nearly made to pay for their vulnerability on set-pieces again, as Tomas Ujfalusi flicked on another Plasil corner and Baros came agonisingly close to tapping in at the far post. The Czechs found themselves behind almost immediately in the 63rd minute though, as the referee played the advantage in favour of Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo drilled Deco’s squared pass home with a low shot that left Cech helpless.

The Czech Republic tried to hit back straight away from a crossed free-kick, but Ferreira blocked Grygera’s acrobatic half-volley at close range after Ricardo had failed to deal with the initial ball into the box.

Bruckner decided to change things around with a substitution as the Bohemians chased their second equaliser of the game. Midfielder Matejovsky made way with Anderlecht striker Stanislav Vlcek coming on to add support for lone-forward Baros, who has looked isolated around the Portuguese penalty area.

The Czech Republic introduced their third striker just five minutes later, when holding midfielder Tomas Galasek made way for Koller as Bruckner rolled the dice and shifted to an attacking 4-3-3 formation. His opposite number Scolari responded immediately by bringing on another centre-back in the form of Fernando Meira to deal with the added aerial threat of Koller, taking the place of midfielder Joao Moutinho.

The substitutions continued, with Portugal skipper Nuno Gomes making way for Hugo Almeida as Cristiano Ronaldo took the captain’s armband and Ricardo Quaresma replaced Simao on the wing.

Sionko came close to hitting another equaliser with seven minutes remaining, but Ricardo was equal to his header from the penalty spot and tipped the ball over the crossbar. Koller nearly got lucky when Ricardo and Pepe came close to getting in each other’s way, but the Sporting goalkeeper judged the bounce well.

Portugal continued to live dangerously, especially with high balls into their penalty area and Ricardo flapped again but Polak was unable to find room for the shot. The Czechs were hit on the counter though as Cristiano Ronaldo was set free behind the opposition’s back line before squaring the ball for substitute Quaresma to tap in and secure a potentially decisive win.
Czech Republic: Cech; Grygera, Ujfalusi, Rozehnal, Jankulovski; Polak; Matejovsky (Vlcek 68), Galasek (Koller 73), Sionko, Baros; Plasil (Jarolim 85)

Portugal: Ricardo; Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira; Petit, Moutinho (Fernando Meira 75); Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Simao (Quaresma 80); Nuno Gomes (Hugo Almeida 79)

Ref: Vassaras (Gre)

Ref From channel4.com