Portugal edged out a thrilling 2-1 victory against the Czech Republic in their opening match of Euro 2024 on Wednesday. Despite strong title aspirations under manager Roberto Martinez, Portugal needed a dramatic late winner from substitute Francisco Conceição to secure the three points.
The Czechs held firm for most of the second half, employing a defensive strategy. However, with just seconds remaining in stoppage time, Conceição found a way past their defense to snatch victory. The Czechs had taken a surprise lead in the 62nd minute through Lukas Provod, but their joy was short-lived. An own goal by Robin Hranac in the 69th minute pulled Portugal level.
This match also marked a historic milestone for Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who became the first player to feature in six European Championships. Portugal, the 2016 champions and impressive qualifiers, will be looking to build on this dramatic win in their quest for another title.
In another Group F encounter, Turkey secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Georgia on Tuesday night. The Turks got off to a good start with an early goal from Muldur in the 25th minute. However, Georgia responded quickly, equalizing through Mikautadze just seven minutes later.
Guler restored Turkey’s lead in the 65th minute, but Georgia pressed hard for an equalizer in the dying moments. Their efforts proved futile as Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu capitalized on an empty net in injury time to seal a vital win for Turkey.
