The appeal of the Portuguese team and Ronaldo at EURO 2024 is undeniable. More than 10,000 fans showed up to watch the team rated highest in Group F practice before the match against the Czech Republic, which said it all. At the age of 39, Ronaldo set a record when he played for the 6th time at EURO . His close friend Pepe was also selected by coach Roberto Martinez to start, becoming the oldest player ever to play in the tournament (41 years and 113 days). In addition to these two veteran players, the Portuguese team also fielded many high-class players such as Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao, Ruben Dias. A big win, affirming their position as a championship candidate is certainly what the Portuguese team is aiming for.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic team is not much different from EURO 2020 – where they were the “dark horse”. Coach Ivan Hasek did not hide his intention to score points by sending the best players such as Patrik Schick, Tomas Soucek, and Vladimir Coufal onto the field.
Despite being underestimated, the Czech Republic team was not afraid of their opponents. Tomas Soucek was positioned to play the deepest in midfield and he helped his teammates coordinate the ball very well. In the first minutes, the Czech Republic team entered the game with excitement and caused many difficulties on the right wing of Portugal.
However, with their superior class, it is not difficult for Portugal to regain control of the ball. In the first half, “European Selecao” held the ball 75%, had 9 shots and performed a variety of attacks. The trio of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Vitinha often change positions. Rafael Leao with his speed and technique also tormented the Czech Republic team’s defense on the left wing. The only destination in the Portuguese team’s routes to the ball is none other than Ronaldo.
After a period of confusion, the Portuguese team had a dangerous situation in the 26th minute. Bernardo Silva, after a move, passed the ball to Bruno Fernandes on the right wing. In an empty position, the Portuguese midfielder wearing the number 8 shirt crossed for Rafael Leao to run in and cushion the ball, but the AC Milan player was a beat slow.
Following Rafael Leao, Ronaldo was given a chance in the 32nd minute. The Portuguese captain moved smartly, catching a delicate pass from his teammate to face goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek. However, luck was once again not on Ronaldo’s side when he kicked the ball and touched the opponent’s hand. At the end of the first half, the striker wearing shirt number 7 was given another chance, but Ronaldo’s turn and shot only left the fans with regret.
Deadlocked in the first half, the Portuguese team increased the tempo of the attack in the second half. Coach Roberto Martinez also changed attack plans as his team often put pressure on the right wing.
But attacking a lot but not being able to score, the Portuguese team paid the price in the 62nd minute. In a rare move by the Czech Republic team, the ball was suddenly brought to Lukas Provod’s position in an empty position. . The Portuguese team’s defense was completely passive and the midfielder wearing the number 14 shirt of the Czech Republic freely watched and shot to defeat goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Conceding a goal, the Portuguese team appeared confused on the offensive front. Ronaldo and his teammates often made bad passes, facing many difficulties against the deep-lying Czech Republic formation. But when the Portuguese team was still deadlocked, the Czech Republic defense made a mistake when Robin Hranac scored an own goal, bringing the match back to the starting line. More importantly, Robin Hranac was the Czech Republic player who played best from the beginning of the match with a series of accurate saves.
The last minutes witnessed the terrible pressure that the Portuguese team exerted in front of the Czech Republic’s goal. In the 87th minute, after Ronaldo’s header hit the post, Diogo Jota put the ball into the Czech Republic’s net. However, VAR stepped in and determined that Ronaldo was offside, and the Portuguese team’s goal was not recognized.
It seemed like the match would end in a draw, but coach Roberto Martinez’s changes were effective. Francisco Conceicao entered the field in the 90th minute and in just about 1 minute, he kicked the ball into the Czech Republic’s net, sealing a difficult 2-1 comeback for the Portuguese team.
Despite winning 2-1 against the Czech Republic, it is clear that the Portuguese team still has a lot of work to do. Coach Roberto Martinez’s students are ranked 2nd in Group F, with 3 points equal to the Turkish team but inferior in terms of additional index. In the next match, Ronaldo and his teammates will face the same opponent.