Portugal 2-1 Czech Republic: Portugal Player Ratings as Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. stage a comeback | UEFA Euros 2024
Portugal beat Czech Republic 2-1 on Tuesday, June 18 at the Leipzig Stadium to start their campaign with a win.
As anticipated, Portugal started the game strong with loads of possession, but were quite wasteful in the final third as they failed to create the final sequence to beat Jindrich Stanek. Roberto Martinez's men looked quite lax with their passing and failed to score in the first half.
Portugal continued their quest in the second half but with much better passing and a sense of urgency. But just when they were starting to look more comfortable, the Czech Republic scored to stun the Portuguese side. Lukas Provod scored a beautiful goal to beat Diogo Costa to take the lead for his side.
Portugal responded within minutes as Nuno Mendes forced an own goal from Robin Hranac in the 69th minute of the game. Vitinha's hard work paid off with the sequence resulting in a goal.
Portugal thought they found the winner through Diogo Jota who tucked in a rebound from Cristiano Ronaldo's attempt, but the sequence was ruled out for offside. Francisco Conceicao turned out to be the super sub as he slotted one in following some tidy work by Pedro Neto in the box to seal the game for Portugal.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for Portugal.
Diogo Costa - 6.5/10
Diogo Costa did not have much to do as most of the action unfolded on the opposite end of the pitch. But he was unlucky to have lost out on a clean sheet.
Ruben Dias - 7/10
Ruben Dias alongside Pepe looked quite settled at the back. He dealt with everything that came down his way. The Machester City defender won six duels, made four clearances, made one block, and created one chance throughout the game.
Pepe - 8/10
What a milestone for Pepe as he became the oldest player to feature at Euros at 41 years of age. The former Real Madrid defender looked quite comfortable at the back as he thwarted everything that came his way. He acted as a leader at the back and was rock solid.
Nuno Mendes - 7/10
Nuno Mendes could have been better. Although he had a constant presence upfront, his passing could have been better. He looked quite sluggish and made silly errors to lose out on possession. But his defensive shift made up for it as he won 11 duels and three tackles throughout his stay on the pitch.
Diogo Dalot - 6/10
Diogo Dalot was astute defensively but lacked the chemistry up front. Attempted a long ranger himself but it failed to test Jindrich Stanek. Was finally taken off in the 63rd minute in favor of Goncalo Inacio.
Vitinha - 8.5/10
Vitinha was Portugal's best player on the pitch. The Paris Saint-Germain player was pulling the strings for them in the center. His link-up play with his teammates was fluid and his approach was quite progressive.
Vitinha created two chances, made eight recoveries, won six duels, made one interception, and won one block throughout his stay on the pitch. He was the most fouled player (3) and completed the most number of passes (86) in the game.
Bruno Fernandes - 7/10
Bruno Fernandes had his moments where he looked like the one to make it happen. But he switched off on quite a few occasions. The highlight of his game would be the visionary pass to anticipate Ronaldo's run to set up a chance for him.
Joao Cancelo - 6.5/10
Joao Cancelo kept switching flanks showcasing his versatility but needs to be better with his crossing. He won three duels and made nine recoveries throughout his stay on the pitch.
Bernardo Silva - 7/10
Bernardo Silva had a decent game but could have done much more when it came to an offensive stance. He put in a shift, but more creativity and finesse is expected from him upfront. Silva created two chances throughout the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 8/10
Cristiano Ronaldo looked in fine touch against the Czech Republic. He was the most lively forward for the Portuguese. His off-the-ball movements and intelligence were there to see. Ronaldo's positioning, flashy flicks, and good linkup kept the attack high-spirited.
Ronaldo created two chances, had quite a shots on goal himself. He nearly gave Portugal the winner when his header hit the woodwork. The attempt fell off kindly for Diogo Jota who slotted it in, but the sequence was later ruled out for offside. The Portuguese side will be hoping to see Ronaldo continue this form for games to come.
Rafael Leao- 6/10
Rafael Leao did not have the best of nights. The AC Milan forward tried to trouble the opposition defenders with his acceleration but was unable to produce the end result.
Substiutes
Diogo Jota - 7/10
Diogo Jota almost had the winner to his name but his goal was ruled out for offside. Constant threat upfront and a good introduction to overload the box.
Goncalo Inacio - 6/10
Much like his counterpart, Goncalo Inacio did not have much say on the game.
Nelson Semedo - N/A
Came on too late to earn a rating.
Pedro Neto - 7.5/10
Instant impact off the bench as his darting run through the sides into the box eventually led to Portugal's winner.
Francisco Conceicao - 8/10
What a dream for the 21-year-old as he came off the bench to slot in the winner in the dying minutes of the game.