Bundesliga
Portugal beat Czechia
Patrik Schick's Czechia suffered a last-gasp 2-1 defeat to Portugal in their opening 2024 UEFA European Championship clash at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.
Portugal 2-1 Czechia
Goals: 0-1 Provod 62' (assist: Coufal), 1-1 Hranáč 69' (own goal), 2-1 Conceição 90'+2
Czechia, led up front by Bayer Leverkusen's Schick, were unable to cause any problems offensively throughout a first half dominated by Portugal. Initially, Roberto Martínez's outfit themselves struggled to create clear-cut chances but, as the half progressed, they grew in danger. Cristiano Ronaldo came closest to scoring, twice forcing opposing goalkeeper Jindřich Staněk into important saves, while Rafael Leão was agonisingly close to connecting with a low Bruno Fernandes cross. Portugal initially stayed in the ascendancy after the break but, shortly after Schick was withdrawn, Czechia took a shock lead through Lukáš Provod's curled effort from the edge of the box - the Národní tým's first shot on target. Portugal, though, were soon back on level terms following a Robin Hranáč own goal. Vitinha was then thwarted from distance but, although Diogo Jota thought he had clinched the three points late on with a header before it was ruled out for offside, Francisco Conceição pounced on Hranáč's failed clearance to strike at the death and break Czech hearts. Portugal now face Turkey on Sunday while Czechia, who left Schick's club teammate Hložek, Hoffenheim's David Jurásek and Wolfsburg's Vaclav Černý on the bench here, face Georgia earlier in the day.