{"id":1355857,"date":"2024-06-18T22:00:22","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T21:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1355857"},"modified":"2024-09-08T17:35:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-08T16:35:39","slug":"portugal-2-1-czechia-conceicao-history-ronaldo-euro-2024","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/portugal-2-1-czechia-conceicao-history-ronaldo-euro-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Portugal 2-1 Czech Republic: Concei\u00e7\u00e3o spares A Sele\u00e7\u00e3o’s blushes on record-breaking evening"},"content":{"rendered":"

Francisco Concei\u00e7\u00e3o came off the bench to inspire Portugal in their Euro 2024<\/a> opening-round win over the Czech Republic<\/a> this evening.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Roberto Mart\u00ednez’s men emerged as 2-1 winners, leaving them level on points with Turkey, who earlier in the day brushed Georgia aside, running out 3-1 victors.<\/p>\n

The heavily favoured Portuguese were dominant throughout in Leipzig, enjoying 73.6% possession, and even had a late Diogo Jota goal ruled offside before the 21-year-old Concei\u00e7\u00e3o netted his 92nd-minute winner.<\/p>\n

[dugoutvideo id=”eyJrZXkiOiIiLCJwIjoic3F1YXdrYSIsInBsIjoiS25BVzdIeXgifQ==” partner=”squawka”]<\/p>\n

Concei\u00e7\u00e3o’s goal, 111 seconds after coming on as a substitute, is the fastest such goal since Ferran Torres for Spain against Slovakia in June 2021 (41 seconds). Furthermore, he is the first bench player to score for Portugal at the Euros since \u00c9der in the 2016 final.<\/p>\n

From a personal standpoint, it comes almost 24 years after father S\u00e9rgio’s hat-trick ensured a victory against Germany in the Euro 2000, and Francisco’s strike equally proved decisive.<\/p>\n

His entire career is still ahead of him, which cannot be said for Pepe (41y 113d) and Cristiano Ronaldo (39y 134d), the two oldest outfield players to ever appear at the European Championship finals.<\/p>\n

Ronaldo also became the first player to feature in as many as six different editions of the UEFA European Championship finals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024) while equalling the record for the most consecutive appearances made for a nation, featuring in all 18 of Portugal’s matches in the competition since the Euro 2008 quarter-final (level with Leonardo Bonucci for Italy between 2012 and 2021).<\/p>\n

Before kickoff, Czech Republic head coach Ivan Ha\u0161ek spoke about dealing with the 39-year-old. “We are definitely not going to mark him with one player, but we are fully aware that he may punish us if we give him any space to turn around with the ball and shoot,” he said.<\/p>\n

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Pepe (41y 113d) and Cristiano Ronaldo (39y 134d) become the two oldest outfield players to play at the European Championships. ?#EURO2024<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kaTkdG28IV<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 18, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n