Youngster Francisco Conceicao snatched Portugal a last-gasp 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in their Euro 2024 Group F opener on Tuesday just minutes after coming off the bench.

The 21-year-old Porto winger capitalised from close range after the Czechs were unable to clear a cross, completing his team's comeback.

The Czechs went ahead against the run of play through Lukas Provod's fine strike from the edge of the box after the hour mark.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal did not shine but dug just deep enough to claim victory, with Robin Hranac's own goal pulling them level before Conceicao's dramatic winner.

Ronaldo, 39, playing at a record-extending sixth European Championship, was denied by Stanek on three occasions as Portugal constantly looked to find the competition's all-time top goalscorer.

The striker hit the post with the score tied and Diogo Jota nodded in the rebound but the goal was disallowed for offside against Ronaldo.

"We showed all our coolness and resilience," said Portugal midfielder Vitinha.

"We remained calm, got the draw and always believed until the end to get the win.

"Luckily we managed to do it with the help of the players who came on... we are truly a team."

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez selected 41-year-old defender Pepe, who became the oldest player in Euros history, beating the record set by Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly aged 40 in 2016, as part of a three centre-back defence.

Portugal won that tournament in 2016 to claim the trophy for the first time and captain Ronaldo said they deserve another, although they got off to a stuttering start in Germany.

In coach Ivan Hasek's first competitive game after taking over in January, the Czech Republic largely frustrated Martinez's side, who qualified unbeaten while scoring more goals than any other team.

Ronaldo sent an effort wide with his shoulder after Rafael Leao cut inside with menace early on, as the Portuguese controlled the ball.

Bruno Fernandes' deflected dipping effort had some Portugal fans out of their seats and Leao was inches away from connecting with a low cross from the Manchester United playmaker.

Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek thwarted Ronaldo twice in the first half of his record 26th Euros appearance, but on both occasions the striker appeared marginally offside.

The Al Nassr hitman's brightest moment came with a clever backheel which played in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha, but the Czech defence swarmed around him quickly and blocked his shot.

Debate over whether Ronaldo should still be a starter or not has rumbled on since the 2022 World Cup and at times Portugal looked short on ideas beyond slinging crosses in towards him. &nbsp;

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<h2>Enormous pressure</h2>

Stanek comfortably saved a Ronaldo free-kick from distance before the Czechs made their breakthrough.

Slavia Prague midfielder Provod whipped a superb strike past Diogo Costa from the edge of the box after Portugal failed to fully clear a cross just past the hour mark.

However Portugal were quickly level when Hranac unfortunately turned the ball into his own net, after Stanek palmed Nuno Mendes' header straight at him from point-blank range.

Ronaldo and Czech Republic striker Patrik Schick finished as joint top scorers at Euro 2020 with five goals each but neither was at their lethal best in Leipzig.

Jota thought he had grabbed a last-gasp winner after Ronaldo's header bounced off the woodwork into his path, but VAR showed the veteran forward was offside.

It didn't matter for Martinez's men though after Conceicao came on to fire them to the three points, putting Portugal level with Turkey at the top of Group F.

"Of course it hurts extremely (badly), although nobody completely thought we would prevail today," Provod told Czech national television.

"The goals we conceded did not come after well put together attacks, but we have to acknowledge Portugal's quality. The (goals) came from the enormous pressure."

Youngster Francisco Conceicao snatched Portugal a last-gasp 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in their Euro 2024 Group F opener on Tuesday just minutes after coming off the bench.

Youngster Francisco Conceicao snatched Portugal a last-gasp 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in their Euro 2024 Group F opener on Tuesday just minutes after coming off the bench. The 21-year-old Porto winger capitalised from close range after the Czechs were unable to clear a cross, completing his team's comeback. The Czechs went ahead against the run of play through Lukas Provod's fine strike from the edge of the box after the hour mark. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal did not shine but dug just deep enough to claim victory, with Robin Hranac's own goal pulling them level before Conceicao's dramatic winner. Ronaldo, 39, playing at a record-extending sixth European Championship, was denied by Stanek on three occasions as Portugal constantly looked to find the competition's all-time top goalscorer. The striker hit the post with the score tied and Diogo Jota nodded in the rebound but the goal was disallowed for offside against Ronaldo. "We showed all our coolness and resilience," said Portugal midfielder Vitinha. "We remained calm, got the draw and always believed until the end to get the win. "Luckily we managed to do it with the help of the players who came on... we are truly a team." Portugal coach Roberto Martinez selected 41-year-old defender Pepe, who became the oldest player in Euros history, beating the record set by Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly aged 40 in 2016, as part of a three centre-back defence. Portugal won that tournament in 2016 to claim the trophy for the first time and captain Ronaldo said they deserve another, although they got off to a stuttering start in Germany. In coach Ivan Hasek's first competitive game after taking over in January, the Czech Republic largely frustrated Martinez's side, who qualified unbeaten while scoring more goals than any other team. Ronaldo sent an effort wide with his shoulder after Rafael Leao cut inside with menace early on, as the Portuguese controlled the ball. Bruno Fernandes' deflected dipping effort had some Portugal fans out of their seats and Leao was inches away from connecting with a low cross from the Manchester United playmaker. Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek thwarted Ronaldo twice in the first half of his record 26th Euros appearance, but on both occasions the striker appeared marginally offside. The Al Nassr hitman's brightest moment came with a clever backheel which played in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha, but the Czech defence swarmed around him quickly and blocked his shot. Debate over whether Ronaldo should still be a starter or not has rumbled on since the 2022 World Cup and at times Portugal looked short on ideas beyond slinging crosses in towards him. ALSO READ | Euro 2024: Arda Güler's wonder goal helps Türkiye sink Georgia in Group F thriller Enormous pressure Stanek comfortably saved a Ronaldo free-kick from distance before the Czechs made their breakthrough. Slavia Prague midfielder Provod whipped a superb strike past Diogo Costa from the edge of the box after Portugal failed to fully clear a cross just past the hour mark. However Portugal were quickly level when Hranac unfortunately turned the ball into his own net, after Stanek palmed Nuno Mendes' header straight at him from point-blank range. Ronaldo and Czech Republic striker Patrik Schick finished as joint top scorers at Euro 2020 with five goals each but neither was at their lethal best in Leipzig. Jota thought he had grabbed a last-gasp winner after Ronaldo's header bounced off the woodwork into his path, but VAR showed the veteran forward was offside. It didn't matter for Martinez's men though after Conceicao came on to fire them to the three points, putting Portugal level with Turkey at the top of Group F. "Of course it hurts extremely (badly), although nobody completely thought we would prevail today," Provod told Czech national television. "The goals we conceded did not come after well put together attacks, but we have to acknowledge Portugal's quality. The (goals) came from the enormous pressure."

Euro 2024: Francisco Conceicao's stoppage time winner helps Portugal down Czechs in group opener

It was a night of drama in the Euro 2024 on Tuesday (June 18) as Portugal snatched a late winner to start proceedings in Group F as they beat Czechia 2-1. A game in which Cristiano Ronaldo’s side trailed until the final 20 minutes saw them roll their sleeves and mount an amazing comeback as Francisco Conceicao scored the winning goal in the 93rd minute with his first meaningful touch of the match. But who is Francisco Conceicao and why is he considered the next big thing in football?

<h2>Francisco Conceicao makes headlines</h2>

Hailing from a very influential football family in Portugal, Conceicao emerged from Porto’s famous youth academy before bursting onto the scene at club level. Born in December 2022, Conceicao was part of Sporting Lisbon’s academy until 2018 when he decided to swap Lisbon for Porto. One of the major reasons for this was his father Sergio’s appointment as Porto’s senior team’s head coach who brought the youngster along with him.

He&nbsp;made his first team debut for Porto in 2021 when he played against Benfica as a substitute. He was handed his debut by his father at that time which was a proud moment for the duo. He&nbsp;wore the No.10 shirt for the 2021-22 season, a hallmark of any football team’s best player. However, he&nbsp;failed to impress in his first spell before being sold to the Dutch side Ajax. He&nbsp;spent a year in the Netherlands capital before returning to Portugal on loan.

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Conceicao was handed back the No.10 shirt as he showcased his talent yet again for the side earning applause from the national team manager. His deal was made permanent ahead of the 2023-24 season having already won the Liga Portugal and the Portugal Cup.

<h2>International stint</h2>

Sergio Conceicao, Francisco’s father scored at the Euro 2000 for the national side and he followed in his footsteps on Tuesday when the latter scored against Czechia. Having been a regular at youth levels, Conceicao represented under-16, under-17, under-18&nbsp;and under-21 levels before making his debut for the senior side in 2024.

It was a night of drama in the Euro 2024 on Tuesday (June 18) as Portugal snatched a late winner to start proceedings in Group F as they beat Czechia 2-1. A game in which Cristiano Ronaldo’s side trailed until the final 20 minutes saw them roll their sleeves and mount an amazing comeback as Francisco Conceicao scored the winning goal in the 93rd minute with his first meaningful touch of the match.

It was a night of drama in the Euro 2024 on Tuesday (June 18) as Portugal snatched a late winner to start proceedings in Group F as they beat Czechia 2-1. A game in which Cristiano Ronaldo’s side trailed until the final 20 minutes saw them roll their sleeves and mount an amazing comeback as Francisco Conceicao scored the winning goal in the 93rd minute with his first meaningful touch of the match. But who is Francisco Conceicao and why is he considered the next big thing in football? Francisco Conceicao makes headlines Hailing from a very influential football family in Portugal, Conceicao emerged from Porto’s famous youth academy before bursting onto the scene at club level. Born in December 2022, Conceicao was part of Sporting Lisbon’s academy until 2018 when he decided to swap Lisbon for Porto. One of the major reasons for this was his father Sergio’s appointment as Porto’s senior team’s head coach who brought the youngster along with him. He made his first team debut for Porto in 2021 when he played against Benfica as a substitute. He was handed his debut by his father at that time which was a proud moment for the duo. He wore the No.10 shirt for the 2021-22 season, a hallmark of any football team’s best player. However, he failed to impress in his first spell before being sold to the Dutch side Ajax. He spent a year in the Netherlands capital before returning to Portugal on loan. ALSO READ | New Zealand's Kane Williamson steps down from captaincy role after early exit in T20 World Cup Conceicao was handed back the No.10 shirt as he showcased his talent yet again for the side earning applause from the national team manager. His deal was made permanent ahead of the 2023-24 season having already won the Liga Portugal and the Portugal Cup. International stint Sergio Conceicao, Francisco’s father scored at the Euro 2000 for the national side and he followed in his footsteps on Tuesday when the latter scored against Czechia. Having been a regular at youth levels, Conceicao represented under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-21 levels before making his debut for the senior side in 2024.

Euro 2024: Who is Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Francisco Conceicao, Portugal's match-winning hero vs Czechia?

Portugal stormed to a 4-0 win over the Czech Republic in their Nations League A-Group 2 match on Saturday thanks to a Diogo Dalot double and strikes by Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota.

The victory sets up a crunch clash for the Portuguese on Tuesday at home to Spain, who lost 2-1 to visitors Switzerland, knowing a draw will be enough to reach the final four. Portugal lead the group on 10 points ahead of Spain on eight after five matches with one game left to play.

"It's a unique feeling to be able to help my country," said Dalot. "We knew it could be a difficult game if we hadn't started with the right attitude.

"We started the game very well, controlling the ball, and after the goals the spaces started to open up a little... Congratulations to everyone, we really deserved this victory and now it's time to recharge our batteries."

Ronaldo needed treatment early on after a being caught in the face by goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik but soldiered on.

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The Portuguese controlled possession and opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Rafael Leao swung a cross into the area and Dalot fired past goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.

Ronaldo missed a chance to double the lead before Fernandes put the visitors further ahead in first-half added time when he surged into the box and converted a cross from close range. Ronaldo then conceded a penalty for handball but Patrik Schick blazed the spot kick over the bar just before the break.

Dalot netted his second goal soon after the interval with Jota rounding out the scoring in the 82nd minute to leave the 2019 winners in pole position to reach the semi-finals.

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"The Czechs have a good team, but we were well prepared for them and executed our game plan perfectly. After the third goal the game was done," said Portugal coach Fernando Santos.

"We were too passive and our pressing was terrible," said Schick. "We should have tried being more active in the game. Portugal were much better and deserved to win."

Portugal stormed to a 4-0 win over the Czech Republic in their Nations League A-Group 2 match on Saturday thanks to a Diogo Dalot double and strikes by Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota.

Portugal stormed to a 4-0 win over the Czech Republic in their Nations League A-Group 2 match on Saturday thanks to a Diogo Dalot double and strikes by Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota. The victory sets up a crunch clash for the Portuguese on Tuesday at home to Spain, who lost 2-1 to visitors Switzerland, knowing a draw will be enough to reach the final four. Portugal lead the group on 10 points ahead of Spain on eight after five matches with one game left to play. "It's a unique feeling to be able to help my country," said Dalot. "We knew it could be a difficult game if we hadn't started with the right attitude. "We started the game very well, controlling the ball, and after the goals the spaces started to open up a little... Congratulations to everyone, we really deserved this victory and now it's time to recharge our batteries." Ronaldo needed treatment early on after a being caught in the face by goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik but soldiered on. Also Read: Arsenal have 'good chance' to win Premier League, says Arsene Wenger The Portuguese controlled possession and opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Rafael Leao swung a cross into the area and Dalot fired past goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik. Ronaldo missed a chance to double the lead before Fernandes put the visitors further ahead in first-half added time when he surged into the box and converted a cross from close range. Ronaldo then conceded a penalty for handball but Patrik Schick blazed the spot kick over the bar just before the break. Dalot netted his second goal soon after the interval with Jota rounding out the scoring in the 82nd minute to leave the 2019 winners in pole position to reach the semi-finals. Also Read: Nearly 2,000 Liverpool fans to sue UEFA over Champions League final fiasco "The Czechs have a good team, but we were well prepared for them and executed our game plan perfectly. After the third goal the game was done," said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. "We were too passive and our pressing was terrible," said Schick. "We should have tried being more active in the game. Portugal were much better and deserved to win."

Diogo Dalot bags brace as Portugal cruise to 4-0 win over Czech Republic in Nations League

Portugal fired two goals in five minutes to beat the Czech Republic in UEFA Nations League on Thursday (June 9). The victory has allowed Portugal to open a two-point lead at the top of Group A2. Joao Cancelo and Goncalo Guedes scored the winning goals in 33rd and 38th minutes respectively. This win in Lisbon has underlined Portugal's strong start in the tournament.

Portugal is now two points clear of Spain. They have won two and drawn one of their first three games.

The Czech Republic started the match level on points with their opponents but drop to third, after Spain defeated Switzerland 1-0 in Geneva.

The Czech team will travel to Spain on Sunday while Portugal will play away match in&nbsp;Switzerland.

Portugal had to go through the play-offs to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, beating Turkey and North Macedonia to avoid an embarrassing exit.

But this convincing win came after they claimed a 1-1 draw away against Spain in their opening fixture before thrashing Switzerland 4-0 in the second, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice.

Cancelo also got on the scoresheet there and the Manchester City defender made it two goals in as many matches by scoring just after the half-hour against the Czechs.&nbsp;

It came from some brilliant work by Bernardo Silva, who wriggled free on the right and found his City teammate inside him, who fired in.

Five minutes later, it was two and again Bernardo was at the heart of it, sliding through Guedes, who swept a superb finish beyond Jindrich Stanek.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Portugal fired two goals in five minutes to beat the Czech Republic in UEFA Nations League on Thursday (June 9). The victory has allowed Portugal to open a two-point lead at the top of Group A2.

Portugal fired two goals in five minutes to beat the Czech Republic in UEFA Nations League on Thursday (June 9). The victory has allowed Portugal to open a two-point lead at the top of Group A2. Joao Cancelo and Goncalo Guedes scored the winning goals in 33rd and 38th minutes respectively. This win in Lisbon has underlined Portugal's strong start in the tournament. Portugal is now two points clear of Spain. They have won two and drawn one of their first three games. The Czech Republic started the match level on points with their opponents but drop to third, after Spain defeated Switzerland 1-0 in Geneva. The Czech team will travel to Spain on Sunday while Portugal will play away match in Switzerland. Portugal had to go through the play-offs to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, beating Turkey and North Macedonia to avoid an embarrassing exit. But this convincing win came after they claimed a 1-1 draw away against Spain in their opening fixture before thrashing Switzerland 4-0 in the second, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice. Cancelo also got on the scoresheet there and the Manchester City defender made it two goals in as many matches by scoring just after the half-hour against the Czechs. It came from some brilliant work by Bernardo Silva, who wriggled free on the right and found his City teammate inside him, who fired in. Five minutes later, it was two and again Bernardo was at the heart of it, sliding through Guedes, who swept a superb finish beyond Jindrich Stanek. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

UEFA Nations League: Portugal thrash Czechs with two goals in five minutes