The essays
Portugal : D. Costa – Dalot (Ignacio 62nd), Pepe, Ruben Dias – Cancelo, B. Silva, Vitinha, N. Mendes – B. Fernandes – Ronaldo, Leao (Jota 62nd).
Rep. Czech : Stanek – Krejci, Hranac, Holes – Doudera, Provod, Soucek, Sulc, Coufal – Schick (Chytil 59th), Kuchta (Lingr 59th).
The first half was down to the Portuguese, even if the game took a while to get going. A certain Cristiano Ronaldo was restless, without success. Notably because of Stanek who made a great one-on-one save with the Ballon d’Or, who was offside. Vitinha was the author of a very good first period but was also unable to realize his big opportunity. Despite overdomination around the opposing area, Martinez’s men returned empty-handed at the break.
In the second period, the scenario is similar. Portugal dominates with head and feet but fails to score. Penetrating the Czechoslovak bloc is already complicated, but when it passes, the attackers do not shoot. Like B. Silva. The Czech Republic will not have entered the rectangle 5 times until the hour mark… But it was they who opened the scoring. Provod tried his luck from the rectangle and found the left post, coming in, from Diogo Costa. Almost immediately, failing to score themselves, the Portuguese could count on a strangely pushed ball from Stanek into the feet of Hranac to restore parity.
