Conceicao to the rescue as Portugal snatch 2-1 win over Czechs

LEIPZIG, Germany :Francisco Conceicao came off the bench to grab a predatory stoppage-time winner as Portugal kick-started their Euro 2024 campaign with an edgy 2-1 Group F win over a dogged Czech Republic on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Conceicao, who was brought on in the 90th minute, pounced on a mistake from Robin Hranac to fire home from close range in the third minute of added time, moments after Portugal were left crestfallen when a Diogo Jota effort was chalked off by VAR for offside.

The Czechs had stunned the Portuguese fans packed inside the Leipzig Stadium when they took the lead out of the blue in the 62nd minute as Lukas Provod's superb curling effort threatened to cause an almighty upset.

Yet the unfortunate Hranac scored an own goal seven minutes later to set up a frantic finish that saw Portugal claim the three points to leave them level in the group with Turkey who beat Georgia 3-1 earlier on Tuesday.

"It's important to believe until the very end. We didn't go in blind, we believed, we kept our game plan, we were very clear-headed," said Portugal's man-of-the-match Vitinha.

With the 41-year-old Pepe, who became the oldest player in European Championship history, at centre back, and the 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo up front, Portugal were banking on experience winning out against a Czech outfit with the youngest squad in the tournament.

The match was meant to be a walk in the park for highly fancied Portugal, who came into the tournament on the back of a flawless qualifying campaign in which they won all 10 matches, scoring 36 goals and conceding twice.

But as is so often the way in tournaments the script needed a hasty rewrite.

While Portugal predictably dominated the ball, with 70 per cent possession, 19