(Leipzig) Substitute Francisco Conceição scored in second-half stoppage time to give Portugal a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in one of two matches on the European Soccer Championship schedule on Tuesday .
Conceição, who only made his debut in the 90th minute, found the back of the net after an attempted block from Robin Hranac fell just in time for the Porto winger.
Czech Republic goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek won against Cristiano Ronaldo, who became the first player to participate in six editions of the European Championship. The 39-year-old Ronaldo failed to add to his record 14 goals in his 26th appearance in a tournament match.
Portuguese defender Pepe, 41, became the oldest player to take part in the tournament, but he had little to do as the 2016 champions dominated possession and capitalized on the best chances, during this group F duel.
However, it was the Czech Republic who scored the first goal, when Lukas Provod went with a fierce strike at the far post in the 62nd minute.
Portugal tied the score in the 70th minute when Stanek’s save from Nuno Mendes’ header bounced off Hranac’s shin and into the net.
Earlier in the day, Arda Güler solidified his reputation as a young European star by scoring a superb second-half goal to help Turkey win 3-1 over Georgia.
In another Group F duel, played in an atmosphere of intensity and excitement in Dortmund, the 19-year-old striker infiltrated the right and sent a powerful shot into the top corner in the 65th minute of play , thus breaking the 1-1 tie.
Kerem Aktürkoğlu, on a breakaway, scored the third Turkish goal in the final seconds of added time.
Georgia, a South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people, making its debut in an international soccer tournament amid protests and political unrest at home, has experienced a watershed moment.
The Georgian players coped well with the intimidating atmosphere created by the Turkish fans and responded to Mert Müldür’s volley for the Turks in the 25th minute with an equalizer from Georges Mikautadze in the 32nd minute.
It is also a further demonstration of Güler’s talent, which was evident when he scored five goals in five games in a Real Madrid uniform, to end a Spanish championship season that he largely missed due to injuries. He was on the sidelines and did not play in the Champions League final won by Real Madrid.
It remains to be seen whether he will have even less playing time next season with the arrival of Kylian Mbappé and Brazilian striker Endrick. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti knows he has a gem in Güler, who said he received a message from the Italian after the match.
“Ancelotti motivates me a lot,” Güler said. “Of course, I am happy to have scored my first goal for Turkey. I hope this first match will show us the way forward.”
Georgia, ranked 75th in the world – last among the countries participating in the European Championship – could easily have snatched a point in a fast-paced match.
In stoppage time, with the score still 2-1, Georgia took a free kick that hit the post before a rebound shot was cleared off the line.
