"Czech Republic 1-3 Portugal"

Portugal are virtually assured a place in the last eight after he overcame the Czech Republic 3-1 in Geneva.

Goals from Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo and substitute Ricardo Quaresma were sufficient to ensure maximum points from their opening two games of Luiz Felipe Scolari aside. Libor Sionko responded to the Czech Republic, but now require something of their final game against Turkey in order to reach the knockout stages.

Portugal took just eight minutes to make the breakthrough when Deco and Ronaldo, the two Portuguese players more effectively in the day, along with deadly effect. Deco cut infield and found Ronaldo, one of whose two with Nuno Gomes was intercepted by Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech, but Deco, who had followed his career, was able to hit the ball over the line.

The goal seemed to arouse the Czech Republic and within the ten minutes they were level. A Jaroslav Plasil corner from the right was met with an emphatic header from Libor Sionko and the ball sailed beyond Ricardo.

Portugal continued to set the pace and Ronaldo was denied on several occasions by Cech. However, Karel Bruckner, who worked hard to deny space to Ronaldo, will be pleased to have restricted Manchester United with interest the efforts of long distance.

It was not all one-way traffic and Milan Baros, leading scorer in Euro 2004, launched a powerful run from the halfway line deep into Portuguese territory, but his last crusade was weak and the ball was scrambled with the security.

The pattern of the first half continued after the break, Portugal played the better football, but decent openings are proving difficult to find, and although the score remained level, the Czech Republic remained danergous - especially from set-pieces . In fact, one of those efforts almost Bruckner saw the side take the lead on 62 minutes when Ujfalusi flick in a corner Plasil, but the ball evaded the onrushing Baros at the far post.

A minute later, Portugal regained the lead when Ronaldo Deco elected with a precise pass on the edge of the area and the far led a crisply-hit shot past Cech.

The Czech Republic refused to capitulate and Bruckner, detect a vulnerability in the centre of the Portuguese defence, introduced Jan Koller more inconvenienced Ricardo Carvalho and Pepe. The change almost paid dividends when the two central defenders, distracted by the giant striker, left unmarked Sionko in the six-yard box, but was unable to win any power with his header and Ricardo tip the effort over the bar.

With time running and the Czech Republic pouring men forward in search of an equalizer, Portugal delivered the coup murderer. Quick thinking Deco saw the crane Barcelona playmaker shot free hisown half in the Portuguese defence, which was lurking Ronaldo, who advanced on goal before moving to Quaresma for an easy tap in.

Group A
Czech Republic 1-3 Portugal

Annotation:
Czech Republic: Libor Sionko 17
Portugal: 8 Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo 63, Ricardo Quaresma 90 +1

Half: 1-1

Teams:
Czech Republic: 1-Petr Cech; 2-Zdenek Grygera, 21-Tomas Ujfalusi, 22-David Rozehnal, 6-Marek Jankulovski; 7-Libor Sionko, 3-Jan Polak, 17-Marek Matejovsky (11-Stanislav Vlcek 68) 4-Tomas Galasek (9-Jan Koller 73), 20-Jaroslav Plasil (14-David Jarolim 85), 15-Milan Baros

Portugal: 1-Ricardo, 4-José Bosingwa, Pepe 15, 16-Ricardo Carvalho, 2-Paulo Ferreira, 8-Armando Petit, 20-Deco, 10-Joao Moutinho (5-Fernando Meira 75), 11-Simao Sabrosa ( 17-Ricardo Quaresma 80), 21-Nuno Gomes (9-Hugo Almeida 79), 7-Cristiano Ronaldo