Roberto Martinez had nothing but praise for Francisco Conceicao, the player who secured the victory for Portugal.

Mainoo expressed his gratitude towards coach Erik ten Hag for showing faith in him, as the young player made a significant impact in Portugal’s victory over Czech Republic in their Euro 2024 opener. Despite falling behind early in the match, Portugal managed to come from behind and secure a 2-1 win in Leipzig.

Lukas Provod’s goal initially gave Czech Republic the lead, but it didn’t take long for Portugal to equalize through a Robin Hranac own goal. Both teams fought hard for a winner, and it was Francisco Conceicao who emerged as the hero. Coming off the bench, Conceicao scored the injury-time winner just 120 seconds after stepping onto the field.

Coach Martinez praised Conceicao’s immediate impact, highlighting his maturity and ability to sense danger in the penalty area. The goal marked Conceicao’s first at the international level, adding to his impressive record at Porto, where he scored 16 goals last season. He also had a stint at Ajax, making 28 appearances for the Dutch team.

While Portugal celebrated their victory, Czech Republic was left disappointed by the narrow defeat. The loss places them in third position in Group F, ahead of Albania only on goal difference. However, their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages are still alive, as they aim to replicate their quarter-final run from Euro 2020.

With two games remaining, manager Ivan Hasek believes his team can still secure a spot in the last-16. Hasek expressed his frustration with the manner of the defeat, emphasizing that his team had held Portugal to a draw until injury time. Despite their defensive efforts, conceding a late goal proved costly. Hasek acknowledged Portugal’s attacking quality, which forced his team to defend deep. However, he was proud of his team’s defensive performance, even though they were unable to hold on for a valuable point.