Francisco Conceicao (R) of Portugal shoots to score in the UEFA European Championship group game against the Czech Republic in Leipzig, Germany, June 18, 2024. /CFP
Portugal substitute Francisco Conceicao scored in stoppage time for a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in their European Championship opening game on Tuesday.
Conceicao, who only made his entrance in the 90th minute, fired the ball home in the 92nd after Robin Hranac's attempted block of fellow substitute Pedro Neto's shot fell kindly for the Porto winger to shoot inside the left post.
"The players that came off the bench showed that the team has a lot of options," Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said.
Conceicao wheeled away in delight and was booked for taking off his jersey.
It comes almost 24 years to the day since Conceicao's father, Sergio Conceicao, scored a hat trick to knock defending champion Germany out of Euro 2000.
Czech Republic goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek had thwarted Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portugal star became the first to play at six European Championship tournaments. The 39-year-old Ronaldo was unable to add to his record 14 goals in his record-extending 26th appearance at the tournament.
Portugal's 41-year-old defender Pepe became the oldest player to play at the tournament, though he had little to do as the 2016 champions dominated ball possession and chances.
Arda Guler of Türkiye celebrates after scoring a goal in the UEFA European Championship group game against Georgia in Dortmund, Germany, June 18, 2024. /CFP
Türkiye 3-1 Georgia
With Kylian Mbappe about to join a throng of attacking superstars at Real Madrid, Arda Guler faces an even tougher fight to break through at Europe's top team.
The Turkish teenager might just succeed on the evidence of his explosive debut in international tournament soccer on Tuesday.
Nineteen-year-old Guler enhanced his reputation as one of Europe's brightest young talents by curling home a brilliant second-half goal to help Türkiye beat tournament debutant Georgia 3-1 in a European Championship thriller.
Guler brought a strong end to his first season at Real Madrid to the Euros by cutting in from the right and bending a fierce shot into the top corner in the 65th minute, regaining the lead for Turkey at 2-1 to become the youngest ever debut scorer at the Euros – surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo from 2004.
Substitute Kerem Akturkoglu scored a breakaway goal in the final seconds of stoppage time for Türkiye's third, settling a back-and-forth Group F game in Dortmund which featured fan disorder before kickoff and was played in the most febrile and intense atmosphere.