Scotland boss Steve Clarke has declared that his side "deserved something" from their Nations League clash with Portugal after losing 2-1 thanks to a late Cristiano Ronaldo goal.

Scott McTominay gave Scotland an early lead after seven minutes, but Portugal fought back through goals from Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo to take all three points in Group A1.

Ronaldo's goal came in the 88th minute and was his 901st career goal.

It leaves Scotland on their longest-ever winless run as they remain without a win in their last eight competitive games in all competitions, but Clarke feels they should not have left Lisbon empty-handed.

"I'm disappointed to lose a game where it looked, for a large period, we would get something from it," he told the BBC.

"I'm really disappointed for my players because I think they deserved to get something from the game.

"If you ignore the results, [there are a lot of positives], but we're professional, so it's disappointing.

"We played well in these two games, but we don't have anything to show for it. I've told the players not to be too hard on themselves. They have to understand the work that we're doing."

Scotland did well to prevent Portugal from getting any further sight at goal, defending a total of 26 shots during the match with seven ending up on target.

The 16 shots the Scots had to defend in the opening 45 minutes were the most they have faced in a first-half since October 2012 when Belgium also let loose 16 efforts.

"With the amount of balls that go into the box, you know one of them can go in the back of the net and that's what happened to us," added Clarke.

"When you bring quality players from the bench like Roberto [Martinez] can do, you always know there's a risk, but I felt we handled it well.

"We'll go away and analyse these games, and hopefully, we can give the lads a few pointers for the games next month, which don't get any easier."

Gamechanger Ronaldo was brought on at half-time by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, a move that was well thought through and had the desired effect.

"Ronaldo did 17 sprints against Croatia. He is the player who made the most sprints. So we need to protect the players. One more game in 72 hours is impossible to have a physical performance [equal]," Martinez explained.

"The question was whether Ronaldo played the first half and left or came in and finished the game. That was the decision.

"He is an asset to the national team. When he comes in, if the [team] needs goals, Cris gives energy and a feeling to the fans. The stadium is different.

"If Cris leaves, it's the opposite and facilitates what the opponent would like to do when playing away from home in Portugal."

Portugal boss Roberto Martinez sees Cristiano Ronaldo's "incredible" achievement of 900 career goals as an "inspiration for football".

Ronaldo netted his landmark goal on Thursday, scoring Portugal's winner in a 2-1 Nations League victory over Croatia.

The 39-year-old was already the leading goalscorer in the history of the game.

And Martinez feels nobody can put a limit on what Ronaldo is still able to achieve.

"I don't think scoring 900 goals is easy. It's a historic achievement, incredible, an inspiration for football," Martinez said ahead of Portugal's clash with Scotland.

"I don't think anyone can say that Cristiano can't do something. It's incredible what he's achieving, what he's doing in football.

"For us, the goal is collective. That he helps the national team."

Scotland lost 3-2 at home to Poland in their Nations League opener, but Martinez is expecting a fierce test on Sunday.

"Our players know the intensity of British football. Scotland have that. A lot of intensity, fast attacks, experience. We know the difference, but Scotland are objective, vertical, but have the quality to keep the ball," Martinez said.

"The last two games have shown that they want to win. They've lost their last few games after the 90th minute, they're objective, they've got top-class players. They're experienced and talented.

"It's not just a British team, a physical team, but a team with lots of skills and the game will be very competitive. We've prepared for that."

Cristiano Ronaldo's 900th career goal sealed a 2-1 win for Portugal over Croatia in the Nations League, with Roberto Martinez hailing the "historic moment".

The 39-year-old scored the landmark goal in the 34th minute, and it eventually proved to be the winner; Diogo Dalot opened the scoring but then handed Croatia a lifeline with an own goal just before the break.

Ronaldo's close-range strike was his 131st for Portugal in 213 appearances, with both of those records for any male player on the international stage.

Martinez showed his faith by keeping Ronaldo in his squad despite an underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign in which he failed to score and was delighted to see the forward hit his latest milestone.

"It's a historic moment. 900 goals is incredible," Martinez said.

"It's not easy. He scores because he has a commitment to the national team, the work in training that no one can see, he has an energy to help the youngsters, and the commitment is an asset to the national team.

"It's a historic moment, the fans liked it, and being on the day of the tribute to Pepe is special. It's fantastic for Portuguese football, the World Cup and the national team."

Midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who also played with Ronaldo during his return to Manchester United, echoed his head coach's praise for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

"I thought we had already stopped counting," Fernandes joked. "At least we've stopped counting, he hasn't.

"He likes to tell them, and I believe it's a very special number for him, and we are all very happy for him too because it's not just Cristiano.

"In addition to being Cristiano, he raises the name of our nation to the highest level as he has done all these years, and this is another record, another normality in his life."

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal as Portugal edged Croatia 2-1 in Thursday's Nations League clash at Estadio da Luz.

Ronaldo's 34th-minute goal proved the winner, as the Portugal captain turned in Nuno Mendes' cross for his milestone goal.

Roberto Martinez's side led inside seven minutes through Diogo Dalot, and 39-year-old Ronaldo forced a brilliant reflex save out of Dominik Livakovic 15 minutes later.

Livakovic was helpless to prevent Ronaldo putting Portugal ahead, though Dalot's own goal four minutes before half-time set up an exciting second period in the League A Group 1 contest.

Yet despite shading the expected goals (xG) value in the second half, with 0.44 to Portugal's 0.36, Croatia found no way through, with Ronaldo going off to a standing ovation when he was substituted late on.

Portugal, the 2019 Nations League winners, will remain in Lisbon to welcome Scotland on Sunday while Zlatko Dalic's Croatia side will look to bounce back against Poland in Osijek on the second matchday. 

Data Debrief: Nine hundred not out 

Ronaldo was already the top scorer in the history of the game, and international football's record goalscorer added another to his remarkable tally to hit the 900 mark.

It was his 131st for his country, on a night he had a joint team-high four shots, along with Bruno Fernandes.

The rest of his goals have been split across his clubs: 450 for Real Madrid, 145 for Manchester United, 131 at Juventus, 68 for Al-Nassr, and five when he played for Sporting CP at the start of his career.

Cristiano Ronaldo has retained his place in the Portugal squad for their opening 2024-25 Nations League fixtures versus Croatia and Scotland.

Ronaldo is both Portugal's most-capped player and their leading all-time goalscorer, netting 130 goals in 212 senior caps, with both of those figures also being records for any nation in men's international football.

However, the 39-year-old's international future was called into question in the aftermath of Euro 2024, where the Selecao reached the last eight in unconvincing fashion before losing to France in a penalty shoot-out.

Ronaldo endured a miserable tournament, failing to score from 23 shots with a total expected goals (xG) value of 3.6. 

Only Kylian Mbappe (24) attempted more shots at goal at the tournament, while only Germany's Kai Havertz – who scored twice – posted a higher xG figure (4.12).

However, Ronaldo will continue to lead Portugal next month as they begin the next international cycle, potentially with an eye on appearing at his 12th major tournament at the 2026 World Cup.

Boss Roberto Martinez told reporters of Ronaldo's inclusion: "All players after the age of 30 have to face their career step by step, but Ronaldo's level is unique. 

"Playing at the level he is playing, having the physical data he has... It's incredible. Individual goals are part of the players' careers, for us the goals are collective. 

"Cristiano gave everything at the European Championship, we all gave everything, but we have to look ahead. Cristiano is important now for the national team, but no one can talk about the future."

Full Portugal squad: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves), Rui Silva (Real Betis), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Chelsea), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Tiago Santos (Lille), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Nelson Semedo (Wolves), Joao Palhinha (Bayern Munich), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Joao Felix (Chelsea), Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP), Rafael Leao (Milan), Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Diogo Jota (Liverpool).

Roberto Martinez insisted that Portugal must be proud of their players, describing their penalty shootout defeat to France as "cruel" in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. 

Having seen a fourth meeting between the two sides at the European Championships go the full distance, spot-kicks would decide who would face Spain in Munich next Tuesday. 

Joao Felix saw his effort bounce back off the post, allowing Theo Hernandez to send Les Bleus through to their fourth semi-final in the last five major tournaments.

Portugal squandered several golden opportunities on the night, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Nuno Mendes going closest for the Selecao.

Martinez praised his side's display, believing his side were the better side on the night.

"We have to be proud of our players because they fought and performed very well," Martinez said. 

"Football can be cruel. We wanted to give joy to the Portuguese people and the message is that the team gave everything and showed Portugal's values.

"It was a good game and France is a good team. We had more ball, we created opportunities, but we lacked precision and we needed to score a goal.

"We had a lot of opportunities, but it was a game of high technical and tactical level."

Following the full-time whistle in Hamburg, veteran defender Pepe was reduced to tears and consoled by former Real Madrid team-mate Ronaldo. 

Pepe, who has made 140 appearances for his country, became the oldest player to play at the tournament and is likely to have played his final match for Portugal. 

"Football is cruel and sadness is part of it," Pepe said. 

"We were aiming to win for our country and bring joy to our people. Five days ago we won on penalties and now we lost on penalties. It's cruel.

"The most important thing is to congratulate my colleagues for their commitment to the game."

Roberto Martinez insists Portugal's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with France will not merely come down to Cristiano Ronaldo's duel with Kylian Mbappe.

Portugal and France face off in Hamburg on Friday, with a last-four meeting with either Germany or Spain the prize for the victor.

Many have billed the match as a head-to-head battle between Mbappe and his idol Ronaldo, with both superstars desperate to hit top form after underwhelming starts to the tournament.

Ronaldo is yet to score from 20 shots worth 2.75 expected goals (xG), the former being a tournament-high tally, and he was in tears at half-time in extra time after seeing a penalty saved in Portugal's last-16 tie versus Slovenia.

Mbappe, meanwhile, suffered a broken nose in France's Group D opener against Austria, returning to score from the penalty spot in their matchday-three victory over Poland but failing to prevent them from finishing as runners-up.

France are yet to score a goal from open play at this tournament, with two own goals coming alongside Mbappe's spot-kick.

Martinez has played down suggestions Friday's match will be all about stopping Mbappe, saying: "Suffering is part of life, it's part of football, part of everything. 

"We can promise that we will give everything, the players are focused on playing, and football is a team sport. Tomorrow is not a two-player game. 

"They have incredible influence, Cristiano had an influence on Mbappe and Mbappe on others, but tomorrow is a game where the team needs to perform great."

Ronaldo was criticised by many for attempting four shots from direct free-kicks without success against Slovenia. 

He has now attempted 60 direct free-kicks in European Championship or World Cup matches, only scoring with one of them, versus Spain at the 2018 World Cup.

Asked whether Ronaldo could be stripped of set-piece duties, Martinez said: "That passes me by. 

"The players practice in training and Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes have that responsibility. We are fortunate to have two players with a very good profile to do it."

Portugal will hope to draw on the memories of their Euro 2016 final victory over Les Bleus, when Eder scored an extra-time winner after Ronaldo was taken off injured.

Asked how Portugal's class of 2024 matches up to the 2016 champions, Martinez said: "I don't like to compare generations. 

"This generation has a different path. We are a better generation, but in 2016 we had a victory in the final."

Roberto Martinez paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo's character and Diogo Costa's penalty shootout heroics after Portugal scraped through to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

The 2016 champions were given an almighty scare by a stubborn Slovenia, who kept them at bay for 120 minutes at Frankfurt Arena - thanks largely to Jan Oblak in goal.

The Atletico Madrid stopper reduced Ronaldo to tears when he saved his tame penalty in the first half of extra time. However, the Portugal skipper made no mistake in the shootout, where Diogo Costa took centre stage.

The Porto goalkeeper, who produced a crucial save to deny Benjamin Sesko in the second half of extra time, then kept out all three Slovenia kicks from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbic.

And Martinez was full of admiration for the efforts of both players.

"Ronaldo missed a penalty and then was decisive when he started the penalty shoot-out, he paved the way," the Portugal head coach told EURO2024.com.

"It was a victory for unity, from the dressing room and Cristiano is our captain. He showed that in life and in football, there are difficult moments and we can't give up, we have to keep going and it was a demonstration of what to do when things aren't going well."

"We worked very well, the energy, strength and passion in the dressing room to win a game like that is incredible."

On Diogo Costa, Martinez added: "The secret of Portugal is Diogo Costa, he's the most hidden secret in European football.

"Today, he appeared on a different level, he was incredible in the one-on-one situation [with Sesko], and then he had the focus and quality to make three consecutive saves in the shootout. We have to be very proud of him."

Diogo Costa became the first goalkeeper to ever save three penalties in a European Championship shootout.

"This is probably the best game of my life," he said. "I focused on doing what I had to do. I went with my gut feeling. Of course, we analysed the penalty takers, but players change, and they change how they shoot.

"I am very happy and very excited to have helped the team. These are the hardest games as I barely touched the ball, but the hard work paid off.

"We all felt we needed to keep believing [after Ronaldo's first penalty]. We believed until the very end, and we're all very happy."

Roberto Martinez remains confident ahead of the knockout stage but admitted to feeling wary of Slovenia ahead of their last 16 meeting.

The Selecao sealed top spot in Group F with a game to spare after wins over Czechia and Turkiye.

However, they were stunned in their final group outing as they were beaten 2-0 by surprise-package Georgia on Wednesday.

Martinez noted the improvements Portugal have worked on since their disappointing end to the group stage, with his mind on the tough test ahead.

"I can say that after three games, the team is ready," Martinez said. "A new tournament starts now, it's in or out.

"It's not easy to play at Euro, but as a team we are prepared to face this knockout phase.

"Portugal is fresh, we're ready, and I would like to answer questions on 15 July [after the final].

"A lot of teams at Euro have personality and believe they can win. Every game depends on small details. Slovenia are like this. They are organised and competitive, we need to be at our best."

"It's a historic moment for Slovenia in football, the first time in the round of 16. We admire what the coach is doing – they play like a club."

Unlike his head coach, Bruno Fernandes showed no fear ahead of their first knockout match, with his sights set firmly on the trophy.

"We take a lot of good things from the group stages, there were positives even from the defeat against Georgia," Fernandes added. "We wanted three wins out of three, but we topped our group. This will be different, it's the knockout stages.

"We want to win every single game, making it to the final and winning the final. There is no minimum objective.

"No team wants to go home early. We know what we are worth. Every team wants to go as far as possible, and that means the final."

Roberto Martinez is confident Portugal's defeat to Georgia on Wednesday was good preparation for the knockout stage at Euro 2024.

Portugal had already made sure of top spot in Group F, although the result against Georgia would impact the identity of their opponents in the last 16.

With Georgia 2-0 winners and advancing to the next round, Hungary were eliminated, leaving the Selecao to face Slovenia, who handed Martinez his first defeat in the job in a friendly in March.

This was now his first competitive loss, but the former Belgium coach believes Portugal are in a better place as a result.

"We made a lot of changes. The focus was on preparing all the players," Martinez said. "Now we are more prepared.

"We had players on the bench today that we did not want to use, because we were first in the group and the goal was achieved.

"It's a difficult way to prepare for the next game, because we don't like to lose. It's the first official game we've lost. But we're ready now."

Martinez acknowledged the difficulty of facing a team in Georgia who so desperately needed to win, facing elimination without victory.

"It was a day when we didn't have the same intensity as the opponent," he said. "For Georgia, this was a final; for us, it was one step before the round of 16. That was part of the final result."

Even in defeat, winger Pedro Neto was confident Portugal showed they are a match for any team in the tournament, suggesting only the host nation have rivalled the Selecao so far.

"We go to every game to win," he said. "We are confident because to this day I don't remember a team, other than Germany, that played as well as us. We are ready for the next game."

Roberto Martinez confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo will start against Georgia in their final Euro 2024 group game to make a landmark appearance.

The Portugal captain is set to become the first European player to make appear in 50 games at major tournaments in his next match, and a start against Georgia will take him to 28 caps at the Euros.

The Selecao have already confirmed their place in the last 16 as Group F winners with a 3-0 victory over Turkiye last time out, after beating Czechia 2-1 in their opener.

So, Martinez was expected to make changes to his starting line-up with one eye on the knockout stage, but the Spaniard was happy to confirm Ronaldo would not be one of them.

"I can say that the captain will be in the starting team. It's important," said Martinez. "He only played one preparation match.

"His season was very consistent, and he has played every game, has had a lot of minutes at his club. To continue with the competitive rhythm, it's not good to stop now and then reactivate in six days.

"We prepared the game to win. I believe the integrity of the tournament is essential.

"It is an important match because the result will show who will and will not be qualified. Georgia had a very interesting European Championship, could have beaten the Czech Republic in the last play of the match.

"They were very competitive against Turkey. We need to maintain the same focus and win."

Portugal were the victim of multiple pitch invaders against Turkiye as fans tried to get close to Ronaldo.

While the 39-year-old took the time to take a photo with one young fan but appeared frustrated as the trend continued.

Martinez added: "He's a very experienced player, he's been with the team for over 20 years.

"He knows the kind of support fans provide, but not just Portugal fans, football fans. I hope there won't be any pitch invasions - this is dangerous and it's not good for football, it's not a part of the game that we want to see."

Roberto Martinez says he will rotate his Portugal side for their final Group F game against Georgia, with qualification to the Euro 2024 knockout stages already secured.

The 2016 champions booked their place in the last 16 with a game to spare following their 3-0 win over Turkiye on Saturday.

Strikes from Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes sandwiched Samet Akaydin's calamitous own goal to move Portugal onto an unassailable six points after their first two matches, while sealing top spot in Group F.

Martinez's side have now won more group-stage games than they did in the 2016 and 2020 editions combined (one win, four draws, one defeat). 

And the Spaniard is thrilled with the strides made by his side, who came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1 in their opener, and the head coach revealed he will shuffle his pack when they face Georgia on Wednesday.

"Securing first place is good because there are a lot of players in the dressing room who deserve to play, and we need to give them opportunities to show what they've got and create a competitive environment," he said.

"I was very happy with the attitude and them showing that we're growing game by game. It's good to see progress and a good level of play in two consecutive matches, and I feel that we are ready for the knock-outs."

After operating with three centre-halves against Czechia, Martinez reverted to a back four against Turkiye, and he believes having different options will stand Portugal in good stead heading into the next phase of the tournament.

"It's important to balance our abundance of individual talent and the best way to do it is to be tactically flexible," he added.

"To have that flexibility in a national team is difficult, so I think it's great that we have players talented enough to play different roles according to the situation and the rival."

Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking seventh assist at the European Championships should be shown to all young players across the world, says Portugal boss Roberto Martinez.

Portugal sealed their place in the last 16 of Euro 2024 as Group F winners with a game to spare on Saturday, thrashing Turkiye 3-0 in Dortmund.

Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes scored either side of a comical own goal from Samet Akaydin, as the Selecao produced a far more complete performance than they managed in their last-gasp 2-1 win over Czechia on matchday one.

Fernandes' clinching goal came when Ronaldo sprang the Turkiye offside trap before unselfishly squaring for his former Manchester United team-mate when they were two-on-one versus goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

Ronaldo's assist was his seventh at the European Championships overall, the most on record (since 1968) of any player in the competition's history.

Martinez believes that incident proved Ronaldo will always put the team first and should serve as inspiration for young players everywhere.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Martinez said: "We saw something extraordinary, in front of the goalkeeper, he gave it to Bruno Fernandes.

"He is an example that should be shown in every academy in Portugal and throughout the world of football, he showed the team is the most important thing."

Ronaldo also holds the all-time goalscoring record at the tournament, with 14, while Saturday's victory was his 23rd at major international tournaments (World Cup/Euros).

Only Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose (25 each for Germany) have recorded more such wins among European players.

Portugal's victory was overshadowed, however, by a total of six pitch invaders making it onto the playing surface, seemingly emboldened by Ronaldo posing for a photograph with the first to reach the pitch – a young boy.

Asked about those incidents, Martinez said: "It's a concern because today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good.

"I think we all love a fan that recognises the big stars and the big icons, but you can understand it would be a very, very difficult moment if those intentions are wrong."

Roberto Martinez has no doubts about Cristiano Ronaldo's ability to play 90 minutes every few days at Euro 2024, as Portugal prepare to face Turkiye in their second game.

Portugal opened their Group F campaign with a nervy 2-1 win over Czechia on Tuesday, with Francisco Conceicao coming off the bench to net a 92nd-minute winner.

Ronaldo – the all-time leading scorer at the Euros with 14 goals – played all 90 minutes in the Selecao's opening match, becoming the first player to feature at six different editions of the tournament (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024).

He endured a frustrating outing, failing to score from five shots worth 0.73 expected goals (xG) including missing one big chance, as defined by Opta.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has seen his place in the Portugal lineup debated since he was surprisingly dropped by Fernando Santos at the 2022 World Cup.

Martinez, however, feels the 39-year-old is more than capable of playing a full part, saying: "How many games did Cristiano play last season?

"There is no other player who has been at six European Championships. He brings experience, he offers us chances to score and opens up spaces. 

"We analyse the data and can see what he does. He's in the team because he deserves it. He can play every four days."

Some in the Portuguese media have questioned whether Martinez should field another striker alongside Ronaldo, but the former Belgium boss wants his team to attack as a collective. 

"He was the striker with the most shots on target, he was disciplined, he worked hard. He's an area player, he opens up spaces," Martinez said.

"The important thing for us is to arrive in the area. We are not a direct team. We want to get into the final third with six or seven players. We don't need another player close to Cristiano, we need six or seven."

Turkiye could call upon huge support at their opening match in Dortmund, as they overcame Georgia 3-1 in one of the games of the tournament to date. 

Martinez predicts a hostile reception for his team on Sunday, saying: "We expect the stadium to be loud. Turkey had a lot of support in the stands. 

"We also need to be ourselves, controlling the tempo and bringing width because that is what we do best. 

"Turkey showed they can defend but their focus is always to attack. They are aggressive, they have character and attitude. There are no secrets."

Roberto Martinez praised Portugal's resilience in their Euro 2024 opener against Czechia, and believes that will be key to beating a confident Turkiye side. 

For both, it was their rising stars who took centre stage during matchday one in Group F, as substitute Francisco Conceicao spared Selecao's blushes with an injury-time winner against Ivan Hasek's side. 

Earlier that day, it was Real Madrid's Arda Guler who helped Turkiye beat a tough Georgia display, scoring an exceptional goal to earn his nation their first opening day win at the tournament at the sixth attempt. 

Portugal came from a goal behind to ensure their victory, but decisions will be made on who starts up front, with Cristiano Ronaldo failing to score on his landmark European Championship appearance. 

The veteran forward has never scored against Turkey, despite playing three matches against them. Only against Albania has he ever played more matches (four) without finding the back of the net for his country. 

Martinez's side won a game from a losing position for the first time under his stewardship and is hopeful his squad can show the same personality against Turkiye in Dortmund.

"Today it's not about assessing this game from the technical or tactical point of view," said the head coach.

"We won because we showed resilience, willpower and belief. It's the first time we've come from behind to win [under my tenure]. We believed, we showed incredible personality.

"It's a game where we had 13 corners; the Czech Republic had none. If we scored early we could have won by three or four goals. The atmosphere was incredible. Our fans did not deserve to lose this game.

"Nuno Mendes in a back three? He has the physical attributes to play in a three-man defence. It's important to have symmetry in the middle block. The Czech Republic are a physical team. The important thing is not the starting eleven, but how the game ends. We showed we had prepared well."

Meanwhile, Turkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella celebrated his 50th birthday in style at the Westfalenstadion, 

While the Italian was keen to enjoy the moment of Turkiye's landmark success, his attention quickly turned to the task of facing Portugal, a side they have only won two of their nine matches against (L7), with their last triumph coming in an international friendly in 2012. 

"Our dreams were very much focused on this match," Montella told reporters following that game. "We managed to win [our first game of the tournament] for the first time, so there will be a lot of first times."

A victory would secure qualification to the knockout stages of the competition for Montella's side, and when asked about his chances against the Selcao's star-studded line-up he said: "Then more dreams will emerge."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Turkiye - Hakan Calhanoglu

While the praise for Turkiye's young stars was warranted, it overshadowed the impressive display of Calhanoglu at the heart of their midfield against Georgia.

The Inter man completed 88 passes against Georgia last time out, the most by a Türkiye player in a European Championship game, with a passing accuracy of 92.6 per cent. 

Portugal – Vitinha

Another midfield maestro had yet another impressive display in their Group F opener, with Vitinha completing more passes under high-intensity pressure (59) than any other player in the opening round of games at Euro 2024.

Only Toni Kroos (30) made more line-breaking passes than the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder on MD1 (21). 

MATCH PREDICTION – PORTUGAL WIN

While Selecao were not at their dazzling best in their Group F opener, they ultimately found a way to win, and that is what title-winning teams always manage to do. 

And Portugal has often got the better of their opponents when they have squared off at the European Championships. Portugal have won all three of their previous encounters in the tournament, without conceding a single goal.

Martinez's side are also the only team to reach the knockout stages of the Euros at each of the last seven editions, having only lost one of their last nine group stage games at the tournament (W4 D4), with that defeat coming against Germany in 2021. 

But Turkiye proved in their opener against Georgia they are not here just to take part, and will be looking to win their first two games at a major tournament for the first time in their history. 

Montella will be keen to continue his 50th birthday celebrations when he returns to Dortmund on Saturday, with the possibility of equalling their most victories in a single edition of the European Championship (two in 2008). They have only managed more at a major tournament in the 2002 World Cup (four).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Turkiye - 17.8%

Draw - 20.3%

Portugal - 62%