Euro 2024: Portugal guarantee top spot
Turkey 0-3 Portugal
Portugal secured their spot in the last 16 as group winners at Euro 2024 with a straightforward victory over Turkey in Dortmund.
Manchester City's Bernardo Silva opened the scoring midway through the first half, deftly placing the ball past goalkeeper Altay Bayindir after Nuno Mendes' cross from the left was deflected into his path.
A disastrous own goal doubled Portugal's lead when defender Samet Akaydin, without looking up, passed the ball back to Bayindir, who was unable to stop it from rolling into his own net.
This blunder dampened the spirits of the enthusiastic Turkish supporters, who had arrived at the stadium in droves from the city centre, proudly waving their flags. Portugal's fans, though less in number, were just as spirited and celebrated as their team played with confidence and style.
The victory was sealed when Cristiano Ronaldo selflessly set up Bruno Fernandes for a simple tap-in to make it 3-0 before the hour mark.
The 2016 champions will face Georgia from Group F in their final match, knowing they have already completed their job in the group stages. This represents a great opportunity to rest players and rotate their squad ahead of the last 16.
Portugal have quality and experience all over the pitch
Led by Ronaldo, Portugal created numerous chances and kept Turkey’s defence under constant pressure. The Portugal manager commended his influence, addressing earlier doubts about whether he negatively affected team cohesion.
Silva was highly active in attack, combining well with Vitinha and Joao Cancelo, while Mendes was a dynamo on Portugal’s left flank.
Bruno Fernandes put in another fantastic performance. After leading Manchester United to success in last month's FA Cup final, he is having a similar impact on this Portugal side.
Reaction
Robert from Wigan really enjoyed Portugal's performance as a neutral. He said: "Their bench is very strong. This is perfect for Roberto Martinez as he can rest players in the final group game. Before the game, I expected it to be more competitive."
Joao, a Portugal fan, posted on Facebook: "We've now secured first place, and the players and coaching will start thinking about the next phase. They'll have to work hard because the objective hasn't been realszed yet. As a team, we're on the right track, and today was a good display from Portugal. At the moment this is nothing more than three points."
